It comes up every year: what are the “good” books for Thanksgiving and Indigenous Peoples Day? It’s not simply a question of #OwnVoices but historical accuracy from multiple points of view. It’s much easier to celebrate a narrative that eliminates conflict and genocide. In searching for books over the past few years, these are the…
Category: #OwnVoices
Virtual Meet Up for BIPOC Creators
Virtual Monday Mingle #8: For BIPOC Creators Date: Monday, 8/31/2020 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm This is a casual meetup for children’s writers and illustrators who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). This event, sponsored by the New England Society of Childen’s Book Writers and Illustrators (NESCBWI), is FREE and is open…
Meet Asian Pacific American Hero Niki Nakayama
I first discovered Niki Nakayama through the NetFlix show Chef’s Table which my oldest child gushed about and insisted that I watch. I love food documentaries in general, but Chef’s Table is my favorite because it shows how adversity plays a huge role in each person’s story. Niki Nakayama’s story is no different. She had…
Meet Asian Pacific American Hero Prabal Gurung
Fashion designer Prabal Gurung is known for his elegant designs that graced former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Stars who wore Prabal Gurung on the red carpet include Demi Moore, Rachel Weisz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Anne Hathaway. Helen Mirren, Diane Kruger, Olivia Munn, and Oprah Winfrey. But to…
Meet Asian Pacific American Hero I. M. Pei
There is such a refined elegance to I. M. Pei is only matched by his warm personality. It’s a combination that allowed him to move in the upper echelons of society in any country. In a way, he reminds me of my own father. Both immigrated from China in pursuit of their education. Though they…
Meet Asian Pacific American Hero Haing Ngor
Haing Ngor might be best known for winning an Oscar for his performance in the movie, The Killing Fields, about the genocide of the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime. But in a way, Haing Ngor’s life has always been on behalf of helping his people, and this movie was just a different platform…
Meet Asian Pacific American Hero Margaret Cho
I knew about Margaret Cho from the TV show that she starred in when I was a kid but I hadn’t really followed stand up comedians. When I asked my husband which Asian Americans I should include in my book, he immediately suggested Margaret Cho and totally went to bat for her. I had no…