Made in Asian America

Starred review from February 15, 2024
This adaptation of Lee's The Making of Asian America (2015) fills a considerable gap in American history. Historian Lee and Soontornvat, an acclaimed author for young people, establish the relevance of their work by opening with recent events: examples of everyday anti-Asian racism experienced by contemporary teens, the escalation of hate crimes during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the absence of Asian American history in school curricula. They then jump back to the 13th-century Western fascination with the "Orient" and the evolution of these attitudes. This context lays the groundwork for understanding the perceptions of Asian Americans as "other," a running theme alongside issues such as the continual struggle for civil rights and the broad range of diverse experiences within Asian America. While the book covers events in roughly chronological order, some chapters explore broader topics--the model minority myth and evolving perceptions of Asian women, for example. The authors present many well-known events (Japanese American incarceration, the 1992 L.A. Koreatown riots) through the lens of ordinary young people; these relatable narratives create a compelling tapestry of stories, and the rich photos offer additional context. The authors' resonant message is that "Asian American history is not made up of one single story. It's many. And it's a story that you have to know if you want to understand the history of America." An eminently readable, consciousness-raising U.S. history told from a fresh perspective. (authors' notes, source notes, bibliography, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

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Starred review from May 1, 2024

Gr 6 Up-Acclaimed historian Lee and Newbery Honoree Soontornvat offer an exemplary narrative on the complex and mostly untold history of people of Asian descent in the United States. The authors make history come alive and dispel harmful stereotypes by thoroughly examining events barely taught in history class, such as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese immigrants' role in the Gold Rush and transcontinental railroad, and Japanese concentration camps during WWII. Readers are presented with the stories of young people who experienced those events themselves. It's the in-depth discussion of people and subjects in Asian American history that are rarely covered that is even more impactful. Afong Moy was the first known Asian woman in the United States and was exploited as an "Oriental" curiosity. Wong Kim Ark, Mary Tape, and Bhagat Singh each took their citizenship cases to the Supreme Court on separate occasions with different and sometimes devastating results. Balancing the many other vile examples of racism and xenophobia that Asian Americans have faced are stories of triumph, including those of actors Anna May Wong and Bruce Lee, Congresswoman Patsy Mink, and author Jenny Han. The compelling text is broken up with additional context from informative sidebars, black-and-white photos, reproductions, and graphs. Back matter includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index. VERDICT Revelatory. Shelve this alongside Howard Zinn's A Young People's History of the United States and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People for a more complete understanding of American history.-Shelley M. Diaz

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May 1, 2024
Adapting Lee's 2015 adult title (The Making of Asian America) for a younger audience -- and beginning with a context-setting introduction about the lack of education about Asian and Asian� American history -- the authors begin their account with the expansion of the Spanish Empire from the end of the fifteenth century through the mid-1700s. Short, accessibly written chapters aim to counter the sanitized (or ignored) history of Asian experiences in America, including those from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Taking a nonlinear approach, the book groups topics thematically, pairing and contrasting events and reintroducing people and ideas as they come up again. Callouts are used to explain terms and concepts; a list of racist so-called justifications is particularly effective in reminding readers of the different faces of bigotry. Lee and Soontornvat also highlight the ways public opinion and trending topics in the news change which groups get attention, forcing racial minorities to compete for resources. Especially illuminating are stories of Korean, Filipino, and South Asian people during WWII's Japanese internment as well as South Asian and Muslim experiences after 9/11. An informative, useful, and strong survey for those learning more about their own cultures and histories and about others'. Naomi Yamada

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 15, 2024
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Based on Lee's revered study of Asian American history, The Making of Asian America (2015), this version, written with the help of Newbery Honor Book author Soontornvat, helps young readers understand the history and influence of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hmong, and other Asian groups in the U.S. An introduction that notes the rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans since the COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of this comprehensive volume. Topical, readable chapters, roughly in chronological order, begin with Marco Polo's writings on the "Orient" and Christopher Columbus' failed search for Asia, both of which promoted negative stereotypes and racism against Asians. Successive chapters, complemented by archival photos, describe such pivotal historical events as the arrival of Chinese laborers in the 1800s and the subsequent Chinese Exclusion Act, the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, and how Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Arab, and other South Asian Americans became targets of xenophobia following 9/11. Other chapters also deconstruct associated stereotypes, like the mythical "model minority." Stories of young people throughout, such as an 11-year-old Kat Kim, who witnessed the 1992 Los Angeles riots devastate her Koreatown neighborhood, bring both immediacy and relevance. Despite these tragedies and injustices, readers will discover centuries of courage, survival, and resilience that also shaped what it means to be Asian American today. As compelling and thoughtful as it is necessary.

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January 1, 2024
Adapting Lee's 2015 adult title (The Making of Asian America) for a younger audience -- and beginning with a context-setting introduction about the lack of education about Asian and Asian American history -- the authors begin their account with the expansion of the Spanish Empire from the end of the fifteenth century through the mid-1700s. Short, accessibly written chapters aim to counter the sanitized (or ignored) history of Asian experiences in America, including those from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Taking a nonlinear approach, the book groups topics thematically, pairing and contrasting events and reintroducing people and ideas as they come up again. Callouts are used to explain terms and concepts; a list of racist so-called justifications is particularly effective in reminding readers of the different faces of bigotry. Lee and Soontornvat also highlight the ways public opinion and trending topics in the news change which groups get attention, forcing racial minorities to compete for resources. Especially illuminating are stories of Korean, Filipino, and South Asian people during WWII's Japanese internment as well as South Asian and Muslim experiences after 9/11. An informative, useful, and strong survey for those learning more about their own cultures and histories and about others'.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)