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69th out of 69 books
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53 voters
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Yell-Oh Girls!: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American
by
Vickie Nam,
Phoebe Eng
In this groundbreaking collection of personal writings, young Asian American girls come together for the first time and engage in a dynamic converstions about the unique challenges they face in their lives. Promoted by a variety of pressing questions from editor Vickie Nam and culled from hundreds of submission from all over the country, these revelatory essays, poems, and
...morePaperback, 336 pages
Published
July 31st 2001
by Harper Perennial
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so perhaps I'm just not in essay-mode lately, but this book just didn't buzz for me at all. It's a collection of essays by young asian american women about growing up as such in the american landscape. There's only so far and deep a 15-19 year old can go in 1-3 pages so, for me, each essay, no matter how good, seemed a bit shallow and a bit repetitive (of the other essays in the book). I would have enjoyed it more if there were a greater range of ages, and lengths. There were s few standouts...more
Rachel Chomsky
rated it
Recommends it for:
people who enjoy inspirational things
Recommended to Rachel by:
I found it on a book shelf
For quarter 3 the first book I decided to read is Yell-Oh Girls! by Vickie Nam. I picked this book because it really looked interesting and cool to me and it looked pretty inspirational. Some things that I liked about this book were the different and powerful stories that all these Asian-American teenagers had to tell. Almost all of them talked about not fitting in the a normal environment because they weren't completely asian or completely american. Some things that I disliked about this book w...more
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4 Stars. Some parts are really good, but a few are really bad.
The bad parts:
1) Some stories are repetitive
2) Some of them were, well, explicit. Especially one at the last section. It's not R-rated, but about PG-13.
I identified with a lot of the girls who wrote these stories.
I know how it feels to be regarded as an Asian in America and an American in Thailand.
I know how it feels to have some Thai people in Thailand treat me as a stupid American foreigner,...more
The bad parts:
1) Some stories are repetitive
2) Some of them were, well, explicit. Especially one at the last section. It's not R-rated, but about PG-13.
I identified with a lot of the girls who wrote these stories.
I know how it feels to be regarded as an Asian in America and an American in Thailand.
I know how it feels to have some Thai people in Thailand treat me as a stupid American foreigner,...more
This book told me many stories about Asian American Girls and their different experiences no matter if they were good or bad. I learnt more about how these girls were stereotyped and how they felt about others and could really link to my current life. I learnt about how these girls felt about their own culture, country and how they look. I would recommend this book to Asians who want to if any other girls have the same experience as them, and also girls from other ethicity as you would certainly...more
I picked this book because i didn't have a book to read in class, but i didn't really liked this book because it's a book that is a collection of very short stories, so i didn't really like it. It could be better to have a bit more detailed stories about each of the girls so that i could know more about them. What surprised me was how there was even e-mails in this book because i didn't expect e-mails from girls through out the country, and this tells me that the author really put her time into ...more
Phoebe Eng's intro to the book still makes this anthology stick out in my mind.
"[B]ig things can never been accomplished by sheer will and talent alone. Instead, it requires the collusion of hundreds of people who also believe in you, who want you to thrive, and will do what is necessary to lift you up to that place where, finally, you will have what you need to fly on your own."
"[B]ig things can never been accomplished by sheer will and talent alone. Instead, it requires the collusion of hundreds of people who also believe in you, who want you to thrive, and will do what is necessary to lift you up to that place where, finally, you will have what you need to fly on your own."
Not really a review, per se, but a suggestion. If you choose to read this excellent collection, don't skip the INTRO!! I confess, I have a bad habit of wanting to get to the good stuff myself and blazing past it! The intro reveals author Nam's own story very eloquently, and drives home the reason the book is needed in the first place.
This is a collection of poems and writings by Asian American girls from age 16 to 21. The book is divided into several themes such as Family Ties and Finding Way Home.
They are all very sincere and genuine experiences of teenage girls whose families were immigrants to the US. Some of them moved to America with their parents while others were born there. There are writings by girls of Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino descent.
Most of the girls felt that t...more
They are all very sincere and genuine experiences of teenage girls whose families were immigrants to the US. Some of them moved to America with their parents while others were born there. There are writings by girls of Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino descent.
Most of the girls felt that t...more
Decent anthology of essays/writings by young Asian-Americans. I felt I could relate to most of the stories written in the book, especially about identity. However, I felt like some of the essays were a bit whiny and confusing.
I did not like reading the last section, "Girlwind", because it was way too progressive for my tastes. Plus, some of the writings in that section didn't even seem to make sense/really have a point in the book. I applaud the girls who submitted their wo...more
I did not like reading the last section, "Girlwind", because it was way too progressive for my tastes. Plus, some of the writings in that section didn't even seem to make sense/really have a point in the book. I applaud the girls who submitted their wo...more
I've used an essay or two out of here for my AP Lang class when we talk about racial constructions. It's nice that Nam gives these girls a space for their voices to be heard.
I did not enjoy reading this book. i found it very hard to read because there isnt a real story line. there is a new story every 2 pages and i couldnt get into the book at all except for the few stories i connected to.
this book is basically about asian girls with problems in their live and they give short stories about it in this book
Every other page I'm crying...I'm having an identity crisis all over again
Cheryl
marked it as to-read
One of the University Diversity book club reads.
There's a lot to like within this book, but it's hard for me to classify it as an absolute masterpiece- these are still some very young voices included here, and the writing reflects that frequently. It is notable for including Hmong voices, such as Sandi Ci Moua's piece, and I applaud any effort to get young people, particularly Asian American women writing. It was a big effort to get this project together, and I hope one day we'll see even more interesting follow-ups from both the editor and t...more
ehhhh...
I'd give it a little less, but my hero & friend SHARI is in it!
Wish this book was around when I was in high school. It's such a powerful piece to have growing up as an Asian American girl and I related to many issues in this book having grown up in the suburbs. This was my second reading of it and my only criticism is that the issues seemed to all be White vs. Asian in terms of racism. When thinking about my students at a school where no student is White, I feel like issues between people of color were missing.
A compilation of short ditties written by Asian American teen girls. It was a good idea for a project in my opinion. Getting people to express themselves is never a bad thing. I found it sad, though, that many of the issues the girls speak of in their pieces are the same issues I had 30 years ago as a half Asian in America...that bummed me out. Not the greatest writing...but very interesting thoughts.
Anna Kim
rated it
In its own way, this is a powerful book featuring the voices of those who aren't normally heard. Each story, essay, and poem explores what it means to grow up as an Asian American girl. For those who have felt invisible or misunderstood, this is a good book to read because someone, somewhere felt the same way.
halfway done with book...an interesting read...i am of mexican american heritage but was raised by caucasian relatives...it is interesting to read the struggles, as well as joys, of those who share my experiences of trying to come to terms with their heritage...
Good book to start with in the world of ethnic study literature. I remember appreciating it as a high schooler...I took more away from this book than any Amy Tan b.s.
Edited by csmoon's cousin. A good effort to cultivate young Asian American female writers.
I have to love this book...because I have a piece published in it! =)
this was sort of lost on me. i guess i should have known better.
read this twice
Very intense and fascinating
Unreadable. I put it down.
Michael
marked it as to-read
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