Barot’s couplets give us a slanted perspective on colonialism and capitalism captured through anecdotal vignettes that are like dollhouse miniature paintings that once you look closely with a loup, unsettle as much as they offer pleasure.
Emily Junmin Yoon’s “A Cruelty Special to Our Species”
Emily Junmin Yoon “A Cruelty Special to Our Species” A stunning collection where Yoon takes the testimonials of comfort women–Korean women who were sex-trafficked during World War II–and shapes them into startling poetry.
Trinh T. Minh Ha’s “Woman Native Other”
I first read this book as a college student and treasured it always. She introduced me to a new way to write critically, poetically exploring the Vietnamese woman as a colonized subject.
Jeff Chang’s “We Gon be Alright.”
Jeff Chang is the cultural critic to read right now on the Black/Asian conflict. Empathetic, scholarly, and thoughtful, he offers perspectives on the resegregation of our cities and his own Asian American identity.
Mira Jacob illustrates her conversations with her half-Indian son about race during the Trump era with honesty, humor, and grace. Absolutely captivating and a graphic memoir I love to give to friends.
Cathy Park Hong is the author of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
