It’s hard to say whether the Western World has a clear idea just how wealthy some of the Chinese families in Asia are. Families like the Sys (of the SM Investments Sy from the Philippines), Lee (from the Samsung Lee of South Korea), Kwoks (from the Sun Hung Kai Properties Kwok of Hong Kong), or the Chearavanonts (from the Charoen Pokphand Group Chearavanont of Thailand) to name some. And there is certainly no telling how far back in Chinese lineages these dynasties’ money goes back. One thing is for sure, these dynasties control Asia’s economy and their families don’t spend less.
Not to undermine the Musks, or Gates, or Jobs of the world, but they do pale in comparison to these crazy rich Asians. And unlike the flaunting which is usually reported on Bloomberg or Wall Street Journal, these Chinese families are very secretive and only report a portion of their total holdings.
Crazy Rich Asians is Kevin Kwan’s controversial debut novel, which satirically exposed the lavish and posh life crazy rich Asian families live in. Set in different settings across Asia, we find protagonist Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her undeniably handsome, prim-and-proper boyfriend Nicholas Young (Henry Golding). The pair were working as professors of Game Theory and History respectively at New York’s NYU. In their two years of relationship, Rachel had let Nick in her life and introduced him to every facet that makes up her life. Nick, on the other hand, let out little of his life, and “whenever his family is brought up, he would change the subject.”
In Singapore, Rachel reunites with her Stanford roommate and best friend Peik Lin Goh, who Rachel knew to be rich, but had little comprehension of just how rich. There, in that Southeast Asian island, she found herself reeling from the lavish lifestyle people live by–from flying every now and then on private jets and partying on a resort in an island which is owned by a rich family; traditional Chinese rituals and customs interlacing with British mannerisms here and there. The enormity of how these families live left Rachel with a gaping mouth and a realization that she will never fit in this world of splashed in Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and lots of rich Asian money can buy.
The Tragedy That Was Astrid Leong
Astrid Leong is one of the memorable characters in the book not with her flat’s guest room stacked with couture dresses from Paris which other rich Asian girls like her have not yet laid their porcelain hands on. Astrid is, in any way you look at it, a living and breathing China doll–her beauty is her lethal weapon, but fragile to any careless hands.
Astrid is married to Michael Teo, a young military man who came from a common family but was able to make a do by taking his startup tech company public. Despite the newfound money, Michael has always been looked down upon in the Leong family. Sidebar, the Leongs are old money in Singapore and Asia. They are connected with the Youngs.
Michael is a proud man and didn’t bask in the glory that comes along with marrying Astrid. He was adamant about not spending too much money. He detested the lavish lifestyle and went to a great length to insist Astrid and he would live separately from the Leongs and certainly not in one of the properties they own. It remains unclear to Astrid how she was able to live with abandoned self-entitlement and allowed herself to live in a flat so different from the kind of house she used to live with. In the middle of the cloud that hangs above the perfect and impossibly lavish life Astrid lives by, she is sure she loves her husband regardless of the extracurricular activities she, later on, found out he was keeping from her.
Rachel’s and Astrid’s Dilemmas
Rachel is not Princess Diana but in a way she is. She is a commoner who was introduced to Singapore’s (or Asia’s) innermost secretive families who, until recently, she didn’t know exist. This has proven to be problematic once Rachel started to spiral down the drain as revelations about Nick and his family unfold before her. It gets claustrophobic as she found herself clutched by the throat by women who did not want anything but to drown Rachel and keep her “gold-digging” hands off of Nicholas Young. Nothing in her professional career as an economics professor at NYU could have prepared her to face Nick’s scheming mother and formidable Ah Mah, both of whom didn’t approve of Rachel when Nick announced he was proposing to her. Now, Rachel has to choose whether to continue the relationship and risk Nick severing his relationship with his family or let it all go.
Astrid’s world was crumbling to pieces–far too soon than the decades’ old estate her Ah Mah owns at Tyersall Park behind the Botanic Gardens. She is now in full damage control to save not her family’s reputation but the life she has built for herself. Finding Michael’s secret affair left her reeling and questioning her worth. Everything that has been written about Astrid and people’s high perception of her, which is likened to a priceless art collection, were thrown into a cavernous pit of question marks instead of periods. She questions why Michael was able to do what he did to her; a woman regarded highly by the society she has been born into. She questions whether she did something wrong and whether she could have done something better. She must now decide what’s best for her as a woman of high stature.
Takeaways
Crazy Rich Asians is a refreshing take on wealth and social status. However fictional and satirical the approach was, Kevin Kwan did paint us the traditions, customs, and behaviors of rich families; how obsesses they are in building things that last even if it comes at the cost of their own happiness. To these rich Asian families, making the perfect match to continue the legacy of their clan is everything. It should not come as a surprise to think that the selection process is no different to a beauty pageant–you have to be beautiful and conform to the Chinese idea of beauty, smart, came from a family with no skeletons in the closet, and most importantly a woman who came from a family of high regard and with old money.
But traditions and customs change over time. Why on Earth would the British Royal Family allow Prince Charles to marry Diana in the first place if it didn’t, right? The Chinese conventional and often strict culture is not vulnerable to change. It is exciting to see how Rachel and Nick would face the next challenge to their relationship. After all, they both had a long, slow, passionate kiss atop the Marina Bay Sands.
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