Interior Chinatown is about “Generic Asian Man” Willis Wu and his quest to make it as a movie star, and become known to audiences worldwide as “Kung Fu Guy.” Told in a narrative style of a screenplay, I found this story playful and inventive. Charles Yu’s perspective on the particular brand of racism Asians face under white supremacy is unlike anything else I have read. Due to the nature of its telling it was sometimes difficult to know where the movie ended and Wu’s life began, and I’m thinking that is probably the point.

Two things I really loved about this novel was the way it positions the needs of the Asian community as we try to disentangle ourselves from white supremacy. As we all fight for freedom and justice for all everyone is going to need different things and THAT IS OKAY. But fighting over the crumbs will get us nowhere. I have heard non-Black POC constantly decry “Well what about us!” and that sorely misses the point. Although this book doesn’t delve too deeply into that, I at least appreciate the nuance it provides when discussing how racism in the United States affects Asians in particular. I learned more than I was expecting too and I still think about it all the time. I also really loved the theme around family and success. To me this is the heartbeat of the story. As Wu assimilates deeper and deeper into Hollywood and finds success, what did he have to give up in order to do so? Is that really “success” then?

I picked up this book because of Jess @readingmountains and I am so glad I did so. I loved this one whole heartedly and I think a lot of you here would too.

#BIPOCbookstagram #CharlesYu #InteriorChinatown #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #AlwaysReading #LosAngelesReader #NationalBookAwardWinner #ReadDiversePerspectives #decolonizeyourbookshelf
 

Three Keys is the sequel to Front Desk and it will now hold a special place in my heart. Distance learning has been trash, but reading those two books during Closing Circle every day has absolutely been a saving grace.

Three Keys brings us back to Calivista Hotel and its diverse cast of characters. Set in 1994 Southern California, this book hit differently. It largely discusses Prop 187 and its aftermath. Prop 187 sought to prohibit undocumented Americans from using non-emergency healthcare, public education, and other services in the state of California. It passed with 60% of the vote. Courts would later strike it down through appeals because it was deemed unconstitutional, but the damage was done. Hate crimes rose, people died. Mia and company must navigate the effects of this legislation as Lupe, her best friend, is undocumented.

This book took my class and I through so many emotions, when it was over, one kid stated, “That was intense.” It really was, and I have to admire Kelly Yang for writing this because she really has a lot of respect for her young audience, and it is something I really appreciate when trying to find good Middle Grade Lit. Fourth grade is a tough year because they are old enough to explore heavier topics, but there has to be a balance because you don’t want students to feel hopeless. This duology does just that. It was also so beautiful because it forced me to create a mini-unit on immigration and the conversations that came out of that were so meaningful. We talked about the differences between refugees, immigrants, and migrants. We read different picture books reflecting the different experiences. Students who came from immigrant families centered their own experiences and felt comfortable talking about it to the whole class. It was really special, and something I am very grateful for, because if it wasn’t for this book that probably wouldn’t have happened. Representation matters, and Three Keys does a spectacular job of highlighting the nuances of the immigrant experiences in really thoughtful ways. I will be reading these every year now, and I suggest you pick these up too.

This is my first time reading a book by Lousie Erdrich, but certainly not my last. Erdrich’s talent is beyond measure and it is absolutely a gift to be able to interact with her work. Erdrich is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Anishinaabe.

The novel is set on a reservation in North Dakota, and narrated from the point of the view of 13 year old Joe, son of an Ojibwe lawyer, as he seeks justice for the brutal rape and attempted murder on his mother, Geraldine. With a unique cast of characters and phenomenal writing, we bear witness to what justice means for Joe and others. Finding justice for Indigenous women within the white colonial system is impossible, and this is a major theme highlighted in the book. Here is a quote from Erdrich: (source: NPR)

“There are several kinds of land on reservations. And all of these pieces of land have different entities who are in charge of enforcing laws on this land. So in this case, Geraldine does not know where her attacker raped her. She didn’t see, she doesn’t know. So in her case, it is very, very difficult to find justice because there’s no clear entity who is in charge of seeking justice for her. So in writing the book, the question was: If a tribal judge, someone who has spent his life in the law, cannot find justice for the woman he loves, where is justice? The book is also about the legacy of generations of injustice, and what comes of that. Because, of course, what comes of that is an individual needs to seek justice in their own way when they can’t find justice through the system. And that brings chaos.”

Although this book is about very heavy topics, Erdrich’s writing shines with the humor. I found myself chuckling w/ Joe and his friends, whether they’re quoting Star Trek or just shenanigans. Thanks to the Indiengous women in @erinanddanisbookclub for telling us that this is central to Native life, finding humor and joy in all aspects of life in spite of oppression. thanks for holding space for me to listen and deepen my appreciation and understanding of this book. Lastly, center Indigenous Women in your activism. Period.

The prompt for todays #DecolonizeDecemberPhotoChallenge is a book with a beautiful cover, and I cheated and picked three. These graphic novels are written by author Marjorie Liu and the beautiful artwork is by Sana Takeda. Set in a matriarchal world inspired by early 20th century Asia, Mia Halfwolf is a teenage girl linked to a godlike monster. I love this graphic novel. It’s filled with complex characters, badass sapphic women, and political intrigue. But oh my, the art, the art, the art. It is staggering in its beauty, truly original. If you enjoy graphic novels, I hope you check this one out.

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