LiveWorld Transcripts

Borders.com presents

Author Pheobe Eng
“Warrior Lessons: A Woman's Journey Into Power”

March 16, 1999

Pheobe Eng, author of “Warrior Lessons: A Woman's Journey Into Power,” chats about her novel, an inspirational manifesto for Asian American women, offering a bold game plan for women to discover themselves and use their power.

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NetCafeLive: Welcome to NetCafeLive, where we host authors and celebrities throughout the month. Thanks for joining us! Borders NetCafeLive is a joint production of Borders.com(tm) & Talk City(tm), a Talk City, Inc. Production. Tonight's guest is Phoebe Eng, Here to talk about “Warrior Lessons; A Woman's Journey Into Power,” an inspirational manifesto for Asian American women, offering a bold game plan for women to discover themselves and use their power. Borders.com and Talk City, Inc. are pleased to welcome tonight's guest.

Phoebe Eng: Thank You!

LilyCCC: Phoebe, it's great to have you here. Can you start off by telling us about your background and what inspired you to write “Warrior Lessons”?

Phoebe Eng: Sure! My background is that I'm Chinese and my parents are from Taiwan and from Hong Kong. I was born in the US and I'm full-blooded American. I wrote this book because I've been looking for something all of my adult life. Having not been able to find it, I decided to write something about this myself. It's a book that charts Asian American women in their lives, how they feel about themselves, whether they feel in control of their destinies, and if not why. Most importantly, what are the sources of power in their lives.

Gashtheguy: So how does a women become in power by a country ran by men? I guess we can assume that most countries are in fact run by men.

Phoebe Eng: In "Warrior Lessons" I take this on when describing my experiences in the workplace. For Asian American women especially, we have to deal with this ultra-feminized geisha girl image that is harbored not only by men, but women as well, which can really thwart our advancement. We're seen as hard workers, putting out good quality work, but we're never seen as management material. What I try to suggest to readers in the third chapter of my book, is to acknowledge that there will always be obstacles in your way. That men, some men, might pose challenges to you strictly because you're a woman, and that you can do nothing to change their mind. And, neither should you waste your energy. The best thing you can do in a world that is in fact run by men, is to find both the men and the women that make you strong. Never let them go, always seek their support, and forget about the ones who can't give you the respect or opportunity that you deserve. Their way of thought is an old way. It's a dying way. Spending your energy and your time, trying to change their mind is wasting your own.

Avenger: Did you have any personal influences in writing this book? Like people, events?

Phoebe Eng: I'll start with the people that really shape what I'm about. I list them, five women as dedicatees, along with my parents. The five women that are at the front of the book are people that are not in the headlines, they never make the evening news, but they have so profoundly shaped what I am. The first one, is a woman who is a law professor who suggested that it would be a good idea for me to go to law school. She even sent me an application to her own Alma Mater. That she could care so much about helping me, me who was not a family member. She had no obligation to me. It made me realize the value of a mentor. Another one, is a professor from college who took me when I was a senior and gave me the opportunity to teach a class. I had never seen myself as someone who could teach anyone anything. So, that opportunity changed my life again. The other women, I met in my adult life. Friends, mentors, people who have made it their goal in life to teach others. They are human rights advocates, civil rights advocates, women's advocates.

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