Migration is Beautiful
"Meet powerhouse artist/activist Favianna Rodriguez — a leading voice in the movement of artists raising awareness about U.S. immigration issues."
- I am OTHER
Harvest of Empire
The Untold Story of Latinos in America “We are all Americans of the New World, and our most dangerous enemies are not each other, but the great wall of ignorance between us.”
Juan González, Harvest of Empire
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Showing posts with label Book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book review. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Coolies by Yin (A Book Review)
An Ordinary Survival Tale of Two Extraordinary Brothers Who Build Their Own American Dream
Book Reviewed: Coolies
Author: Yin
Illustrator: Chris Soentpiet
Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
Pros: It is a classic in every sense of the word.
Cons: Not found
“Coolies” by Yin details the story of Chinese railroad workers who endured the harsh working conditions and racial prejudice for a better life for their families. The titled derives from the derogatory name for a lower-class worker often used on Asian descent. (See Wikipedia’s definition here.)For such an emotionally charged term, it can be hard to write a children’s story that doesn’t antagonize or polarize readers. Yin, in the book “Coolies” manages to pull this off with grace and elegance by focusing on the story of two brothers who survive an ordeal that some adults did not.
The book is only about 20 or so
pages long, which makes for a very easy and worthwhile read. The illustrations
by Chris Soentpiet are masterpieces, filled with exquisite detail and emotion
that is needed to handle such an emotionally heavy story. The plot is simple
enough to understand by a five year old, but the way the author delivers the
story makes it a page turner even for adults. Reading the book, I wanted to
know what would happen to Shek and Wong!
Friday, August 2, 2013
Black Like Me (Book Review)
Can you ever really understand someone of a different race?
Book Reviewed: Black Like Me
Author: John Howard Griffin
Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
Pros: It is a classic in every sense of the word.
Cons: Not found
What
does it mean to be a person another race?
The answer to the question would lead John Howard
Griffin on a journey through a side of America he had never known about. All he
had to do was darken his skin.
John Howard Griffin, writer and former Army medic
was baffled and confused by the lack of progress on the “race question” in
America. Why didn’t everyone get along? Why did it seem like the world of White
Americans and Black Americans so different even though they lived in the same
country?
Mr. Griffin set out on an experiment to find out the
answer. With the help of a doctor, lamps and creams, John Howard Griffin
transformed himself from a White journalist and writer to a Black person. (He
also shaved his hair.) He didn’t change anything else that one might consider
aspects of a race like language, clothes, or mannerisms. At that point, he
learned just how fluid the concept of race is.
Once he began the experiment, Griffin detailed his
experiences (both internal and external) as he tried to navigate through his
new world. Griffin was unprepared for the response that he got. As a Black man,
Griffin was denied service at check-cashing stations, was forced to move to
back of the bus, was verbally harassed, and even chased down by a group of
young boys. He had to learn as quickly as he could, the unwritten code of race
relations in the South where he was traveling including which restrooms were
open for “Colored” people, which hotels he could stay in, and how much eye
contact he could have with White people. In short, he got to see a side of
America that he thought never existed. He saw a side that demeaned Black women
and crippled Black men. The experience left him increasingly angry and hopeless
at time.
Griffin was not content, though, to just darken his
skin. Griffin did various little mini-experiments and traveled to different
areas to see the types of responses he would get. He put himself boldly in
situations that allowed him to see how White and Black people would react. For
example, Griffin would darken his skin for a little bit and then remove the
creams and shading to note the differences in response. He traveled to
Mississippi to get a deeper experience into a place where he felt prejudice was
incredibly strong.
The negative experiences Griffin faced, though, with
the new understanding and help he received from the Black community in learning
how to navigate this unwritten “race relations code”. He was able to hear from
Black men and women about their unrestrained thoughts on race relations. He was
able to get to go beyond the stereotypes to see the actual human beings behind
them. As a result, he gained a whole new respect and understanding of the race
relations as it was back in the 1960’s. Sadly, a lot of the same issues Griffin
describes are still with us forty years later.
Upon completion of the book, Griffin became a sort
of celebrity, both in a good way and bad. He became a best-seller, but he also
became a hated figure in his community and local areas around the South. An
effigy of him was burned in his town and he received letters of threats in the
mail. On the other hand, he became an increasingly sought after lecturer and
speaker, continuing to write on a variety of topics (social justice, religion, blindness,
etc.) all the way up to his death in 1980.
Commentary
John Howard Griffin‘s “Black Like Me” is a classic
for a lot of reasons. It features an interesting mix of journalistic writing
mixed in with personal reflections and commentary. Griffin’s work also
portrayed a really vivid and detailed snapshot of his world at the time in
incredible detail. Griffin, in journalistic mode, is able to capture the
smallest details from a glance to something larger, like a plate of food. He
balances this with a grace and respect for the humanity. “Black Like Me” is not
just a series of journal articles about an experiment. It is an exploration
into American society and its views on race, poverty, social class, human
nature, and faith.
To me, though, the greatness of John H. Griffin’s
book is his openness to vulnerability. Griffin accepted the fact that he could
die on his experiment, yet he had to go through with it. He risked being
misunderstood (he was), being criticized and mocked (he was), because he felt
that only through this experiment would he be able to get some answer to his
question. As a person born in the category of White American, he could never fully
comprehend the totality of the Black experience in America, but he didn’t have
to. Suffering doesn’t require full participation in order for you to feel it
and be forever changed. That experience temporarily crossed the barriers that
are still evident in our society today. By opening himself up to such
vulnerability, he grew wiser and stronger as a human being.
Let
us hope that one day we can one day express the strength that he did.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Salvage the Bones (A Book Review)
A story that combines aspects of "Juneau" "Catcher in the Rye" & "Push" in one tale of a pregnant teen, a fighting dog and Hurricane Katrina
Rating: 4.75/5.0 stars
Pros: Strong and gripping emotions, Interesting plot, and memorable characters, Detailed and realistic portrayal of rural poverty in a way that encourages sympathy, but not pity
Cons: Over-reliance on emotion might have weakened the plot
Background
“Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward is the story of a rural family
preparing for Hurricane Katrina. That family consists of pregnant 14-year old
girl (no one knows at the time), her brothers, and her sometimes present (and
usually unemployed) father. Her mother has died in childbirth, leaving Eesch as
the only girl in a world of dog fights, boys, and abject poverty.
Then again, “Salvage the Bones” is not your typical “teen
pregnancy” story.
“Salvage the Bones”
is a story about a boy with a strong relationship with his dog, China, and
their journey through puppies, dog fights, parvo, and love. China is a legend
and Skeeter will do everything he can to make sure China and her puppies live
up it, no matter what it takes.
Then again, “Salvage the Bones” is not your typical “boy and
pet” story either.
Evaluation
I was referred to the book in a Twitter conversation with
Cameron Conaway, a social justice advocate, poet,author, and mixed martial
artist.
“Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward was not what I expected
given the title and the preview. I expected a heartfelt story about a rural
family preparing to survive through Hurricane Katrina. What I read was one of
the most emotionally gut-wrenching and detailed books I have ever read on rural
poverty. Jesmyn Ward is a master at being able to provide tiny details about
some minor thing in the character’s life and turn it into a poetic expression
of the human expression. That expression is a tragic and brutal one, filled
with dog fights, parental neglect, teen pregnancy, and cursing. It’s the kind
of life you read about in the news covering a rural family living in poverty.
Jesmyn enters that without apology and without being patronizing. This is
simply the world Eesch and her family live in and they accept it for what is.
Jesmyn Ward also does an incredible job of displaying the
fickle thoughts and emotions of a teenager in Eesch and Skeeter. Reading their
dialogue (internal or external), readers get a chance to see their condition
from the inside out. For example, Jesmyn is able to capture the cornucopia of
feelings Eesch feels about her mother, her upcoming pregnancy, her relationship
with boys, and her relationship with China. All of this comes out in all of its
poetic and graphic detail like they do in real life.
Maintaining two simultaneous plots is strength of the book
as well. Jesmyn is able to balance the story of Eesch’s conflicts about the
nature of her upcoming motherhood with Skeeter’s journey with his dog. Both
plots happen at the same time and both plots impact each other.
“Salvage the Bones” is a great book, however, there are some
things that might (and have) turned readers away from it. The first is the
over-emphasis on emotion and tragedy. Although I liked this aspect of the book,
the plot suffered a little because it was too focused on detail and emotion.
That is most evident in the ending, which stopped rather than ended. After
becoming so emotionally invested in the characters, the book didn't really end
on a strong note. I wanted to know what would happen next. The second issue is
the content itself. If you are not ready to confront the graphic reality of
rural poverty and other aspects of our culture (like dogfights, teen pregnancy,
etc.) then you probably are not ready for this book.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Chango's Fire by Ernesto Quinonez ( A Book Review)
A gripping tale of inner-city arson, the American Dream, and community in Spanish Harlem
"Chango’s Fire" by Ernesto Quinonez
Published: October 2005
Published: October 2005
Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
Pros: Interesting plot. intriguing characters, and interesting cultural exploration
Cons: Not so much
Background
Julio, the main character of the story, sums up his life goal in one poignant phrase: “I will not die paying rent.” (pg. 13) It’s his version of the American Dream freed from the obstacles and struggles that his parents went through while making their life in America.
Julio is well on his way towards that goal. He is going to school, has a job, and even owns the floor of a building.
There is just one tiny problem…
Julio also has another job and his decisions on that job threaten to unravel everything he’s worked so hard for within minutes.
Julio Santana burns buildings. Not for fun or thrills, but for profit. Call it “gentrification” or “redevelopment”, but when Julio leaves the job, the building is left is ashes. Julio is paid to burn buildings for a contractor who earns money from the insurance payments.
Julio is real good at his job, but the job is taking a toll on him. He is tired of the secrecy, the community members who have to find new homes, and the hypocrisy of the whole insurance scam that he is in.
In the course of doing a job, he breaks two rules, one mentioned and the other never discussed:
1. Rule #1: Don’t bring anything from the scene. (He saves a scared cat.)
2. Rule #2: Don’t quit. (He decides to quit).
From that point on, this story takes a wild and interesting journey through religion, culture, language, love, discrimination, poverty, and hope with a cast of uniquely human characters and relationships that readers won’t soon forget.
Evaluation
Readers of Ernesto Quinonez’s earlier book, "Bodega Dreams", about inner-city poverty and the complicated struggle to get out ,will find a similar plot and themes in both "Bodega Dreams" and "Chango’s Fire". The main and supporting characters are almost identical. Julio is a young man who works in the day and attends school at night, befriends a mentally disabled person who is often ridiculed by the community, and ends up in a high-stakes situation just like Chino in "Bodega Dreams". There is an exception or two, but for the most part, every character in "Bodega's Dreams" is similar to "Chango's Fire".
Despite those similarities, the difference lies in something else. In "Chango’s Fire", the author displays a boldness to delve further into the Spanish Harlem of his characters. The author delves into topics of religion, sexuality, and ethnic identity in a way that adds substance to the story. By bringing these issues out in the open in such an authentic way, the author vividly demonstrates both the beautiful and harsh realities of living in Spanish Harlem. "Chango’s Fire" is as much a story about a community as it is about one character.
If you haven’t read Bodega Dreams, readers won’t miss anything because "Chango's Fire" is a stand-alone book. ("Bodega Dreams" should be read first in my opinion.) The author’s first-person storytelling of his life is written in such an authentic way that readers will get involved with the story before they even know it. The plot only adds to that effect because it offers a winding series of changes that coincides with the main character’s change of heart and spirit. In the beginning, Julio starts off as a person who is a just a member of the community. By the end, he feels more than that. He connects with that community in the same climatic epiphany-creating way that the movie “Fight Club” ended.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Magneto: A Testament (Book Review)
Book Review: Magneto: A Testament (0785138234)
Publication Year: 2009
Pages: 152
Author: Greg Pak
Illustrator: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Review Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Publication Year: 2009
Pages: 152
Author: Greg Pak
Illustrator: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Review Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
PROS: Unique origin story, amazing graphics, historical detail
CONS: Pacing
From the age of 7 until now, I have been a fan of the X-Men, whether it was the old-school Fox Channel version or the modern Hollywood blockbuster. I loved the characters, the powers, and the struggle for acceptance in society (early seeds of social justice, perhaps?). While searching for another book to read on social justice, I saw Magneto: A Testament listed on GoodReads and thought this would be a unique opportunity to step back into the X-men universe.
Magento: A Testament is a graphic novel that delves into the origin of Magneto (aka Max Einshardt) as he survives the most comprehensive genocides humanity has ever known, the Holocaust. It begins with Max (as a German Jew) and his family experiencing the initial stirrings of Nazi power and ends with Max’s daring escape as a young man “running the wire”. Along the way there are small subplots of love, morals, and family as the fate of Jews grows progressively worse. It is a chilling tale with extraordinary historical detail and beautiful illustrations.
I enjoyed reading this tale because it was different from origin stories. Unlike other origin stories, Magneto: A Testament is not about how a mutant came to be. There are only small clues to Magneto’s future status. Magneto: A Testament was about humanity, both the good and the bad, and how this can shape a person’s character. Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than in the main character, Max, who has to choose among truly challenging moral dilemmas that have unpleasant consequences at almost every turn. I rooted for Max several times throughout the book. Was I actually rooting for the future Magneto? Well, yes.
In either case, I digress……
Another intriguing aspect about Magneto was the attention and respect provided for historical detail. The detail is evident throughout the novel from the dialogue, to the illustrations, and scenes that were chosen for the story. That detail shows itself in details big and small, which provides insight into both the mind of real concentration camp members and the fictional character of Max. Reading this, I can see how Magneto developed out of such cruelty and pain. Quite a feat for a comic book-themed book!
My only complaint about Magneto was the pacing. Because the book tries to be comprehensive, the story skips around a little bit. If you are familiar with Magneto’s history, this would probably be no problem for you. I, however, was not and therefore was confused in some spots. That didn’t detract me from understanding the basic premise of the story, however, but it did leave me feeling like I was missing something. The fast pacing also means readers will need to know a little about the history of the Holocaust beforehand. Although the readers do a good job of explaining some details, readers need to be familiar in order to understand some of the clues that are in the book.
In summary, this was a unexpectedly good g substance to it. It has substance to it. The book focused on humanity, which was a different approach than I anticipated from a hero/villain origin story, but it makes sense. There are times when you need a powerful hero like a Superman or Batman, but there are other times when you just need one kid to be your hero. In this case, you root for that one kid.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
The Warmth of Other Suns (Book Review)
 |
| Cover via Amazon |
Book Review: The Warmth of Other Suns (ISBN: 9780679444329)
Publication Year: 2010
Pages: 543 reading pages
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books
Review Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
From what I recall, the Great Migration never really garnered a lot of attention in my high school history class. We briefly mentioned that it happened, but that was it. As a result, I missed out on learning about one of the most history-altering periods in African-American (and American) history. The exodus of hundreds of thousands of Black families from the oppressive South into the less opprssive, (but just as hostile) North, known as the Great Migration was one of those moments in times that altered the racial, cultural, economic, and social landscape forever.
Good thing this book was referred to me!
“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson is an epic tale on par with classics like” Roots” by Marcus Garvey and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley. It focuses on the period between 1915 to 1970, when large portion of the Black American population moved North to find jobs and escape the dangerous claws of Jim Crow. Her book chronicles the real-life stories gained from personal interviews of three Southerners and their families as they move to the North. Along the way, Wilkerson sprinkles in historical detail that shows how their individual actions were part of larger movement.
The greatest aspect to this book is the author’s focus on humanity. Her stories showcase the ability of Black Americans to withstand and make sense of utter stupidity and indecency of blatant racial prejudice and segregation that existed in earlier United States history. Wilkerson’s book, however, doesn’t focus exclusively on the struggles of Black Americans against a social class that was unwilling to deal with reality. She also (and in my mind very cleverly) shows the impact of racism on all members of society. As she discusses in her book, racial prejudice (especially the set of policies known as “Jim Crow”) hurts everyone.
Economically, Jim Crows laws drained the states of human labor and cost the states thousands. As opponents of segregation in Wilkerson’s book pointed out, the act of building separate facilities like separate bathrooms, fountains, etc. was not worth the cost. No matter how you put it, building four bathrooms (one for colored men, one for colored women, one for white men and one for white women) is more expensive.
Socially, segregation limited the opportunities of Blacks and kept Whites restricted within a caste system. Two stories from the book exemplify this. The first deals with a family who needed a hotel on a long and tiring trek to the North. When seeking to get a room, the family chose a person with the “lightest” skin tone to make the reservation. When they got the room, they had to sneak their other children who had “darker” skin or risk losing their room. In the other story, a female hotel owner is willing to allow a Black man to have a room; however her fear (and her husband’s fear) about their potential loss of business and social ostracism (something that was a reality for Whites) is too great and they send him on his way.
Despite this, the author balances this rather dismal view of American culture at that time with equally important tales of triumph and optimism. She points to statistics and anecdotes the incredible courage of Black Americans to leave everything they were used to for something better. She details stories of families and individuals saving every single penny to get money for transportation, working extra jobs, even hopping trains if they had to. She also explores the personal triumphs of each individual person. One of her interviewees became a surgeon and another became a deacon. Another took her first steps in democracy and ended up helping others do the same. Still another individual led a grassroots farm workers’ struggle for higher wages. Wilkerson provides ample opportunities to show these triumphs.
The balance that Wilkerson has in the book is also displayed in her portrayal of the North and South. It can be easy to idealize the North; however Wilkerson is keen to point out that the North was not free of discrimination and segregation. While it was less apparent than in the South, Blacks and other minorities were subject to some of the same discrimination, misunderstanding, and lack of respect that they experienced in the North. She points both to the North as provider of opportunities as well as an obstacle to opportunities. For example, Dr. Foster (my favorite character) is never really allowed the same prestige and access as his White counterparts even though he has a quality education. He was able to make a comfortable practice on his own in the North (unlike the South), but never earned the prestige that was due because of his skin color.
In short, this book was eye-opener. Reading this book, I went through moments of anger, joy, sadness, and despair. I only felt that from the outside. Imagine having to deal with segregation and discrimination on a daily basis. Knowing that you could not shake a White’s person hand first, being openly called demeaning names, or unwittingly breaking any of the seemingly trivial and unwritten rules regarding race of the country in early 20th century, is truly humbling as a person of African descent. It is truly a story that needs to be read by everyone because the theme connecting everything in this book (both the good and the bad) is humanity. Wilkerson’s obvious point, displayed in each and every character in this book, is that our individual actions have a greater part in the history. We would be wise to make sure our actions are worthy of our descendants.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
White Guilt: Book Review
White Guilt has mostly good reviews on Amazon.
It's worth the read. However, many chapters in the middle re-explain and re-define white guilt again and again, which he describes as: a vacuum of moral authority.
I especially like the refreshing honesty where he describes how both Black and White people have done a disservice to their own people and to one another. The summary on the cover is too strong though. I wouldn't say that "The promise of the Civil Rights Era has been destroyed." I would say that the promise of the Civil Rights Era has been delayed.
My interpretation of Steele's work here is that some Black people have used the Black Power movement as a rallying cry in order to gain more successions. However with use of guns prominent in their campaign they could not recruit as many people as needed because people are frightened of violent campaigns. And the government became overly defensive - and actually abusive, and oppressive toward their campaign.
Guilt ridden White people are trying to be helpful by throwing money at African Americans - which, Steele says never solves the problem - and often makes the problem worse. Groups must create their own solutions. And he says that White people are disrespecting African Americans by not seeing them - meaning not seeing them as fellow human beings and not seeing them as fully capable, just as fully capable as anyone else.
Steele says that Blacks are no longer oppressed. Here I disagree. To be fair to Steele, his book was published way back in 2006 and it was six years later (2012) before Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow was published. Alexander explains how the war on drugs disproportionately locks up Black and Hispanic people. And it was just last year (2011) where the NY Times reported on a suit brought against the New York Police Department for racial profiling in their stop and frisk practice where "black and Hispanic people generally represent more than 85 percent of those stopped by the police, though their combined populations make up a small share of the city’s racial composition."
This slicing apart of the two parent household creates financial difficulties in disproportionately Black and Hispanic families. Steele does acknowledge that single parent homes tend to have more financial problems and the children tend to not perform as well academically.
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