Culture 5: Asian Pacific American Literature

 

One Afternoon 

Written by: Yumi Heo

Bibliography: Heo, Y. (1994). One afternoon. Orchard Books.

ISBN: 978-0531068458

Plot Summary: One Afternoon tells the story of Minho's afternoon running errands with his mother around the city. Starting with dropping off clothes at the laundromat, Minho goes with his mother to the beauty salon for her hair cut, the ice cream store to get a vanilla ice cream cone, the pet store, the shoe repair store, the supermarket, and back to the laundromat to pick up their clothes. As they make their way home, Minho notices the heavy traffic on the street, the construction, the fire engine, the El train, kids playing stickball, and finally, the dripping of the faucet as he returns to his quiet home.

Critical Analysis: One Afternoon is a simple story bursting with sensory details, specifically the noise that Minho hears while out running errands around the bustling city. Each page contains a sentence or two and is accompanied by busy, colorful, energetic illustrations that bring the story to life. When Minho and his mother drop off the clothes at the laundromat, the illustrations depict the large washers and dryers with the words "Tump" and "Thud" spinning around inside them. The clever use of the words with the illustrations brings this scene to life, as the reader can easily imagine the rhythmic thumping noises of a laundromat full of washers and dryers. Later, this is seen again when they are at the pet store. Heo uses not only onomatopoeia to describe the many sounds found in a pet store, but also the font style and size to differentiate the gruff "WUF" of a big dog compared to the tiny "tweetle tweetle" of the birds. These stylistic choices make this story engaging to read and encourage the reader to imagine all of the sounds they experience in a day, even when they don't realize it. 

Awards and Recognitions: 

CCBC Choices Selection, 1994

Review Excerpts:

From Publishers Weekly: "Through her third-person narration, first-time author Heo captures with great effectiveness the impressions of a child in his busy surroundings. Her textured mix of oil, pencil and collage leads readers on a rich visual hike over urban terrain. Scenes of apartment buildings, bustling street traffic and a spirited game of stickball, all in earthy hues, show a city at its vibrant best."

From Kirkus Reviews: "This detailed rendering of the sounds of an ordinary day in New York City will keep readers poring over these pages, drawn to resemble a child's collage. ...The din of the city is presented as the familiar and welcoming sound of life, although at the end of the book Minho tries to sleep but can't, because all he can hear is the dribble of water into the bathroom sink. City racket made fun." 

Connections: Readers can connect to this story by making their own story or illustration representing what they see, hear, and feel in their daily surroundings. Challenging readers to closely look at what they experience on a daily basis may result in an engaging and eye-opening activity full of description and figurative language. Readers can also explore Yumi Heo's other books (some with Heo as the author and some with Heo as the illustrator), including Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look and illustrated by Yumi Heo, Polka Dot Penguin Pottery by Lenore Look and illustrated by Yumi Heo, Ten Days and Nine Nights: An Adoption Story, The Green Frogs: A Korean Folktale, and One Sunday Morning. 

The One Thing You'd Save

Written by: Linda Sue Park

Illustrated by: Robert Sae-Heng

Bibliography: Park, L. S., & Sae-Heng, R. (2021). One thing you’d save. Clarion Books.

ISBN: 978-1328515131

Plot Summary: The One Thing You'd Save is a thought-provoking poetry book that begins with a homework assignment in which students must think about one thing they'd save if there were a fire (with family and pets already being safe). From the perspective of the various students in the class, different choices are made and explained. Some come to their conclusion fairly quickly, such as the first student who chooses their phone so they can call 911, or the student who choose a sweater that holds sentimental value,  and others are immediately indecisive, such as the student who has too many favorite books to choose from. As the class discussion continues, more perspectives are shared, such as one student who would bring their dad's wallet and another student who would just walk right out because they don't have anything of value to them in their house. As the students share more, they open up more about what is important to them each, sharing personal memories and learning more about each other in the process.

Critical Analysis: Linda Sue Park's The One Thing You'd Save packs an emotional punch as she tells the story of a group of students discussing what they would save in a fire. While it starts off with a few answers and short explanations as to why they would make their choice, the story continues to come back to the answers the students initially shared and adds on, or in some cases, changes them. One student who is often referred back to in the story cannot decide what they want to save, changing from a trading card collection to an entire bookcase; meanwhile the rest of the class interjects with their opinions about if those choices count since a bookcase contains many books, not just one. Another student is heard multiple times discussing how he would simply leave, later revealing that he has survived a fire before. Another student is judged for contemplating bringing trading cards, with his classmates telling him that those are for babies; at the end however, he is tentatively excited that his classmates are interested in him bringing a snake skeleton. The different voices of the classroom come through clearly through moments such as this, with classmates joking with each other one minute and encouraging each other the next. Park writes the poems in the sijo style, which is explained in the author's note as an "ancient form of traditional Korean poetry. The poems are interspersed with illustrations that depict the items and scenarios the students are telling about, adding to a feeling of community and thoughtfulness throughout the book.

Awards and Recognitions: 

Junior Library Guild Selection, 2021

ALSC Notable Children's Books Commended, 2022

CCBC Choices Selection, 2022

Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award, 2022

Review Excerpts:

From Kirkus Reviews: "A poetic exploration of middle-grade values...Coupled with debut illustrator Sae-Heng’s accessible grayscale sketches of the objects, often in situ, Park’s subjects’ mementos offer middle-grade readers much food for thought regarding what one values and how others can touch one’s life...Park’s extended rumination has the power to bring us home."

From Publishers Weekly: "The class’s camaraderie and caring spirit comes through clearly, poised to inspire thoughtful classroom discussion."

Connections: Readers may also enjoy diving into an author study about Linda Sue Park, exploring some of her books such as A Long Walk to Water and Prairie Lotus. Additionally, a connection activity for students after reading this book could be to pose the same question and facilitate a discussion over what they would save in a fire, and ultimately discussing what is important to us all. Readers could make a collage of their life and all of the elements of their life that are important to them. 

Rani Patel in Full Effect

Written by: Sonia Patel

Bibliography: Patel, S. (2016). Rani Patel in full effect. Cinco Puntos Press.

ISBN: 978-1941026496

Plot Summary: Rani Patel in Full Effect follows the story of Rani Patel, a Gujarati Indian teenager living in Hawaii in the early 90's. Rani loves hip hop and dreams of becoming a famous MC, creating her own impressive rap rhymes in secret as MC Sutra. Rani's family moved to Molokai to open a convenience store and restaurant at her father's whim, and Rani is seen struggling with the traditional roles her mother takes and the controlling manipulation and abuse from her father. Rani discovers her father's affair and grapples with the emotional turmoil from her father's betrayal and her mother's emotional detachment. Rani finds solace in her music, eventually joining the 4eva Flowin' local hip hop club with her former crush Pono, who she dismisses as being out of her league, and Mark, a much-older local who she eventually forms a romantic relationship with. Despite her friends Pono and Omar warning Rani that Mark is addicted to drugs and is taking advantage of her, Rani continues the relationship until Mark sexually assaults her one night and subsequently leaves for rehab. It is also revealed that Rani has been being sexually and emotionally abused by her own father for years. Rani uses her song-writing as a way to express her emotions and cultural identity, and ultimately the story ends with Rani on a slow but promising journey of healing and stronger relationships with her friends and her mother.

Critical Analysis: Author Sonia Patel tackles heavy but important topics in her novel Rani Patel in Full Effect. Not only is Rani learning how to navigate being one of the only Gujarati Indian teenagers on the island she lives on, but she also is the victim of repeated abuse from her father and later an older, predatory friend. She is both learning how to express herself and embrace her cultural identity through her talent in music and rapping, but she is also learning how to find her own self-worth and embrace her strength and confidence. Her journey into the secret hip hop club in her town and the rollercoaster of high school friends, crushes, and more, soon takes a backseat to the increasingly volatile and dangerous relationship she develops with Mark, as well as the dark family secrets she's been keeping for her father over the years. Sonia Patel carefully constructs a realistic narrative showcasing the long, non-linear journey many people experience when healing from abuse; as Patel, a psychiatrist, explains in her author's note, victims of abuse need time to heal from what they have gone through, and like Rani, often have times when they may go back to their abuser or blame themselves despite not being at fault for the actions of their abuser. Patel develops a relatable character in Rani, who has endured horrific things at the hands of family and friends, but often pushes these memories out of her mind as a way to cope and stay focused on the present. She uses her MC skills as a way to not only express what she feels inside, but to also communicate to others that she is strong and confident and proud of her heritage. The serious themes of this novel are handled with care and attention to detail, and the overall message of hope, resilience, and inner strength leave the reader with hope for Rani's healing journey long after the story ends.

Awards and Recognitions: 

William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalist, 2017

South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature Commended, 2017

CCBC Choices Selection, 2017

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection, 2017

Review Excerpts:

From School Library Journal: " [Rani's] story will appeal to readers who prefer gritty, darker fiction without a pat, happy ending, and characters who don’t always overcome their challenges but must face them repeatedly. A strong, unique choice for YA collections.” 

From Publishers Weekly: "Sonia Patel sets her powerful debut novel in 1991, filling it with bygone rap references and an electric verbal blend of Gujarati, slang, Hawaiian pidgin, and the rhymes Rani crafts. Patel compassionately portrays Rani’s entangled emotions, lack of self-confidence, and burgeoning sense of empowerment as she moves forward from trauma.” —

Connections: There are many connections that can be made with this novel, starting with exploring Sonia Patel's other works, including Gita Desai is Not Here to Shut Up and Bloody Seoul. Books with similar themes of cultural identity include The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley and A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi. To connect with or read more about the hip hop style from the novel, readers may be interested in On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson, and Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Hip Hop History by Jeff Change and Dave Cook.

Tea With Milk

Written by: Allen Say

Bibliography: Say, A. (2009). Tea with milk. Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN: 978-0547237473

Plot Summary: Tea With Milk is a picture book by Allen Say about his mother's life story, from her childhood in San Francisco to adulthood in Japan. Her name is Masako, and she is known as May when she is a child living in San Francisco. There, she experiences two different ways of life, one at home in which she speaks Japanese, eats traditional Japanese food such as miso soup and green tea, and one outside her home, in which she is called May, speaks English, and eats muffins, fried chicken, and drinks tea with milk and sugar. When her family moves to Japan after her high school graduation, Masako is homesick, yearning for the familiarity of her home in San Francisco and being unused to the Japanese traditions of her new home, where she is not accepted and is referred to as a foreigner. Masako pushes back against the traditions her parents try to instill in her, including their attempt to have a matchmaker introduce her to a potential suitor, and Masako travels to Osaka, finding work as an elevator girl at a store. One day, Masaka helps a family who needs a translator, and she is soon working at the store as a guide for foreign business men. She develops a friendship with a Japanese man named Joseph, and they both discover that they have many things in common, including speaking English and growing up with American and Japanese customs. Eventually they move to Yokohama together and get married after Masako realizes that they can make a home anywhere, as long as they are together. 

Critical Analysis: Tea With Milk is a heartfelt tale that is personal to author Allen Say, as it recounts the story of how his mother made her own way in the world and eventually met his father and started their family. Say expertly crafts the story in a way where the reader can almost feel through the pages Masako's longings to break away from expected traditions and forge her own path. Say carefully expresses Masako's frustration with her family's culture replacing the culture she grew up with and her desire to find a home that accepts her as she is. The story-telling is simple and fast-paced, taking the reader through Masako's life until the pivotal moment when she meets Joseph and discovers someone who she can be herself with.  The illustrations are masterfully created, with beautiful watercolors and exquisitely painted details. Some pages are so detailed that they almost look like photographs, giving the reader a glimpse into the complicated emotions and reactions that fill Masako's life story. It is clear that this story was crafted in love and respect from author Allen Say, and it stands as a powerful portrait of the perseverance and strength of Masako.

Awards and Recognitions: 

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 1999

ALA Notable Children's Book Award, 2000

Review Excerpts:

From Horn Book: "Continuing to explore place and home, Say tells the story of his mother...Born in California to Japanese immigrants, Masako is miserable when she moves to Japan with her parents after high school. The illustrations capture Masako's unhappiness and also her eventual contentment as she learns to combine two cultures."

From Kirkus Reviews: "In describing how his parents met, Say continues to explore the ways that differing cultures can harmonize...Painted with characteristic control and restraint, Say’s illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress."

Connections: Allen Say has a vast body of work that readers will want to discover after reading Tea With Milk. Other books by Say include Grandfather's Journey, The Bicycle Man, Tree of Cranes, and Emma's Rug. Books that can also connect with the themes of home and family include The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, Watercress by Andrea Wang, How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman, and The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi.