Almost American Girl Book Review
Almost American Girl
Ha, Robin. ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL. New York: Balzer & Bray, 2020.
ISBN: 978002685117
Almost American Girl is the author's graphic novel memoir of her childhood as a reluctant immigrant to the United States. Robin is her American name. Chuna is her Korean name. I will refer to her as Robin, as that is her author's name here, and the one she chose for herself (a pivotal thematic moment). When Robin was fourteen years old, her mother told her they were vacationing in Alabama before her school term started. While Alabama seemed like a weird choice, Robin was used to vacationing to strange (to her) places with her adventurous mom. However, once there, her mother revealed that she had been dating a Korean man in Alabama, and she was going to marry him, and they would all live there. This began her adventure to become an "almost American girl."
Almost American Girl Book Trailer
Robin didn't speak very good English, and her new step-sisters and cousins were antagonistic toward her and did not help her transition to her new school and home. Robin missed her Korean home and friends. She just wanted a friend. In the beginning, the only kind face was her English teacher who communicated with her through a journal. This kindness helped Robin. Her new Alabama school didn't have any ESL programs, so she just had to muddle through the classes, not understanding the language.
Robin just wanted to make friends. She is shy, and her mother tried to push her in order for her to "grow a backbone." This usually backfired. We learn that Robin's mother had to be very strong and confident to succeed and raise her daughter. In flashbacks, Robin shows the rigid gender roles and patriarchal society of Korea in the 90s. Robin was frequently ostracized as the daughter of a single woman. Her mother put up with lots of insults and indignities. She couldn't even have custody of her own daughter. When she wanted to leave for the United States, Robin's mother had to ask the father's permission to "adopt" her own daughter, so she could take Robin out of the country.
Robin Ha speaks about writing
The United States held more opportunities for Robin and her mother, but it had problems as well. The new Korean step-family held similar rigid patriarchal beliefs, and the students at her new school were racist and bullies. Through her art (and her mother's kindnesses), Robin found friends and started to adjust to America. Eventually, Robin's mom left her new family and moved to Virginia, which had a more vibrant Korean-American community, and Robin formed life-long friends. As an adult, Robin returns to Korea, where she realizes that she is neither Korean nor American. She is Korean-American, and she likes it that way.
Program Connections
Students will answer the study questions in the following link.
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