Cultural identity is important to a person's sense of self and wellbeing. Identifying with a particular culture gives people a sense of belonging and security, providing them with access to social networks which provide support and shared values and aspirations. Multi-ethnic teens struggle, not only with the usual coming-of-age problems, but also with the conflict between ethnicities with differing values. In Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer the main character is of Iranian/Irish American descent. She is hoping to be accepted at NYU to major in journalism, but the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran is a major roadblock to her success. Impostor Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park introduces a Korean/Argentine American teen also looking for acceptance to a prestigious East coast college. The Cartographers by Amy Zhang finds a Chinese American teen deferring her college acceptance in the hopes of dealing with mental health issues brought on by pressures to live up to expectations.
In Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win Jasmine Katie Zumideh dreams of interviewing rock stars for Creem magazine. She thinks the way to achieve this is by getting a journalism degree at NYU and in the process reinventing herself. In order to pad her application, she says she is class president, although she has just declared her candidacy. She assumes the election is a slam-dunk because she is running against ultra-conservative Gerald whose platform includes reinstating school uniforms and saying the pledge of allegiance. But then Americans are taken hostage in Iran and Jasmine's brother Ali becomes radicalized, vocally supporting the Iranian protesters. Gerald villainizes Iran in his platform, while Jasmine tries to distance herself from her Persian heritage, which is not easy with Ali staging protests at school. Her campaign managers convince her she must take the low road to win, which includes making ridiculous campaign promises, going by the name Jasmine Katie and revealing that Gerald's dad is in prison. Amidst the campaign controversies, she is also dealing with separated parents, friends cheating on each other and expecting her to keep it secret, and academic pressures. The historical setting and realistic cultural details, especially focusing on middle eastern food, make this a real win.
Impostor Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim introduces a girl whose Korean ancestors moved to Argentina before immigrating to America. Ale is a scholarship student a a private prep school in NYC. Grieving her father's recent death under suspicious circumstances, she dreams of being accepted at Whyder College in Maine, along with her best friend and supporter, Laurel. When a guest lecturer makes a racist comment about her mixed heritage making Ale a shoo-in for college acceptance, Laurel begins circulating a petition to get the man ejected. Ale, who just wants to get through the year without making waves, is horrified about the attention she is getting, including a bogus "diversity award." As she begins to question Laurel's motivations, Ale must come to grips with the racism and classism that threaten her self-esteem. Told in three parts in a distinctive narrative voice, this coming-of-age tale explores multi-ethnicity, friendship and privilege with a blend of humor and seriousness that make it an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
In The Cartographers Chinese American Ocean Sun struggles with depression and anxiety. Rather than confessing her mental health issues to her demanding mother, she secretly defers her acceptance to a prestigious NYC university and moves in with two girls, Georgie and Tashya, looking for a roommate in Brooklyn. Although they quickly become her friends, they are distracted by their growing attraction to each other and leave her on her own at a nightclub on the night that the city loses power. She heads to the subway to make her way home, when the lights go out. She is rescued by a graffiti artist known as Constant Brave. He takes her with him on a spray-painting journey where he graffities subway maps on bare walls and spouts mythological musing that enchant her. They continue their relationship via google docs, discussing life, society and their dreams. Ocean frequently questions whether the life she is living is really a waking death. Their poetic philosophical communications shed light on the desperation of anxiety and living up to others' expectations. Although Ocean sees him occasionally, most of their relationship is conducted online. All of the characters are seeking to map out their lives. listening to their own hearts.
