My
first nonfiction children’s book happened by accident. Or so I thought.
In
2002, I stumbled upon an article about Dr. Sammy Lee. I learned he was the
first Asian American to win a gold medal in diving at the Olympics.
2002, I stumbled upon an article about Dr. Sammy Lee. I learned he was the
first Asian American to win a gold medal in diving at the Olympics.
I
had never heard of Sammy Lee before. The article fascinated me. Distracted, I
fell into a rabbit hole as I devoured information about this world-renowned
athlete.
had never heard of Sammy Lee before. The article fascinated me. Distracted, I
fell into a rabbit hole as I devoured information about this world-renowned
athlete.
As
a Korean American, I was inspired by Sammy Lee’s triumph over racism. I wished
I had known about him when I was growing up. His positive story would have
helped me cope better with the many painful incidents of racism I experienced as
a child and teenager.
a Korean American, I was inspired by Sammy Lee’s triumph over racism. I wished
I had known about him when I was growing up. His positive story would have
helped me cope better with the many painful incidents of racism I experienced as
a child and teenager.
When
I discovered that no children’s book had ever been written about Sammy Lee, I
decided to write Sixteen Years in Sixteen
Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story.
I discovered that no children’s book had ever been written about Sammy Lee, I
decided to write Sixteen Years in Sixteen
Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story.
An
early reader advised me that my manuscript might not have a chance with
mainstream publishers. After all, according to statistics compiled by the Cooperative
Children’s Book Center, out of 3,150 children’s books published in 2002, only
46 (1 percent!) were written by Asian
Pacific Americans and only 91 (less than
3 percent!) were about Asian Americans. (The statistics for other diverse
groups were just as sparse.)
early reader advised me that my manuscript might not have a chance with
mainstream publishers. After all, according to statistics compiled by the Cooperative
Children’s Book Center, out of 3,150 children’s books published in 2002, only
46 (1 percent!) were written by Asian
Pacific Americans and only 91 (less than
3 percent!) were about Asian Americans. (The statistics for other diverse
groups were just as sparse.)
I
ended up submitting my manuscript to Lee & Low’s annual “New Voices”
contest for writers of color. To my shock, it won!
ended up submitting my manuscript to Lee & Low’s annual “New Voices”
contest for writers of color. To my shock, it won!
Lee
& Low published Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds in 2005. That year, out of the 2,800 children’s books
published, 60 were written by Asian Pacific American authors and 64 books were
about Asian subjects/characters. The statistics were still deplorable, but I
was delighted that MY book was part of that 2 percent.
& Low published Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds in 2005. That year, out of the 2,800 children’s books
published, 60 were written by Asian Pacific American authors and 64 books were
about Asian subjects/characters. The statistics were still deplorable, but I
was delighted that MY book was part of that 2 percent.
That
inspired me to write more children’s biographies of important Asian historical
figures. I suddenly had a mission—to make sure our community was represented,
to make sure our stories and our voices were heard.
inspired me to write more children’s biographies of important Asian historical
figures. I suddenly had a mission—to make sure our community was represented,
to make sure our stories and our voices were heard.
This
led to two more picture book biographies—Shining
Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee & Low, 2009) about Asian American
film star Anna May Wong and Twenty-two
Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low, 2014) about Nobel
Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
led to two more picture book biographies—Shining
Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee & Low, 2009) about Asian American
film star Anna May Wong and Twenty-two
Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low, 2014) about Nobel
Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
CCBC
statistics from 2017 show that out of 3,700 books published, 274 were written
by Asian Pacific Americans and 310 were about Asian people/issues. That’s still
less than 10 percent of all books published. We still have a long way to go.
statistics from 2017 show that out of 3,700 books published, 274 were written
by Asian Pacific Americans and 310 were about Asian people/issues. That’s still
less than 10 percent of all books published. We still have a long way to go.
Statistics
are just as grim in our educational system. The absence of Asian American
history in our school curricula, along with the erasure of Asian Americans in
the media and in Hollywood, has far-reaching and disturbing implications on how
white people and other non-Asians view them. It leads not only to ignorance and
racism, but also to the treatment of all Asians as the perpetual foreign
“Other.”
are just as grim in our educational system. The absence of Asian American
history in our school curricula, along with the erasure of Asian Americans in
the media and in Hollywood, has far-reaching and disturbing implications on how
white people and other non-Asians view them. It leads not only to ignorance and
racism, but also to the treatment of all Asians as the perpetual foreign
“Other.”
All
of this drives my mission—and passion—to
chronicle the important contributions Asian Americans have made in our country.
I am currently working on a YA narrative nonfiction book about Vincent Chin to
be published in 2020 by Norton Young Readers. It describes how the 1982 beating
death of a Chinese American man by two white autoworkers in Detroit galvanized
the Asian American civil rights movement.
of this drives my mission—and passion—to
chronicle the important contributions Asian Americans have made in our country.
I am currently working on a YA narrative nonfiction book about Vincent Chin to
be published in 2020 by Norton Young Readers. It describes how the 1982 beating
death of a Chinese American man by two white autoworkers in Detroit galvanized
the Asian American civil rights movement.
As
I look back on my writing career, I realize my first nonfiction children’s book
did not happen by accident. It was
fate. I will continue to write nonfiction in the hope that the struggles endured
by Dr. Sammy Lee, Anna May Wong, Muhammad Yunus, and Vincent Chin will never happen again.
I look back on my writing career, I realize my first nonfiction children’s book
did not happen by accident. It was
fate. I will continue to write nonfiction in the hope that the struggles endured
by Dr. Sammy Lee, Anna May Wong, Muhammad Yunus, and Vincent Chin will never happen again.
Paula Yoo is a children’s book
author and TV writer/producer. Her upcoming YA nonfiction book about Vincent
Chin will be published by Norton Young Readers in 2020. Her other books include
the YA novel Good Enough
(HarperCollins 2008), Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (Lee & Low 2005), Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee
& Low 2009) and Twenty-Two Cents:
Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low 2014).
author and TV writer/producer. Her upcoming YA nonfiction book about Vincent
Chin will be published by Norton Young Readers in 2020. Her other books include
the YA novel Good Enough
(HarperCollins 2008), Sixteen Years in
Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (Lee & Low 2005), Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee
& Low 2009) and Twenty-Two Cents:
Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank (Lee & Low 2014).
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3 Responses
Wonderful post, Paula. I didn't realize you were a Korean American, too! I'm working on a NF biography of a famous Korean and recently sold a Korean fiction story. Congrats on all your successes!
Thanks for your inspiring and important post, Paula! Congrats on all of your books! I loved your reading at the retreat, and am eagerly awaiting Vincent's story to be out in the world.
Thanks for making such beautiful books that reflect the diversity of our world!