Ethnic assimilation has existed since the birth of the American Dream as immigrants have traveled across land looking for opportunity within the United States. One of the most notable was the migration of the Chinese in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the novel "Bone", the author Fae Myenne Ng depicts the representation of assimilation of an ethnic minority through the main character Leila and her family. The novel speaks to the development of the notion that the transition from China to America brings upon estrangement that can bear pains and gains for Asian American families and through Leila's interactions with her family and the relationship she has with them, the reader is able to see the representation and assimilation of the Asian American Identity in the United States and the social and economic struggles that comes along with it. .
In the novel Leila is seemingly trapped into living in Chinatown, bounded by her Chinese family ties, she refuses to leave in a way to take care of her family. Her Chinese parents strongly promote family allegiance in endeavors rather than setting their children free like European and American families. Therefore we are able to see the influence of Leila's mother Mah and her Step Father Leon in her decision-making and overall assimilation into American Culture. Mah is a clear representation of the matriarch of the Chinese family who is seemingly still tied to her Chinese origins; she is emotional, bossy and is often abandoned by her husband Leon. While Leon represents the patriarch in the family often leaving for jobs and going overseas, abandoning Mah. Through this family orientation Leila is conflicted in her ideal pursuit of Americanization as she is seemingly always drawn back by her mother's and Leon's personal needs. She is a personal translator, and often serves as the middle for the association her parents have with the American lifestyle.