Reviews tagging Xenophobia

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American, by Laura Gao

9 reviews

anna_wa's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Homophobia

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

i wept. this is a phenomenal memoir that perfectly captures the sense of longing many of us have experienced throughout our lives. though i can’t at all relate to being an immigrant (or having a cultural identity crisis) i strongly related to laura’s family dynamics and her struggle to understand and label who she is. laura’s artwork and cultural references throughout the book were light-hearted and fun, but her voice carried an emotional depth that really cut me to my core. definitely a read i’ll recommend to all graphic novel lovers and gen-z kids. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Cancer, and Xenophobia

Minor: Outing, Homophobia, and Sexual content

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

 Messy Roots focussed on the author’s exploration of and coming to terms with her identity as Chinese-American and as a queer woman. I’ve read about these topics in the graphic memoir format before so content wise this book didn’t offer me anything new. But the storytelling was very well done. I especially liked the artwork and the way Chinese mythology and cultural touchstones were incorporated into the text. The author’s Wuhan origins added a layer of complexity, and brought her extra unjustified discrimination, following the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol and Sexism

daycia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

krys_kilz's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was intimate and moving graphic memoir of growing up caught between cultures, languages, and homes. I loved how Gao included linguistic components (similar to Harmony Becker's Himawari House) and Chinese folklore. Gao also did not shy away from difficult conversations such as assimilation and the safety sought in fitting in, amplified anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in the context of Covid-19, and the pressure to succeed within many immigrant families. Overall, this was an important read and I'm glad it exists in the world!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Cancer and Xenophobia

Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia

kcbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cancer, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Homophobia

panatheart's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Racism

readbetweenthespine's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Cancer

Moderate: Hate crime