Amy Tan Discovers 800-Year Family History on ‘Finding Your Roots’

NEW YORK — Acclaimed novelist Amy Tan, best known for her bestselling book “The Joy Luck Club,” uncovered a remarkable 800-year family lineage during her appearance on the PBS series “Finding Your Roots.” The 72-year-old author explored her ancestry with host Henry Louis Gates Jr. in the Jan. 21 episode, tracing her roots back to her 22nd great-grandfather, the founder of the Tan family clan in 12th-century China.

“You are able to trace your family lineage back more than 800 years through a paper trail,” Gates told Tan in an exclusive clip shared with TODAY.com. The discovery left the author visibly moved. “Wow, it just shows you how deeply connected we are to the past,” Tan said. “It also makes me want to write more stories about my family.”

Tan reflected on how her late father, who immigrated to the United States from China, would have reacted to the findings. “He would’ve been very proud and glad that we finally understand that side of the family,” she said. “(My dad) was so focused on making us American so we would fit in. And so I think he would just say, ‘Yes, now you’re ready to know this part of the family. You can be Chinese as well.'”

Throughout her career, Tan has drawn inspiration from her Chinese-American heritage. In a 2017 interview, she acknowledged that much of her fiction is semi-autobiographical. “Everybody’s novel is semi-autobiographical,” she said. “People who have impacted your life and made you who you are, that’s who you put in your story. So they’re all autobiographical.”

The episode also featured poet Rita Dove, who learned about her great-grandfather’s legal troubles, including an assault charge and a later arrest for running a speakeasy. Dove expressed a mix of emotions about her ancestor’s tumultuous life, saying, “I feel very sad, and I don’t even know this man, but he basically came to life in two pages or three, some newspaper articles, and now it’s gone.”

“Finding Your Roots” is available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS App, with new episodes airing Tuesdays at 8/7c. The show is supported by corporate sponsors including Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry®, and Johnson & Johnson.