Chapter 14. The pacific rim consciousness of american writers on the West Coast

In this chapter, ‘Pacific Rim’ refers to the northern part of the Rim, covering the countries and areas on the brim such as California, British Columbia, Alaska, eastern Siberia, Japan, Korea, eastern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. It ascertains the cultural dimension of the region, in particular how a Pacific Rim consciousness is presented in the writings of some American West Coast authors. 'Pacific Rim consciousness’ can be succinctly defined as consciously identifying oneself with, or actively advocating, the Pacific Rim and viewing the area as one cultural region of coalition. The chapter mainly explores the life and writings of those authors who are Americans of Euro and/or Anglo descents, because when they develop a Pacific Rim consciousness, they share an estrangement from the heritage of European civilizations and share a belief in communion and coalition with Asian people. Keywords: Asian people; European civilizations; Pacific Rim