Reddit reviews No-No Boy (Classics of Asian American Literature)

I was a "get as wasted as possible every day" major in college who graduated with a 2.2 GPA after 12 years. Seriously.

I have an English degree, never wrote a thesis. Best book I was ever assigned was No-No Boy, which is incredibly relevant and an absolutely necessary read in these troubled times.

I enjoyed reading [No-No Boy] (http://www.amazon.com/No-No-Classics-Asian-American-Literature/dp/0295955252) for a class in college, one of the few books I kept after graduating. It's about Japanese-American internment, loyalty, what it means to be American or "assimilated", etc.

I don't read too much AA literature (or any literature, for that matter...), so take my recommendation with a pinch of salt, but it was really refreshing just to be able to read something I could really relate to about immigrant/children of immigrant experiences.

Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang - This memoir is what the upcoming ABC sitcom is based on, and it's what WSJ journalist Jefff Yang has said, if unedited, will be "a game-changer for Asian Americans on screen." It's a witty and insightful story of how Eddie Huang bridges his old school parents' background and the American lifestyle of hip-hop and Air Jordans.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang - graphic novel that weaves the story of the Chinese tale of the Monkey King, a second generation kid who moves into a primarily white neighborhood and doesn't want to be considered a "Fob", and a white American boy whose Chinese cousin "Chin-kee" visits.

No-No Boy by John Okada - A Japanese American returns home after being interned during WWII and struggles with where he belongs in US society. The term "no-no boy" refers to how interned Japanese Americans answered to a "loyalty questionnaire."

Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee. The protagonist is Henry Park, a Korean American whose identity as an American with a Korean upbringing has impacted all facets of his life, including the strain on his marriage and his excellence as a spy. He goes further into cultural turmoil when he is assigned to spy on a Korean-American politician who during his run for mayor of NYC has to deal with tensions between Blacks and Koreans.

Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine - graphic novel whose protagonist Ben Tanaka is in a struggle with his own identity. His girlfriend is politically active and is involved in the Asian-American community, which he doesn't care much about. Ben denies the relevance of race, yet he has a certain attraction towards white girls and complex about his own attractiveness as an Asian male. Ben is bitter and angry, and his rejection of many things, including his own race distances him from people.

I also liked American Son (story of two Filipino brothers and their mother navigating violence and a new culture in America) by Brian Ascalon Roley and The Dead Do Not Improve by Jay Caspain Kang. The latter is Kang's first novel and it was not spectacular, but I did like his writing style and his use of pop culture from the view of a Korean American. He incorporates the story of the shooter Seung-Hui Cho, which he originally wanted to write a book about to reflect on Korean American male anger. Jay Caspian Kang is already in the media for his journalism pieces, but I'm looking forward to more of his writings and possible continued foray into literature.

I think you mean to say that so many people from Hawaii are also Japanese. The Hawaiians are an ethnic group of their own.

For an idea of what it was like and the impact it left on Japanese Americans, I recommend "No-No Boy" by John Okada