Pachinko; The Zainichi Experience

Biography

Min Jin Lee is a prominent Korean-American Author, who immigrated to the United States from Seoul, South Korea, at 7 years old. She is a fiction writer, known for her portrayal and exploration of race, immigration, and the struggles of identity or displacement that follow migrant families to their new homes. While she originally pursued a career as a corporate lawyer, she was eventually forced to resign due to health complications involving her liver. She decided to focus her energy on writing full-time instead, which led to her publishing her first novel, Free Food for Millionaires, in 2007 (2). Since then, she has published two more works, the most notable of which being Pachinko in 2017. Not only has this bestselling novel won multiple awards since its release, but it was also reportedly listed as one of the top 10 books of 2017 by the New York Times, and was featured in former President Barack Obama’s recommended reading list (4).

Pachinko

Pachinko is described as a historical fiction novel, which follows multiple generations of a Zainichi family (ethnic Korean family living in Japan) that has forcibly immigrated to Japan between the early to mid 1990s. It explores the individual experiences of each generation, as they struggle with their sense of identity, poverty, and face racial discrimination and the many different ways it can present itself across time (1). The title Pachinko comes from a Japanese gambling game, which is where many of the characters in this family find themselves working to survive and taking on the ‘gamble’ of life (5). The story highlights many of the difficult choices that families with foreign backgrounds have to face, in choosing between fitting in and assimilating for survival, or holding on to the roots of their culture and who they truly are. As Jean Zimmerman puts it in her article for NPR, Pachinko is “the kind of book that can open your eyes and fill them with tears at the same time” (6). 

By choosing to highlight the migrant experience across multiple generations, Min Jin Lee really captures the ripple-effect that these choices can have, and the weight that this carries for each and every member. Krys Lee, in his review for the New York Times, says “In this sprawling book, history itself is a character” (3), as each generation faces new challenges but is connected by one central theme; trying to make a home for themselves in a place that is inherently foreign to them, where no matter how much they try to fit in they will always been seen or treated as outsiders. It is a very touching and personal novel, clearly influenced by some of Min Jin Lee’s personal struggles related to being an immigrant herself. In setting the events of this story across such a long period of time, and across multiple characters, she is able to explore how culture and trauma change and present themselves across multiple generations. As Tash Aw states in the Guardian “Vivid and immersive, Pachinko is a rich tribute to a people that history seems intent on erasing” (1). The impact that this novel has had in highlighting the difficulties experienced by so many immigrant families and minority communities, is one that should not be forgotten. Much like in the story itself, Min Jin’s work provides a message to be passed down through generations, in the hopes of someday creating a better future for those who relate to it. 

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Works Cited 

1. Aw, Tash. “Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Review – Rich Story of the Immigrant Experience.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Mar. 2017, www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/15/pachinko-min-jin-lee-review.  

2. Huang, Yong-Yu. "Min Jin Lee". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Min-Jin-Lee. 

3. Lee, Krys. “Book Review: ‘pachinko,’ by Min Jin Lee.” New York Times, 2 Feb. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/books/review/pachinko-min-jin-lee.html 

4.  “Min Jin Lee: Award-Winning & Bestselling Novelist and Essayist.” The Steven Barclay Agency, www.barclayagency.com/speakers/min-jin-lee. 

5. Neary, Lynn. “Pachinko Is a Family Saga of Exile, Discrimination... and Japanese Pinball.” NPR, 6 Feb. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/02/06/513304628/pachinko-is-a-family-saga-of-exile-discrimination-and-japanese-pinball. 

6. Zimmerman, Jean. “Culture Clash, Survival and Hope in ‘Pachinko.’” NPR, NPR, 7 Feb. 2017,www.npr.org/2017/02/07/512910187/culture-clash-survival-and-hope-in-pachinko.