My Life: Growing Up Asian in America

By: CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)

Narrated by: Jennifer Aquino, Ramón de Ocampo, Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan, Marie Lu, Michelle Myers, Soneela Nankani, SuChin Pak, Sura Siu, Michelle K. Sugihara, Sokunthary Svay, Catzie Vilayphonh

A collection of thirty heartfelt, witty, and hopeful thought pieces “that highlights the humanity and multitudes of being Asian American” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), for fans of Minor Feelings.

There are 23 million people, representing more than twenty countries, each with unique languages, histories, and cultures, clumped under one banner: Asian American. Though their experiences are individual, certain commonalities appear.

-The pressure to perform and the weight of the model minority myth.

-The proximity to whiteness (for many) and the resulting privileges.

-The desexualizing, exoticizing, and fetishizing of their bodies.

-The microaggressions.

-The erasure and overt racism.

Through a series of essays, poems, and comics, thirty creators give voice to moments that defined them and shed light on the immense diversity and complexity of the Asian American identity. Edited by CAPE and with an introduction by renowned journalist SuChin Pak, My Life: Growing Up Asian in America is a celebration of community, a call to action, and “a vital record of the Asian American experience” (Publishers Weekly). It’s the perfect gift for any occasion.

Featuring contributions from bestselling authors Melissa de la Cruz, Marie Lu, and Tanaïs; journalists Amna Nawaz, Edmund Lee, and Aisha Sultan; TV and film writers Teresa Hsiao, Heather Jeng Bladt, and Nathan Ramos-Park; and industry leaders Ellen K. Pao and Aneesh Raman, among many more.

©2022 CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) (P)2022 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"This anthology covering the diverse lived experiences of Asian-Americans is enhanced by a full cast of vocal performers. Composed of 30 essays and poems, the collection covers a wide range of experiences from different intersectionalities. The talented narrators deliver the vignettes in varying styles, creating a compelling aural smorgasbord. Similar themes of being othered, fetishized, or erased or of being considered the perpetual foreigner or part of the model minority myth help create cohesiveness. “Listen Asshole” is a standout track performed by Yellow Rage, the spoken-word duo of Michelle Myers and Sokunthary Svay, who wrote the passionate and angry poem more than 20 years ago. SuChin Pak thoughtfully narrates a reflective introduction and afterword. This resonant collection is filled with heartfelt and thought-provoking experiences and messages that serve as powerful windows and mirrors."—AudioFile Magazine

A collective healing by sharing our scars

My Life Growing Up Asian in America edited by CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) is a “collective healing by sharing our scars.” I applaud the widely diverse collection of stories, expressed effectively and artistically in a variety of ways, that share the common thread of the traumas of growing up Asian in America.

The stories in this book were cathartic- they created a sense of community and belonging that so many of the authors talked about craving as they grew up as one of the few or even the only Asian Americans they knew. They articulated the things that so many of us experienced- the shame felt at having immigrant parents who didn’t know the “rules,” the humiliation of having food or a home language different from everyone else, the microaggressions, the outright racist bullying, the constant striving to assimilate, the rejections when trying to assimilate, the self-hatred, the betrayal of other Asian Americans in the quest for “white adjacency,” and then finally the realization of what you have been doing to yourself, your family, your culture, your race. The power of finding a community to support a strong, proud identity as an Asian American, and finally making the conscious decision to no longer make yourself smaller to appease the white people in the room.

While listening to the audiobook version I found myself tearing up quite often as a feeling of deep connection to an author’s experience seared through me. And when there was a story that I was not able to relate to as easily I felt like a new window was opening to me, showing me the perspectives of other Asian Americans that I may not have considered before.

This book is a must-read, but not a must-listen. As poignant and engaging as I thought the writing in this book was, the narration of the audiobook could have been vastly improved. Much of the narration was quite good, until ethnic words were introduced and it became apparent that the narrator of a story was not of the same ethnicity as the original author. While narrating in itself is a skill, correct pronunciation of ethnic words is a matter of respect. I can live with some occasional bad phrasing or monotone reading, but the mispronunciation of ethnic words that are representative of something important in a specific culture is close to unforgivable, especially when we know better. This is not a book written about Asian Americans by white people. It is written by us and for us. It should not be too much to ask that the person reading the story of a Taiwanese American be able to correctly pronounce the phrase “chi (1) ku(3)” or that the person narrating the story of a Korean American be able to accurately pronounce the Korean words for “mother” and “father.” To have these important words be mispronounced in a book meant to lift the voices and validate the experiences of Asian Americans is insulting. We can, we have, and we must do better.

phenomenal collection

I loved this! beautiful stories, honored by the vulnerability of the authors. highly recommend!