Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally
"Where are you from?" In one of the best of the recent anthologies by new immigrants, young women writers answer that question with immediacy and wit, displaying honesty about the pain, anger, and prejudice at home and outside. But they are also very funny when they talk about personal conflicts ("She'd eat the chip off her shoulder if only she weren't on a diet"). These testimonials reveal none of the rambling style so typical in oral history narratives. These women are writers and readers, and whether they have roots in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, or Europe, they know America's long tradition of diversity and they enrich it, even while they reveal how hard it can be to fit in. Tina Lee says her life "is soThe Joy Luck Clubmeets Jerry Springer on acid." Two Haitian American lesbians speak about how different they are from each other and also about the universals of feeling connected to family and needing to leave home. Add this outstanding anthology to the titles listed in our "Core Collection: The New Immigration Story" [BKL Ag 05].Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved