A review by siobhanward
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

reflective medium-paced

4.0

 This book was well-written and felt really raw at points. Hong's exploration of Asian American identity and the intersectionality of race and art was honest and at times challenging to read. I really found her discussion of creating art as a person of colour to be interesting, especially when she points out that POC artists are expected to create "spectacles" that are large enough and racially traumatic enough to be interesting to others. Honestly, that really makes a lot of sense - so many books from POC authors that make best seller or book club lists are deeply rooted in racial trauma. It's rare that I see a POC author's name next to a best selling thriller or romance. Honestly, this gave me a lot to think about when I'm consuming media.

I found the second part of the book just wasn't as strong as the first - there was a lot of focus on Hong's university friends, which took away a bit from her story. It just didn't feel like it fit the narrative set in the fist part, but the book was still really well done and absolutely worth a read, even if it's just to help recognize some of your own biases or things you just don't always consider. 
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