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lauea's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This memoir is raw, emotional, and so worth a read. Lee writes in a way that is honest and vulnerable, and had me stopping every few pages to jot down quotes that I’ll carry on with me.
“To treat yourself as human in a world that dehumanizes you, now that is an act of resistance.”
“To treat yourself as human in a world that dehumanizes you, now that is an act of resistance.”
tracithomas's review
5.0
This was fantastic. The rage was there. The knowledge was there. Smart and sharp. Tone spot on. Content spot on. The essay in the 92 LA riots was *chefs kiss*.
whatannikareads's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
winnieismydog's review
She is angry. She's angry at her parents, their culture, US society, and where she fits in or if she should fit in and if so, where? Her anger is justified, and is probably why the book is named "Biting the Hand".
Usually when you hear/think about the topic of race in the US, you hear predominantly about White vs Black, Asian people and their cultures are rarely part of the conversation. I do appreciate that her uncertainty about being Asian vs American and her struggle to fit into a predetermined category, added another layer of heaviness to her experiences.
To me, she comes across flippant in describing some of the white people that she encountered though, like "my therapist was a white lady with a bad face-lift..." Was that necessary? Probably not. Was it fair? She has had people throughout her life who have disparaged her external appearance so maybe she feels justified returning the favor, IDK.
My purpose to reading her book is to listen and learn. It was hard at times and I felt slightly defensive in reaction to some of her statements but it's not my place to judge her but to listen and reflect. I hope that more people are able to share their experiences to help foster conversations about how we can see one another for our "human-ness" and learn to honor and celebrate our differences and similarities. "We, too, are America."
Usually when you hear/think about the topic of race in the US, you hear predominantly about White vs Black, Asian people and their cultures are rarely part of the conversation. I do appreciate that her uncertainty about being Asian vs American and her struggle to fit into a predetermined category, added another layer of heaviness to her experiences.
To me, she comes across flippant in describing some of the white people that she encountered though, like "my therapist was a white lady with a bad face-lift..." Was that necessary? Probably not. Was it fair? She has had people throughout her life who have disparaged her external appearance so maybe she feels justified returning the favor, IDK.
My purpose to reading her book is to listen and learn. It was hard at times and I felt slightly defensive in reaction to some of her statements but it's not my place to judge her but to listen and reflect. I hope that more people are able to share their experiences to help foster conversations about how we can see one another for our "human-ness" and learn to honor and celebrate our differences and similarities. "We, too, are America."
underapileofbooks's review
4.0
This was an uncomfortable read at times, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Julia Lee gave me a lot to think about, and that’s what I was looking for when I picked up this book.