East of Eden - wish we can see more of Lee's San Francisco Chinatown subplot
Lee's subplot of dreaming to open a bookstore in SF Chinatown was one of my favorite subplots in the series. The reality of the hardships and racism Chinese people faced in the late 1900s, and how he was not allowed to run a place outside of Chinatown. Chinatown became this autonomous sanctuary where Chinese people can still run businesses and thrive and be fed, but also completely separated from the rest of SF.
As an Asian American (ABC) in the Bay Area, this subplot really spoke to me and my culture. I have read about some of the history of SF Chinatown, but did not know it only flourished because it was a way of survival and being outcasted from other parts of SF, and seeing it come to life on screen was really moving.
I read that originally there was going to be a separate episode dedicated to Lee's story, but due to budget constraints they had to cut a lot of scenes out. I wish we got to see the full story being flushed out! I guess that means I should now read the book.