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nakpinar's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
I absolutely loved this book but had to put it down several times because I had gotten too angry at the state of the world.
leesuh's review against another edition
3.0
Read it for school and didn’t hate it tbh. It was interesting, but not something I would read again. I loved reading Yoshino’s anecdotes about his life and experiences, though. I would definitely read more of that by him.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
Yoshino is a Yale Law professor, first generation Japanese American and a gay man. The majority of his book discusses his own journey as a gay man, and a first generation American. The legal arguments he builds about conversion (pressure to conform to a heterosexual sexual orientation), covering (hiding or playing down differences such as secual orientation, religion, disability and more) and reverse covering.
Law cases included in the book include cases of women who were penalized by their employers for not wearing makeup, for wearing too much makeup, for styling their hair in cornrows. Other issues such as the penalty for mothers, some who hide the fact they have children to prevent being discriminated against for jobs and promotions, those who hide their religious beliefs (very pertinent today while I watch demonstrations at Dulles Airport in Virginia , outside of Washington, DC, because permanent residents returning today from certain country, are currently being detained by DHS).
The book is understandably includes a lot of legalese. Personally I find legal arguments often fascinating. Some readers, however, will not love it. Towards the end of the book some of the convoluted legal arguments lost me. Nonetheless, we have a lively discussion at my book club today, not the least because of the civil and human rights issues addressed in the book, and our current political climate.
Law cases included in the book include cases of women who were penalized by their employers for not wearing makeup, for wearing too much makeup, for styling their hair in cornrows. Other issues such as the penalty for mothers, some who hide the fact they have children to prevent being discriminated against for jobs and promotions, those who hide their religious beliefs (very pertinent today while I watch demonstrations at Dulles Airport in Virginia , outside of Washington, DC, because permanent residents returning today from certain country, are currently being detained by DHS).
The book is understandably includes a lot of legalese. Personally I find legal arguments often fascinating. Some readers, however, will not love it. Towards the end of the book some of the convoluted legal arguments lost me. Nonetheless, we have a lively discussion at my book club today, not the least because of the civil and human rights issues addressed in the book, and our current political climate.
yumikat2006's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful, poignant, sad. Kenji Yoshino is brilliant.
kserra's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Although I appreciate the personal nature of Yoshino's thoughts on covering, I think foregrounding his own experience actually leads to him ignoring or not contemplating the experience of other marginalized people. He also has some serious problems with how he construes the "choice to assimilate" in the book, often decrying it in one chapter and requiring it in another.
chaseledin's review against another edition
5.0
Kenji Yoshino’s illuminating argument forgoes the self-consciousness of objectivity, instead favoring anecdotal evidence. His decisive, poetic, and thought-intensive language bears a telling and increasingly desirable need for self-expression and changing ideological structures by affording personal stakes and critical accounts of gay, women’s, race, and disability politics. I loved how easily Yoshino weaved his argument into a fascinating and relatable read for readers on numerous platforms. His multi-focal lens on covering suggests a highly complex methodology in interpreting the law and providing common ground in civil rights issues.
cyhou62's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve done it. I’ve downplayed something about myself to give off a different or specific image of myself to others. I just never knew there was a word for it. It’s called “covering,” and it has deeper implications than we may think.
My book club read a few months ago a book by that name, Covering by Kenji Yoshino (more info at his website). He talks about the history of the gay rights movements, but also makes it clear that the covering phenomenon is universal and does not only occur in members of the gay community, for all types of people who may be discriminated against.
The first “phase” is converting, where the group feels the social pressure to “convert” to the norm that is accepted. There may even be direct actions taken by society in order to try to convert those individuals, such as sending people to places where they can be “cured” of homosexuality.
The next phase is passing, where the individuals will seem on the surface to be an average member of the larger group, such that the individual can “pass” for a member of the larger group. This is a sort of unspoken social camouflage. Others may know the underlying truth, but do not acknowledge it publicly.
The last phase, covering, is where individuals downplay certain aspects of themselves in order to present an image that is expected, such as changing your hairstyle from a ethnic style to a more commonly “acceptable” style. They may be asked to do this, or may do this on their own. This could also include things like not talking about family in the workplace as a woman because you would not like to seem too feminine.
Read the rest of my review at: http://chewbear.beforebreakfast.net/2012/05/03/converting-passing-covering/
My book club read a few months ago a book by that name, Covering by Kenji Yoshino (more info at his website). He talks about the history of the gay rights movements, but also makes it clear that the covering phenomenon is universal and does not only occur in members of the gay community, for all types of people who may be discriminated against.
The first “phase” is converting, where the group feels the social pressure to “convert” to the norm that is accepted. There may even be direct actions taken by society in order to try to convert those individuals, such as sending people to places where they can be “cured” of homosexuality.
The next phase is passing, where the individuals will seem on the surface to be an average member of the larger group, such that the individual can “pass” for a member of the larger group. This is a sort of unspoken social camouflage. Others may know the underlying truth, but do not acknowledge it publicly.
The last phase, covering, is where individuals downplay certain aspects of themselves in order to present an image that is expected, such as changing your hairstyle from a ethnic style to a more commonly “acceptable” style. They may be asked to do this, or may do this on their own. This could also include things like not talking about family in the workplace as a woman because you would not like to seem too feminine.
Read the rest of my review at: http://chewbear.beforebreakfast.net/2012/05/03/converting-passing-covering/
tristan_f's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really fantastic book. The author lays out a framework for understanding how we hide different aspects of hiding parts of ourselves. This is something that I understood intuitively but didn't know how to talk about before reading this book. It includes elements of autobiography, law, and history. It is very well-written. The autobiographical parts are written in beautiful poetic prose; the more legal chapters are written in a clear style that is easy to understand. It was an enjoyable to read and I can't recommend it enough.