A review by ljrinaldi
Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American, by Laura Gao
5.0
The thing about being either a child of immigrants, or an immigrant yourself, at least in the U.S., is that you try your darndest to fit in. You want to be liked. You want to be “normal”. Unlike children whose families have been here for generations, and can afford be a little strange, you do not have that luxury.
Laura Gao’s Messy Roots is about her life first as a small child in Wuhan, while her parents were going to college in the US, to when she came to live with them in Texas, and had to learn to fit into a new life there, in the very white part of town, where she was the only Asian.
The book follows her, up until just about the time of the beginning of the global pandemic, and the increase in Asian hate. Through it all, she is trying to claim herself, her identity. This is always tricky, because, while you want to fit in, you also want to find yourself.
This is one of those graphic memoirs that I will probably have to read several times to get things I missed the first time through.
Very deep, but with humor as well. There was a page where she is saying that if she couldn’t date a doctor, then a rocket scientist should work just as well for her parents.
Highly recommend this. All the stars. (five) for this.
Laura Gao’s Messy Roots is about her life first as a small child in Wuhan, while her parents were going to college in the US, to when she came to live with them in Texas, and had to learn to fit into a new life there, in the very white part of town, where she was the only Asian.
The book follows her, up until just about the time of the beginning of the global pandemic, and the increase in Asian hate. Through it all, she is trying to claim herself, her identity. This is always tricky, because, while you want to fit in, you also want to find yourself.
This is one of those graphic memoirs that I will probably have to read several times to get things I missed the first time through.
Very deep, but with humor as well. There was a page where she is saying that if she couldn’t date a doctor, then a rocket scientist should work just as well for her parents.
Highly recommend this. All the stars. (five) for this.