Rise

September 1, 2022

There's no disputing that Asian and Asian American popular culture is a powerhouse in the United States. K-pop is all over the radio, movies like Crazy Rich Asians are blockbusters, and television shows featuring Asian American actors are smash hits. But how did we get here? Years of struggle and hard work--much of it overlooked. Journalist Yang, blogger Phil Yu, and producer Philip Wang, along with a team of writers, chronicle the rise of Asian American popular culture, with a focus on 1990 to the present. Each section takes a deep dive into a specific time period, with extensive coverage of music, television and movies, fashion, dance, and news. The tone varies from irreverent to serious, and the content includes essays, interviews, poetry, lists, and profiles. A team of eight Asian American narrators capably handles this wide variety of content, adjusting the pacing to suit the tone of each individual piece. The sole drawback to the audiobook is that listeners miss out on the illustrations in the print edition, which include comic strips, portraits, and pull-out panoramas--all drawn by Asian American artists. VERDICT This heartfelt and entertaining chronicle serves as a showcase for exceptional Asian American audiobook narrators. A must-listen for pop culture buffs.--Nanette Donohue

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 11, 2021
Cultural critic Yang, Angry Asian Man blogger Yu, and filmmaker Wang take readers on a riveting tour through pop cultural milestones of the 1990s to the 2010s, when the children of the wave of Asian immigrants who came to America after the passage of 1965’s Hart-Celler Act were confronted with “the job of trying to fill in the blank of what it meant to be Asian American.” In graphic essays and conversations with artists, the authors reflect on how, for decades, finding success as an Asian American “meant making sure you could appeal to white audiences... compromising who you were.” From the racially motivated murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982 to more recent reflections on the racial implications and random violence toward Asians perpetrated by those who falsely believe that Covid-19 is a “Chinese disease,” they illustrate the obstacles Asian Americans have come up against and brilliantly juxtapose them with stories of how those barriers have been thwarted (Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve fans will appreciate behind-the-scenes details of how Sandra Oh landed her roles on those shows). Interspersed throughout are amusing memes featuring K-pop sensation BTS and quirky depictions of Asian grocery stores and boba shops. This celebration of Asian American culture is as revelatory as it is entertaining.