China Men follows Kingston's The Woman Warrior. While Kingston actually started this book prior to The Woman Warrior, Knopf did not publish it until 1980. China Men tells stories of Kingston's male ancestors. Kingston wrote this book to restore her Chinese family history and to take a new look at it in relation to American history.

Kingston's Tripmaster Monkey, published by Knopf in 1989, continues her mix of Chinese mythology with fiction. The main character, Wittman Ah-Sing, is a fifth-generation Californian, Berkeley graduate, and playwright who "trips" his way from city to city trying to create his own theatre. In his drug-induced state, he imitates the Monkey King from Chinese mythology. Critics recognize this book for its diverse use of language.

The Joy Luck Club, published by Putnam's Sons in 1989, is a story written by Chinese-American author Amy Tan. The book tells...