Cape

An anthology of essays by creatives across the Asian American diaspora, especially after the increase in visible attacks over the last several years where we feel compelled to bring our frustration, our rage, our collective trauma to paper.

I especially appreciated the wide range of viewpoints- not just CJK-Americans, but Montagnard and Khmer voices too, as well as various mixed Asians reflecting on how they are perceived by various communities. Mark Kramer's "The Question" was probably my favorite, and I also really liked [a:Shing Yin Khor|5185774|Shing Yin Khor|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1629844954p2/5185774.jpg]'s "I Don't Want to Write Today". Both speak to wanting to simply exist, but whenever anyone perceives us they instantly bin us into some kind of category, more often than not Other.

Also, as these are all writers in some medium or another, a great way to find your next reads/watches/etc.!… (meer)

This is a moving compilation of written works by Asian authors. Its variety of pieces is an educational, poignant and eye-opening realization of the more painful parts of the Asian immigrant experience in America. From the introductory piece by Teresa Hsiao which was a first person narrative of how people discriminated against her in many situations, to the angry piece by Yellow Rage to show the unafraid and strong Asian woman, to the piece by Moss Perricone who does a monologue about how he appeared naked in his brown school uniform, I was intrigued enough by these Asian voices to continue to read the whole book.

I then moved from piece to piece taking in the candor and the talent in all of the writing. I was struck hard by the essay, “The Question” by Mark Kramer, who addresses the bold question of “What are you?” with his remarks about “othering” because of my own personal family experience with this question. Ellen K. Pao’s essay “Working While Asian” hit me with a sucker punch as well as she discussed job loss for undeserved reasons. I appreciate each of these writers for taking the time to share their intensely personal stories with their readers. I hope all of these stories are taken to heart and used in a positive way when interacting with others.… (meer)

This book is well written, edited, and arranged. The many different stories from multiple authors kept the reading fresh and the changing perspectives offered a deeper view of the book's overall theme.

Let me say one thing that bears saying from my standpoint. Prejudice and mistreatment happens to most people everywhere any time that they are the (different) person in a crowd or situation. It's a simple fact that humans can't seem to deal maturely and kindly with things that are different. At other times, they respond to people who are different in a less than gracious manner because they're intrigued and curious about them.

My Life: Growing Up Asian in America has a lot to say about being different in nationality and the negative, rude, and prejudicial treatment that caused. it's insightful and informative and will give it's readers a lot of food for thought.

However, when finishing the book, I came away feeling completely depressed and with a negative mindset. I wanted to sympathize but couldn't get over the feeling that only half the story had been told. Where were the positives and the benefits of growing up Asian in America? There had to be some. I'm from the southern USA and I love Asian food, art, music, and dramas. I love learning new Chinese words from the waitress at my local Chinese food restaurant. I was ready to embrace even more of this wonderfully unique culture, but the book didn't offer that side of the story.

For this reason, I only gave the book three stars.… (meer)