From memoirs to short stories, speeches to non-fiction, fantasy to op-eds, Unbecoming is a collection of thirteen vibrant writing pieces that lay out High School student Iris Liu's journey from Sixth to Twelfth grade. Her writing displays the story of a Chinese-American immigrant student who struggles with self-worth - but finds a medium to challenge and reflect on her Unbecoming nature and influence communities through writing.
Includes:
Ghost Story (Ninth Grade) - Fiction - A story about the friendship between a singing ghost and a mute boy.
My Perfect Plan to Become the President of the United States (Ninth Grade) - non-fiction - How Iris intends to become the President of the United States (not really). An Informative article on the election process.
Dream Baker (Tenth Grade) - Fantasy - Everyone has a dream baker living inside their mind who's responsible for baking all sorts of dreams. Sylvia, Lin's dream baker, is forced to go on an expedition to find more dream ingredients. But the world outside is not what it seems. A deadly monster called Chaos is lurking outside her kitchen, set on destroying dream ingredients and seemingly her.
An Open Letter to the Educational Department of New York State (Tenth Grade) - Essay - Bias is not inherited but learned. We need to include Asian American history in the school curricula by passing Senate Bill S6359A to accurately and responsibly convey the rich history of the United States.
The Quiet Girl (Eleventh Grade) - Speech - "the Asian American community, as we face the continued violation of our fundamental rights, cannot remain quiet in the corner of the classroom."
Praise:
If you care deeply about your community and believe in human rights and minority equity, then put this book on your required reading list. Iris draws her passion from experience and believes in advocating for the rights of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Her deep desire to bring peace and justice is sincerely rooted in her values as she wants to see a balance between the immigrant and mainstream culture. This book, and all her work, shows her authenticity and her mission to bring that positive change which can help our society and our country to redefine democracy in its true spirit. Iris, I wish you all the best! Good Luck- Dr Dilshad Dayani
About the author: Iris Liu was born in China and raised in New York. She is an active advocate for Asian American Rights, a writer, a student, and a public speaker.
Teen & Young Adult, Memoirs, Chinese-American Writer Asian American, Anthology, Short, Stories Speeches, Self-reflection, Fantasy
