"Fresh Off The Boat" a memoir by Eddie Huang really resonated with me. Here he is facing off against one of the old school Chinese stereotypes, Charlie Chan. No I’m not Chinese/Taiwanese American, but I’m Korean American and in the arena of racial stereotyping/ignorance/racism/racial intolerance, all Asians are unfortunately lumped into the same category. Long story short, I feel Eddie’s pain and anger. Just like he spent time in Taiwan as a young man, I lived in Korea for a year in my 20s and felt as alienated there as I do every time I get Ching Chonged here in New York City (sadly I got Bruce Lee’d just the other day while on my morning run). I’ve been Chino’d in Spain, Chinoise’d in Paris, etc… Not fitting in anywhere, even in your mother country, I feel him. I wasn’t a basketball playing sneaker head but I was a skateboarding hip hop head sporting Wu-Tang t-shirts and shants. Eddie Huang is the same age as me so I got all his references and really read the truth in this book. When I started the book I didn’t know it was soon going to be a TV series on ABC (which I haven’t seen yet). I had to make this illustration after reading the book. I’ve fought with friends about giving "street level educations" or turning the other cheek when ignorant or straight up disrespectful words or actions come your way. I could go on and on about the racial prejudices that Asians face. The book is about much more than that. It’s a memoir of growing up Asian American in America which really spoke to me. In the words of Eddie Huang, concerning his book, I fux wit it, and ya’ll should too.
