May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It is a month I try to focus on Asia and the Pacific Islands. Today I am going to share a book that I feel is a must read for Asian American children especially when there has been such an increase in discrimination and violence toward Asian Americans. The book is I Am Golden by Eva Chen and illustrated by Sophie Diao. It has a reading age of 4 to 6.
From the Publisher:
This joyful and lyrical picture book from New York Times bestselling author Eva Chen and illustrator Sophie Diao is a moving ode to the immigrant experience, as well as a manifesto of self-love for Chinese American children.What do you see when you look in the mirror, Mei? Do you see beauty?
We see eyes that point toward the sun, that give us the warmth and joy of a thousand rays when you smile. We see hair as inky black and smooth as a peaceful night sky. We see skin brushed with gold.
From Me:
This book is powerful. It is full of self-love and parental love of Chinese American children. It can work for any child of immigrants but especially Asian Americans. It discusses the beauty of golden skin and eyes that point to the sky. It discusses the strength and courage of immigrant kids who become the translators and teachers to the parents. It is all about loving oneself for every part.
I was planning on kicking off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a different book but when I read this book, I knew this was the one to share first. It talks about the many parts of the immigrants' lives. It includes the sacrifices the parents make and what they see in their own children. It shares the dreams of the parents for their children. It also shares the loneliness that can come with being different.
It has Chinese specific references and words in it, but it truly is about all immigrants and particularly ones with "golden" skin. It references dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers and more. It shares a page about celebrations and food. It also shares how people's racist comments will be a bit ridiculous. They will say you are different and then say they can't tell you apart. There is so much power in this book. It is meant to help build up self-love for immigrant children and especially for Chinese Americans!
