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Chinese Girl in the Ghetto
As China opens itself to the world and undertakes historic economic reforms, a little girl in the southern city of Guangzhou immerses herself in a world of fantasy and foreign influences while grappling with the mundane vagaries of Communist rule. She happily immigrates to Oakland, California, expecting her new life to be far better in all ways than life in China. Instead, she discovers crumbling schools, unsafe streets, and racist people. In the land of the free, she comes of age amid the dysfunction of a city’s brokenness and learns to hate in the shadows of urban decay. This is the unforgettable story of her journey from China to an American ghetto, and how she prevailed.
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“Direct and unvarnished, this book describes the endless possibilities of a free society that allows its citizens to chart their own destiny. Ying Ma takes her readers to dark corners where poverty, crime, and racism reign, all the while reminding us that even amid a sea of hate, individuals can choose to believe in kindness, decency, personal responsibility, and racial equality.”-- Ward Connerly, Founder and President, American Civil Rights Institute, and author, Creating My Fight Against Race Preferences"
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A beautiful account of a young girl’s encounter with the insidiousness of authoritarianism in China and the tragedies of inner-city America. Ying Ma boldly details some of the worst imperfections of American society, all the while showing, with her own example, why freedom is worth choosing."-- Xiao Qiang, Adjunct Professor, University of California at Berkeley, and Founder and Editor-in-Chief, China Digital Times
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“Direct and unvarnished, this book describes the endless possibilities of a free society that allows its citizens to chart their own destiny. Ying Ma takes her readers to dark corners where poverty, crime, and racism reign, all the while reminding us that even amid a sea of hate, individuals can choose to believe in kindness, decency, personal responsibility, and racial equality.”-- Ward Connerly, Founder and President, American Civil Rights Institute, and author, Creating My Fight Against Race Preferences"
--------------------------
A beautiful account of a young girl’s encounter with the insidiousness of authoritarianism in China and the tragedies of inner-city America. Ying Ma boldly details some of the worst imperfections of American society, all the while showing, with her own example, why freedom is worth choosing."-- Xiao Qiang, Adjunct Professor, University of California at Berkeley, and Founder and Editor-in-Chief, China Digital Times
155 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2011
About the author
Ying Ma
11 books16 followersYing Ma (馬穎) writes about China, the free market and international affairs. Her articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal Asia, the International Herald Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, National Review Online, The Weekly Standard, Forbes.com, FoxNews.com and other publications.
Ms. Ma received a B.A. in Government, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Ms. Ma received a B.A. in Government, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
February 11, 2020
I learned of Chinese Girl in the Ghetto watching an interview of the author, Ying Ma, by Tucker Carlson on Fox News. The subject was the NBA and China. She gave her perspective on the subject which was very impressive. She is an imposing speaker which prompted me to immediately purchase this book - a memoir!
Ying Ma started her life in Guangzhou, China. Her family immigrated legally to the United States when Ying was in the fourth grade. She had anticipated a better life in America for so long. Ying had heard about Disneyland, but, sadly, started her life here in Oakland, CA in the ghetto.
This was a very interesting read. I have much respect for Ying Ma and would like to look up more of her interviews and speeches on YouTube.
Side note: I worked with a woman, Siu Bing, who came from Hong Kong in about 1980 - 17 years old. Siu Bing’s mother worked tirelessly and diligently to get her and 8 other siblings out of Communist China into the United States. And, lastly, she got out herself. Siu Bing told me of her mother’s struggles and angst to work toward this goal. All the stories she told me about her mother- a book about her could have been a best seller. I thought of Siu Bing quite a bit while I was reading this book.
Ying Ma started her life in Guangzhou, China. Her family immigrated legally to the United States when Ying was in the fourth grade. She had anticipated a better life in America for so long. Ying had heard about Disneyland, but, sadly, started her life here in Oakland, CA in the ghetto.
This was a very interesting read. I have much respect for Ying Ma and would like to look up more of her interviews and speeches on YouTube.
Side note: I worked with a woman, Siu Bing, who came from Hong Kong in about 1980 - 17 years old. Siu Bing’s mother worked tirelessly and diligently to get her and 8 other siblings out of Communist China into the United States. And, lastly, she got out herself. Siu Bing told me of her mother’s struggles and angst to work toward this goal. All the stories she told me about her mother- a book about her could have been a best seller. I thought of Siu Bing quite a bit while I was reading this book.
January 4, 2012
Ying travels to Oakland and she is unfairly treated by her peers often because of her race and because of her academic achievement. According to Ying, she and other Asians in the community are routinely harassed and physically intimidated solely because of race. This mistreatment primarily comes from the local blacks and Hispanics who dominate Oakland. Despite all of this, Ying is able to succeed and become very successful later in life.
While I applaud Ying for her success, especially because of the difficult challenges she experienced, I grew tired of the solipsism in this book. I get the distinct impression that Ying felt individually targeted primarily because of her race. What I rarely get from the book is how she was treated measured against how other racial groups treated one another. Were blacks racist towards Hispanics and vice-versa? I'd bet the answer is yes. Did the groups who directed violence towards her and other Asians direct violence towards each other? Again, I bet the answer is yes. Were Chinese sometimes cruel to other Chinese in Oakland? This answer comes directly from her book and once again the answer is yes.
See, the problem with Ying's story is that it doesn't provide context. It only sets out to present facts that reinforce the author's narrative, that Chinese people, specifically in the Bay Area, are being targeted by other racial groups primary because of race. It says nothing about racial strife in the general area. It says nothing about crimes like home invasion robberies that are often committed by Asians on other Asians. It does not take into context that students who do very well in school are often targeted by their peers for their success. It does not take into context that students who are minorities in their schools as well as their communities are more likely to be treated differently. No, it primarily says that Chinese were targeted in Oakland based upon race.
In the end, the redeeming factor in this book was Ying's stories of her perseverance and strong family and how those factors helped her get through a series of extraordinarily difficult circumstances and achieve success.
While I applaud Ying for her success, especially because of the difficult challenges she experienced, I grew tired of the solipsism in this book. I get the distinct impression that Ying felt individually targeted primarily because of her race. What I rarely get from the book is how she was treated measured against how other racial groups treated one another. Were blacks racist towards Hispanics and vice-versa? I'd bet the answer is yes. Did the groups who directed violence towards her and other Asians direct violence towards each other? Again, I bet the answer is yes. Were Chinese sometimes cruel to other Chinese in Oakland? This answer comes directly from her book and once again the answer is yes.
See, the problem with Ying's story is that it doesn't provide context. It only sets out to present facts that reinforce the author's narrative, that Chinese people, specifically in the Bay Area, are being targeted by other racial groups primary because of race. It says nothing about racial strife in the general area. It says nothing about crimes like home invasion robberies that are often committed by Asians on other Asians. It does not take into context that students who do very well in school are often targeted by their peers for their success. It does not take into context that students who are minorities in their schools as well as their communities are more likely to be treated differently. No, it primarily says that Chinese were targeted in Oakland based upon race.
In the end, the redeeming factor in this book was Ying's stories of her perseverance and strong family and how those factors helped her get through a series of extraordinarily difficult circumstances and achieve success.
February 5, 2014
INTERESTING AND ILLUMINATING.
"We did not use crayons because we didn't know that crayons existed."—page 17
Guangzhou, historically known as Canton, is southern China's largest city. And yet, in the early 1980s, kindergarten children of that city "didn't know that crayons existed".
I am flummoxed. Even the poorest children from the inner-city ghettos of Oakland, California, about which Ying Ma writes much, would have been familiar with and have extensively used crayons decades before the 1980s.
The immigrant experience in America always seems to make for fascinating reading to me. In Ying Ma's poignant memoir, CHINESE GIRL IN THE GHETTO, we get illuminating glimpses, not only of that experience, in its harsh reality, but also of everyday life in post-Mao China—all through the clear eyes of a child.
Recommendation: This book would be a great read for high schoolers. Reading this story put me in mind of Esmeralda Santiago's memoir, WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN (which I also highly recommend). From foreign language backgrounds, through the worst and poorest of America's ghettos, to incredible academic success. Some people just can't be defeated.
"From Guangzhou to the ghetto, our journey had turned out to be long and arduous, dark and painful, but twenty years after our arrival in America, we were finally free."—page 101
NOOKbook edition, 107 pages
"We did not use crayons because we didn't know that crayons existed."—page 17
Guangzhou, historically known as Canton, is southern China's largest city. And yet, in the early 1980s, kindergarten children of that city "didn't know that crayons existed".
I am flummoxed. Even the poorest children from the inner-city ghettos of Oakland, California, about which Ying Ma writes much, would have been familiar with and have extensively used crayons decades before the 1980s.
The immigrant experience in America always seems to make for fascinating reading to me. In Ying Ma's poignant memoir, CHINESE GIRL IN THE GHETTO, we get illuminating glimpses, not only of that experience, in its harsh reality, but also of everyday life in post-Mao China—all through the clear eyes of a child.
Recommendation: This book would be a great read for high schoolers. Reading this story put me in mind of Esmeralda Santiago's memoir, WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN (which I also highly recommend). From foreign language backgrounds, through the worst and poorest of America's ghettos, to incredible academic success. Some people just can't be defeated.
"From Guangzhou to the ghetto, our journey had turned out to be long and arduous, dark and painful, but twenty years after our arrival in America, we were finally free."—page 101
NOOKbook edition, 107 pages
January 17, 2014
"Chinese Girl in the Ghetto" by Ying Ma is a fantastic, insightful memoir about the life of a Chinese woman coming to the US/ Oakland and about the life of her family before and after the move.
The author was in fourth garde when she moved so the perspective is often that of a child, which is a brilliant point of view to observe innocently contradictions, conflicts, bureaucracy, all day life, the bizarre and the shameful.
Arriving with little knowledge of what is in store and living with parents who never will master the new language another experience sets in.
Ying Ma writes without much pity and without great blame. The descriptions depict the personal experiences and are always out to be balanced and fair.
Her life is representative of many but her book is her own story and does not present predictable scenarios on emight expect to find.
This book made me think a lot and for long after I had finished it. It is moving, thought provoking, to the point and well presented.
A huge accomplishment and a must read.
The author was in fourth garde when she moved so the perspective is often that of a child, which is a brilliant point of view to observe innocently contradictions, conflicts, bureaucracy, all day life, the bizarre and the shameful.
Arriving with little knowledge of what is in store and living with parents who never will master the new language another experience sets in.
Ying Ma writes without much pity and without great blame. The descriptions depict the personal experiences and are always out to be balanced and fair.
Her life is representative of many but her book is her own story and does not present predictable scenarios on emight expect to find.
This book made me think a lot and for long after I had finished it. It is moving, thought provoking, to the point and well presented.
A huge accomplishment and a must read.
February 17, 2012
I received a free copy of this book through a Good Reads First Read giveaway. Thank you.
Oh, boy. Where do I even start?
Let me preface this review by saying that I am not an immigrant and you can best sum up my life experience as that of lower-middle to middle class. I've always lived in fairly safe neighborhoods and went to academically decent, if not out right good, schools.
Having said that, I am the granddaughter of an immigrant - like so many of us in this country are - so a lot of what the author conveyed in this book was familiar enough to me as far as the immigrant experience goes. That's the background I brought to the table while reading this book. And, perhaps because of said life experience, I found myself becoming more and more fed up with what I perceived as an overly indignant and self-righteous tone with which the author presented her story. My first thought when shutting the back cover was "I think the title of this book would be better served as 'Chinese Girl with a Chip on Her Shoulder'".
I'm not denying nor turning a blind eye to the violence and decay that is endemic in inner cities all across this country. It exists. We are in dire straits, to be sure, but unlike so many other helpless victims of their situation (in this case, the ghetto), the author not only got herself out but her family, too. The vitriol that bubbled up about her experience in the ghetto smacked, to me, almost as reverse racism. No one was immune. She had issues with everyone from her fellow African American and Latino students to her Caucasian teachers. No one was spared her wrath. And yet, she did very little to do anything about it. There were only 3 instances where she directly stood up for herself, and that was only after releasing a stream of racist remarks that only perpetuate hatred, violence, and an ignorance of culture. The old saying of "fight fire with fire" might be applicable here - I honestly do not know - but, as already stated, it only perpetuates a vicious, vicious cycle.
Likewise, her life in China felt like it was being glorified. Only briefly did she touch on the violations that China incurred against not only its citizens, but those in places such as Tibet. No place is perfect, not even the US, but the lack of balancing an almost demonizing characterization of her adopted country and not giving equal time to the severe failings of China smacked of out and out propaganda to me.
There are far better books out there about the immigrant experience. I recommend any of those before attempting to tackle this one. I hope this was simply a case of an incompatible book and reader.
Oh, boy. Where do I even start?
Let me preface this review by saying that I am not an immigrant and you can best sum up my life experience as that of lower-middle to middle class. I've always lived in fairly safe neighborhoods and went to academically decent, if not out right good, schools.
Having said that, I am the granddaughter of an immigrant - like so many of us in this country are - so a lot of what the author conveyed in this book was familiar enough to me as far as the immigrant experience goes. That's the background I brought to the table while reading this book. And, perhaps because of said life experience, I found myself becoming more and more fed up with what I perceived as an overly indignant and self-righteous tone with which the author presented her story. My first thought when shutting the back cover was "I think the title of this book would be better served as 'Chinese Girl with a Chip on Her Shoulder'".
I'm not denying nor turning a blind eye to the violence and decay that is endemic in inner cities all across this country. It exists. We are in dire straits, to be sure, but unlike so many other helpless victims of their situation (in this case, the ghetto), the author not only got herself out but her family, too. The vitriol that bubbled up about her experience in the ghetto smacked, to me, almost as reverse racism. No one was immune. She had issues with everyone from her fellow African American and Latino students to her Caucasian teachers. No one was spared her wrath. And yet, she did very little to do anything about it. There were only 3 instances where she directly stood up for herself, and that was only after releasing a stream of racist remarks that only perpetuate hatred, violence, and an ignorance of culture. The old saying of "fight fire with fire" might be applicable here - I honestly do not know - but, as already stated, it only perpetuates a vicious, vicious cycle.
Likewise, her life in China felt like it was being glorified. Only briefly did she touch on the violations that China incurred against not only its citizens, but those in places such as Tibet. No place is perfect, not even the US, but the lack of balancing an almost demonizing characterization of her adopted country and not giving equal time to the severe failings of China smacked of out and out propaganda to me.
There are far better books out there about the immigrant experience. I recommend any of those before attempting to tackle this one. I hope this was simply a case of an incompatible book and reader.
April 16, 2020
Ying Ma’s autobiography is divided into two parts, her life in China and her life in the United States. Her writing style is easily accessible, quick paced, is detailed without becoming mired down in minutiae.
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The first half of the book, dealing with her life in China, is incredibly interesting - while she writes about her early education, most of this section is reserved for her relationship with her brother, parents, being her Grandfather’s favorite, and her Aunt. Due to the economy of tightly reigned-in communist China, she writes about obtaining (through visiting relatives) unavailable luxuries such as nail polish. There’s a slight materialistic bent to this half of the book that disappears in the second. The end of this half tells how her family finally was able to immigrate to America which doesn’t seem to be due to any persecution or true necessity, just a desire to be in America with the extended family that has already settled in California.
The second half deals mostly with her experience in the American education system in Oakland, California. Ying Ma deals with racism and violence from her fellow students, specifically those of African or Latinx heritage, she describes her Caucasian classmates as the minority and seemingly more well off - not necessarily financially but just more calm, less violent, and doesn’t describe any hatred coming from them. Except for one that stole from her. Students of Asian descent were described as quiet and non-combative, when called names or witnessing bullying, going so far as to ignore it. Ying Ma doesn’t understand this and eventually begins to stand up for herself and fight back.
The book ends with her leaving for college - at Cornell University - and eventually purchasing a home (far from the ghetto) for her parents.
———————————————————————————
Chinese Girl in the Ghetto is an interesting read but isn’t memorable. Her writing about China has a slight glow of nostalgia and talks about her family and culture - something that she completely abandons in the second half in which she solely talks about her school life. With the occasional but very small anecdotes and details about her brother and parents, there is no mention of whether her family tried to hold onto their Chinese culture. There are mentions of gunshots and observed drug deals from her bedroom window but beyond a group of neighbor children desecrating two sunflowers, I’m curious if where she lived could have truly been considered a ghetto?
I walked away from this book with two distinct thoughts:
1. This autobiography felt like a book in which an excerpt may be found in a college history text book as “recommended reading” or that a professor may recommend as supplemental for specialized topics. While an interesting view into an immigrant’s experience, this is very niche and rather unremarkable.
2. There’s nothing to take away from reading this book. Communist China was oppressive? Middle schoolers and high schoolers can be racist and violent? Shocking. I’m not intending to demean her past but there’s no part of this book that deals with introspection on losing her family’s culture, or their new American experience, or what it really means to be an immigrant. There is nothing to learn from reading Chinese Girl in the Ghetto - her immigration story could have been valuable, instead we hear stories from the school yard that are pretty consistent with, well, most everyone’s experiences.
If you’re a historian wanting a snapshot into an immigrants experience, read this. Otherwise........ meh.
———————————————————————————
The first half of the book, dealing with her life in China, is incredibly interesting - while she writes about her early education, most of this section is reserved for her relationship with her brother, parents, being her Grandfather’s favorite, and her Aunt. Due to the economy of tightly reigned-in communist China, she writes about obtaining (through visiting relatives) unavailable luxuries such as nail polish. There’s a slight materialistic bent to this half of the book that disappears in the second. The end of this half tells how her family finally was able to immigrate to America which doesn’t seem to be due to any persecution or true necessity, just a desire to be in America with the extended family that has already settled in California.
The second half deals mostly with her experience in the American education system in Oakland, California. Ying Ma deals with racism and violence from her fellow students, specifically those of African or Latinx heritage, she describes her Caucasian classmates as the minority and seemingly more well off - not necessarily financially but just more calm, less violent, and doesn’t describe any hatred coming from them. Except for one that stole from her. Students of Asian descent were described as quiet and non-combative, when called names or witnessing bullying, going so far as to ignore it. Ying Ma doesn’t understand this and eventually begins to stand up for herself and fight back.
The book ends with her leaving for college - at Cornell University - and eventually purchasing a home (far from the ghetto) for her parents.
———————————————————————————
Chinese Girl in the Ghetto is an interesting read but isn’t memorable. Her writing about China has a slight glow of nostalgia and talks about her family and culture - something that she completely abandons in the second half in which she solely talks about her school life. With the occasional but very small anecdotes and details about her brother and parents, there is no mention of whether her family tried to hold onto their Chinese culture. There are mentions of gunshots and observed drug deals from her bedroom window but beyond a group of neighbor children desecrating two sunflowers, I’m curious if where she lived could have truly been considered a ghetto?
I walked away from this book with two distinct thoughts:
1. This autobiography felt like a book in which an excerpt may be found in a college history text book as “recommended reading” or that a professor may recommend as supplemental for specialized topics. While an interesting view into an immigrant’s experience, this is very niche and rather unremarkable.
2. There’s nothing to take away from reading this book. Communist China was oppressive? Middle schoolers and high schoolers can be racist and violent? Shocking. I’m not intending to demean her past but there’s no part of this book that deals with introspection on losing her family’s culture, or their new American experience, or what it really means to be an immigrant. There is nothing to learn from reading Chinese Girl in the Ghetto - her immigration story could have been valuable, instead we hear stories from the school yard that are pretty consistent with, well, most everyone’s experiences.
If you’re a historian wanting a snapshot into an immigrants experience, read this. Otherwise........ meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2012
I've been lucky...the last few books I've read have been, IMHO, great. This was one of them.
Chinese Girl in the Gettho is a memoir. Ying Ma, until the age of ten, lives in Guangzhou (sp?), the 3rd largest city in China. Typical of China in the early 70's and 80's, poverty is endemic and government control is tight. Ying, her brohter, her mother, her father, her grandfather, her grandmother and two uncles live in a 2 bedroom apartment in the city and are considered to be living in spacious accomodations by most of their neighbors. Ying and her family suffer from material wants, but are a close and relatively happy family. A chance comes to emigrate to America and the family jumps at the chance, believing that in America, all their material wants will be met. They settle in Oakland, California in a dangerous and poverty-stricken area. The rest of the story deals with Ying Ma and her family's struggle against racism, discrimination and violence while trying to eke out a living in an inner-city ghetto. She describes in detail her sense of rage, impotence and hatred both for the people around her and the intolerant society she finds herself in. She perseveres, works hard, studies instead of hanging on the street, makes the grades and, ultimately, pulls herself and her family out of the ghetto.
I've read other reviews criticizing Ying Ma for her focus on herself; for failing to mention often enough that discrimination was not (is not?) directed against Asians alone, but against all minorities and even between members of the same race. I actually didn't get the impression that the author was even suggesting the above. Rather, as this IS a memoir, it seemed totally appropriate to me that the focus was on one girl's perception of the world around her and those about whom she cared most.....her family. The book has also been criticized for "rushing through" the years after high school/college and beyond. This, too, seems appropriate to me. As the title details, the book is the recollection of one Asian girl's experience with the ghetto of America. Her life is China is necessary to set the stage for what she ultimately faced when she came to America and, therefore, is appropriate to include in the book. Her life after high school and college was lived outside of the ghetto within suburban America. Therefore, it doesn't take equal focus in the story. I thought the writing was descriptive but succinct, the content was interesting and the pace was well-modulated.
All in all, I recommend this book highly!
Chinese Girl in the Gettho is a memoir. Ying Ma, until the age of ten, lives in Guangzhou (sp?), the 3rd largest city in China. Typical of China in the early 70's and 80's, poverty is endemic and government control is tight. Ying, her brohter, her mother, her father, her grandfather, her grandmother and two uncles live in a 2 bedroom apartment in the city and are considered to be living in spacious accomodations by most of their neighbors. Ying and her family suffer from material wants, but are a close and relatively happy family. A chance comes to emigrate to America and the family jumps at the chance, believing that in America, all their material wants will be met. They settle in Oakland, California in a dangerous and poverty-stricken area. The rest of the story deals with Ying Ma and her family's struggle against racism, discrimination and violence while trying to eke out a living in an inner-city ghetto. She describes in detail her sense of rage, impotence and hatred both for the people around her and the intolerant society she finds herself in. She perseveres, works hard, studies instead of hanging on the street, makes the grades and, ultimately, pulls herself and her family out of the ghetto.
I've read other reviews criticizing Ying Ma for her focus on herself; for failing to mention often enough that discrimination was not (is not?) directed against Asians alone, but against all minorities and even between members of the same race. I actually didn't get the impression that the author was even suggesting the above. Rather, as this IS a memoir, it seemed totally appropriate to me that the focus was on one girl's perception of the world around her and those about whom she cared most.....her family. The book has also been criticized for "rushing through" the years after high school/college and beyond. This, too, seems appropriate to me. As the title details, the book is the recollection of one Asian girl's experience with the ghetto of America. Her life is China is necessary to set the stage for what she ultimately faced when she came to America and, therefore, is appropriate to include in the book. Her life after high school and college was lived outside of the ghetto within suburban America. Therefore, it doesn't take equal focus in the story. I thought the writing was descriptive but succinct, the content was interesting and the pace was well-modulated.
All in all, I recommend this book highly!
October 22, 2019
This is a memoir of a Chinese girl named Ying Ma. The book only goes to her graduation from college and early work history.
The book starts in a large city in South China. She and her family live in poverty and yet she accepts it without knowing anything else. She enjoys school, has a few friends and works hard to be at the top of her class every year. She begins to like material things when relatives from Hong Kong (freedom) send gifts and visit her family. She is exposed to another way of life, free from authoritarian rule.
Her family has dreams of freedom by immigrating to the United States and have paperwork in and work hard to be given permission to leave. The day comes and Ying Ma and her family are ecstatic but of course nervous of what is to come. They arrive in Oakland only speaking Chinese and endure racism, violence, intimidation, and disrespect. Her parents work long hours in menial and physically difficult work in order for the family to eat, Ying Ma begins school and is bullied because of her race, mostly by African Americans. She learns English and realizes the way out of this life is education. She studies and pushes herself through high school and into a college scholarship in the northeast. This is the first time since coming to the US she is exposed to mostly rich white girls. She mostly thinks they are spoiled and shallow. But she also learns to relax enough to learn to laugh and have some fun.
Law degree and helping her parents move to a safe neighborhood and she is finally realizing the dreams of .some of the freedom she and her family envisioned from China many years ago.
The book starts in a large city in South China. She and her family live in poverty and yet she accepts it without knowing anything else. She enjoys school, has a few friends and works hard to be at the top of her class every year. She begins to like material things when relatives from Hong Kong (freedom) send gifts and visit her family. She is exposed to another way of life, free from authoritarian rule.
Her family has dreams of freedom by immigrating to the United States and have paperwork in and work hard to be given permission to leave. The day comes and Ying Ma and her family are ecstatic but of course nervous of what is to come. They arrive in Oakland only speaking Chinese and endure racism, violence, intimidation, and disrespect. Her parents work long hours in menial and physically difficult work in order for the family to eat, Ying Ma begins school and is bullied because of her race, mostly by African Americans. She learns English and realizes the way out of this life is education. She studies and pushes herself through high school and into a college scholarship in the northeast. This is the first time since coming to the US she is exposed to mostly rich white girls. She mostly thinks they are spoiled and shallow. But she also learns to relax enough to learn to laugh and have some fun.
Law degree and helping her parents move to a safe neighborhood and she is finally realizing the dreams of .some of the freedom she and her family envisioned from China many years ago.
September 9, 2021
I enjoy reading memoirs from people who have come to the US from other countries sharing their experiences. The best part of Ying Ma's book, I'd argue, are her descriptions of life growing up in China in post Mao China. Interesting how she got herself in trouble wearing nail polish to class which was brought in from Hong Kong. Trouble because the other children wanted it too, and parents complained to the teacher that it was something they couldn't get for their children. The fear of assembly is interesting too, her kung fu club being branded a gang!
I found her early experience in the US to be predictable but still embarrassing and disappointing. Something not talked about enough in the US among the various discussions of racism is just how bad it can be for Asians. Asian racism and hate crimes, I know, are drastically underreported and for whatever reason downplayed even in mainstream media.
The book has some shortcomings. One is that her experiences, especially in the US, lacked depth. Felt more like a long essay than a story truly being told, as there were more generalizations than descriptions of experiences. So I suppose my biggest complaint of the book is that it's about half or a third the size I think her story should be. More would be better. A lot better.
Still, it's an interesting, fast read. Doesn't have the chance to ever get boring. I tend to read books quite slowly, and still, I finished in two hours.
I'm aware this book has gained some popularity for its criticism of urban America and especially of certain demographics within urban America. Also popular though for her succeeding in the American dream.
I'd love to read something like this with more depth. The concept of comparing life in China to life as an immigrant in the US is such a good one. This one just goes doesn't give the reader enough.
Killer concept, but just an alright fulfillment of the concept. Worth the read, and a fast reader may be done in an hour. Worth the time for sure. But ultimately lacking in depth for such a cool idea.
I found her early experience in the US to be predictable but still embarrassing and disappointing. Something not talked about enough in the US among the various discussions of racism is just how bad it can be for Asians. Asian racism and hate crimes, I know, are drastically underreported and for whatever reason downplayed even in mainstream media.
The book has some shortcomings. One is that her experiences, especially in the US, lacked depth. Felt more like a long essay than a story truly being told, as there were more generalizations than descriptions of experiences. So I suppose my biggest complaint of the book is that it's about half or a third the size I think her story should be. More would be better. A lot better.
Still, it's an interesting, fast read. Doesn't have the chance to ever get boring. I tend to read books quite slowly, and still, I finished in two hours.
I'm aware this book has gained some popularity for its criticism of urban America and especially of certain demographics within urban America. Also popular though for her succeeding in the American dream.
I'd love to read something like this with more depth. The concept of comparing life in China to life as an immigrant in the US is such a good one. This one just goes doesn't give the reader enough.
Killer concept, but just an alright fulfillment of the concept. Worth the read, and a fast reader may be done in an hour. Worth the time for sure. But ultimately lacking in depth for such a cool idea.
May 17, 2023
Insightful on many levels.
July 29, 2012
The first half of this book is fascinating. The author tells of her years as a child in Ghangzhou, a childhood with clear pathways and a loving family. Because she writes from the perspective of now living in the U.S., she sees some of the material and social constraints of her childhood, of course, but she goes out of her way to note that, as a child, things were simply the way that they were. She wasn't unhappy. She didn't question. She and her family simply lived on very little and she learned the ways to get ahead: always do your homework, be sure that you've lived honorably, do what's expected.
Then, they came to Oakland, where the rules weren't quite so clear. Instead of getting extra respect from her peers for her good grades, honestly, and hard work, she got called names and, occasionally, beaten. Instead of respecting elders, the American kids beat up old Asian people and heaped insults in them. Instead of studying hard, working toward a future, and being "good," kids were lazy and mean...and no one said or did anything.
Ma Ying was stunned and angry, and it probably makes sense that she ended up with the Hoover institute, celebrating conservatism both here and abroad. She worked hard and she has no respect for those who don't...
Such an interesting book, at least the first half.
Then, they came to Oakland, where the rules weren't quite so clear. Instead of getting extra respect from her peers for her good grades, honestly, and hard work, she got called names and, occasionally, beaten. Instead of respecting elders, the American kids beat up old Asian people and heaped insults in them. Instead of studying hard, working toward a future, and being "good," kids were lazy and mean...and no one said or did anything.
Ma Ying was stunned and angry, and it probably makes sense that she ended up with the Hoover institute, celebrating conservatism both here and abroad. She worked hard and she has no respect for those who don't...
Such an interesting book, at least the first half.
July 25, 2013
Really disappointed. 90% of the book was about insignificant relations and memories with her classmates and teachers in kindergarten, elementary, and junior high schools. I found it, frankly, unimportant and that her childhood was normal at best. Every child has been yelled at by a teacher and has gotten into mischief with other classmates. I didn't need to read a whole chapter on how she got into a fight about not sharing dried mangos in elementary school (much of the book is similar in this context).
I couldn't stand her pretentious attitude towards her intellectual superiority over the Americans. I understand her animosity towards the individuals who made racist comments towards her, But her explanation of why she didn't associate with certain racial groups was very annoying and condescending as well.
I also found that her parents decision to leave china was a mistake given that the moved to a more violent and racially divided area that was worse than what they had in china. Quite depressing really.
This book had little to do with new found opportunity in America until the last few pages. Sorry for the negative review but I highly recommend not reading the book.
I couldn't stand her pretentious attitude towards her intellectual superiority over the Americans. I understand her animosity towards the individuals who made racist comments towards her, But her explanation of why she didn't associate with certain racial groups was very annoying and condescending as well.
I also found that her parents decision to leave china was a mistake given that the moved to a more violent and racially divided area that was worse than what they had in china. Quite depressing really.
This book had little to do with new found opportunity in America until the last few pages. Sorry for the negative review but I highly recommend not reading the book.
June 5, 2014
I would give this a 3.5. Ying Ma was born in China. she spent the first nine years of her life there. she talked how they lived in a crowded two bedroom apartment with her Dad, Mother, brother, grandparents and an uncle. eventually some of her relatives got visas for America.When she was in fourth grade her parents, brother and Ying Ma went to San Francisco to meet up with her grandparents.
she was at first excited about coming to America. At first she spoke no English. The Title of this book pretty much describes her childhood growing up from age nine. Her family lived in the poorest part of San Francisco. her parents each took demeaning jobs with meager pay. even though both parents were educated. Ying and family faced prejudice because they were Chinese. Especially from the black population. She was a smart girl so after learning English she advanced to the gifted classes.
she had it pretty rough growing up poor. she had to help her parents as a translator. she did find success in later years. pretty interesting read. sad to know how some immigrants get treated when they come here hoping for a "better life".
she was at first excited about coming to America. At first she spoke no English. The Title of this book pretty much describes her childhood growing up from age nine. Her family lived in the poorest part of San Francisco. her parents each took demeaning jobs with meager pay. even though both parents were educated. Ying and family faced prejudice because they were Chinese. Especially from the black population. She was a smart girl so after learning English she advanced to the gifted classes.
she had it pretty rough growing up poor. she had to help her parents as a translator. she did find success in later years. pretty interesting read. sad to know how some immigrants get treated when they come here hoping for a "better life".
November 3, 2017
I can relate to this book in many different levels.
When I was young my family moved from a small country town to a large city called Birmingham Alabama. It was less than a decade after the civil rights marches and even though I was very young that was a very strong culture shock for me.
We moved into a poor part of Birmingham less than 1 mile from a housing project. I was shocked how far behind my fellow classmates were in reading,writing and math. By the time I finished the second grade I was a troubled child. Fighting with blacks and other people weaker than me was my favorite school activity. I was no longer viewed as one of the smartest children in the class. Being poor is an affliction that you feel every day when you are young. The only issue I have this book is that I wish it was longer.
When I was young my family moved from a small country town to a large city called Birmingham Alabama. It was less than a decade after the civil rights marches and even though I was very young that was a very strong culture shock for me.
We moved into a poor part of Birmingham less than 1 mile from a housing project. I was shocked how far behind my fellow classmates were in reading,writing and math. By the time I finished the second grade I was a troubled child. Fighting with blacks and other people weaker than me was my favorite school activity. I was no longer viewed as one of the smartest children in the class. Being poor is an affliction that you feel every day when you are young. The only issue I have this book is that I wish it was longer.
July 30, 2014
This story was not what I had hoped for. Each of us probably has a part of our lives, and maybe mostly our childhood, which was not happy for many reasons. I know that Ying Ma suffered more than most of us due to what we call today, "bullying" and "bigotry". I know that along with that, she had to leave China and then live in a deplorable neighborhood. The only uplifting part of this sad saga was the pride with which she bragged about her educational accomplishments. But, I grew weary of that and the lack of substance of the entire book.
March 20, 2018
Don't waste your time.
positives
it is very short and easy reading
negatives
this book is thoroughly racist
the core message of the book, if there is one, is that Oakland is hell. (it is not)
the author spreads annoying falsehoods such as Oakland's population is majority black (it is not) and asserts that there are murderous(!) homeless people all around.
positives
it is very short and easy reading
negatives
this book is thoroughly racist
the core message of the book, if there is one, is that Oakland is hell. (it is not)
the author spreads annoying falsehoods such as Oakland's population is majority black (it is not) and asserts that there are murderous(!) homeless people all around.
May 28, 2012
I got a copy of this book for free from Goodreads. It had some interesting reminisces, but it mostly reads like some fragmented sketches from the author's life. I think she was trying to make some point about racism, but the narrative was not cohesive enough to support it.
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August 9, 2013Too bad. I think Ying Ma has a story to tell, too bad that she is not a gifted writer. I never even made it to her transition to America--I was just so BORED by her prose. This is one of those books that would've made a far better journal article or interview.
February 16, 2012
At least it was a quick read. It seemed like a book written for Jr. High students.
June 24, 2020
This book was 155 pages of monotonous and shabbily written trash featuring, an unvaried sentence structure, a lack of creativity in language, an endlessly whiny tone, and repeatedly bludgeons the reader with the point rather than illustrating it. Ma uses her poor language skills to uphold the “model minority” myth and justify a racial hierarchy that maintains Whites on top and Blacks on the bottom. This book was an agonizing read, it is uneventful, littered with stories that are immaterial. The Chapter “Ghetto America” is about how upset she is when her pencil is stolen, and how she refuses to share snacks on the playground. “Chinaman Gets into a Fight” regales us with how someone asks her to move on the mat in PE class, she replies simply “no”, which starts a fight. Ma ends her book in another abrupt and confusing story that literally goes from “I played tennis in high school” to the epilogue, where she mentions her list of accomplishments after leaving Oakland.
This is flimsy, racist propaganda that paints all Black people as lazy, criminal, ill-mannered, all Latinx families as unintelligent, loud, and uncivilized. Yet constantly reinforces all Asians as hard-working, mild mannered, and studious. While I understand this is Ma’s personal story, perspective, and opinion, I have issues with her perpetuating gross stereotyping of others. Ma is ignorant and tone deaf in her writing, considering she ignores the fact that her preferential treatment in immigration (already skilled, educated, and/or rich Asians were permitted based on the 1965 immigration policy) was designed to make it seem like “if Asians can do it, why can’t Blacks?” and absolve others of systemic racism, white supremacy, and history of chattel slavery and Jim Crow. She plays into it like a fool and this book proves it.
This is flimsy, racist propaganda that paints all Black people as lazy, criminal, ill-mannered, all Latinx families as unintelligent, loud, and uncivilized. Yet constantly reinforces all Asians as hard-working, mild mannered, and studious. While I understand this is Ma’s personal story, perspective, and opinion, I have issues with her perpetuating gross stereotyping of others. Ma is ignorant and tone deaf in her writing, considering she ignores the fact that her preferential treatment in immigration (already skilled, educated, and/or rich Asians were permitted based on the 1965 immigration policy) was designed to make it seem like “if Asians can do it, why can’t Blacks?” and absolve others of systemic racism, white supremacy, and history of chattel slavery and Jim Crow. She plays into it like a fool and this book proves it.
March 6, 2019
I understand that this is a memoir of Ying and her experience but she is concentrating on the ethnicity and not the issues. This book further divides. My wife is Chinese and had a similar experience when she immigrated to the United States. She was bullied. She had her books urinated on, her hair was cut from behind when sitting in class and many more hurindus things. But she was on the opposite side of the bay in San Mateo. In a very affluent area. Her experience completely mirrors that of Ying except it was happening by the "White" people. The real issue is bullying by whomever is in control or in major to dominate the weaker. Unfortunately most "Ghettos" are majority black and brown.
I have seen reviews of this book that use it as a case study that black and brown are bad. They used it to justify their own Racist Ideas.
I gave it two stars. Not that is deserves it but becuse it does take courage to write your story. I wish she would write the story about how being an immigrant being treated by Americans instead of concerned with the "race" of the bullies. Or a window in the ghetto of how those that are pushed and drive can make it out and end the cycle of thinking that the ghetto is all they know and will know.
I have seen reviews of this book that use it as a case study that black and brown are bad. They used it to justify their own Racist Ideas.
I gave it two stars. Not that is deserves it but becuse it does take courage to write your story. I wish she would write the story about how being an immigrant being treated by Americans instead of concerned with the "race" of the bullies. Or a window in the ghetto of how those that are pushed and drive can make it out and end the cycle of thinking that the ghetto is all they know and will know.
December 13, 2021
Ying Ma recalls growing up in Guangzhou in the earliest part of the Reform Era, and then in the 1980s, still a girl in primary school, moving to Oakland, California. This is incredible material, and the straight-up narrative of memories of conflict with her brother, experiences with the sclerotic ideology of China in those times, and then the incredible culture shock of coming to America.
The implicit thesis here is that in China, despite widespread poverty and the frightful persistence of authoritarianism, family values were still strong, and adults and children alike lived with a certain level of dignity. Ying Ma first noticed this dignity by its very lack, in the lower-income and predominantly black neighborhoods of the United States.
I have two problems with the thesis. First, it's never actually stated. Ying Ma gradually becomes fixated on black racist violence against Asian-Americans, and indeed seems to have made that her central issue. And second, I'm not sure she doesn't miss major sources of dignity in American neighborhoods, even the lowliest parts of Oakland.
There's a historical point that is in dire need of articulation here, as well: since Ying Ma left China during the earliest phase of the Reform Era, she never got to see the ravages of consumerism and commercialism that came along with the the second phase, after 1992. All in all, she comes off as one of those writers who fixates on certain social issues, but this leaves her vulnerable to being manipulated by larger forces of thought, like the American right.
The implicit thesis here is that in China, despite widespread poverty and the frightful persistence of authoritarianism, family values were still strong, and adults and children alike lived with a certain level of dignity. Ying Ma first noticed this dignity by its very lack, in the lower-income and predominantly black neighborhoods of the United States.
I have two problems with the thesis. First, it's never actually stated. Ying Ma gradually becomes fixated on black racist violence against Asian-Americans, and indeed seems to have made that her central issue. And second, I'm not sure she doesn't miss major sources of dignity in American neighborhoods, even the lowliest parts of Oakland.
There's a historical point that is in dire need of articulation here, as well: since Ying Ma left China during the earliest phase of the Reform Era, she never got to see the ravages of consumerism and commercialism that came along with the the second phase, after 1992. All in all, she comes off as one of those writers who fixates on certain social issues, but this leaves her vulnerable to being manipulated by larger forces of thought, like the American right.
April 21, 2024
Ying Ma opens the book by telling of her life in China. Although her parents, brother, grandparents, and a couple of uncles lived in a two-bedroom apartment, she remembers those years with fondness. The orderliness of the classrooms helped her develop good learning skills.
Over several years, her uncles and grandparents moved to the United States. When she was about ten, her family moved to Oakland, California, to share a squalid apartment with her grandparents in the ghetto. She and her brother hurried to learn English so that they could help her parents and grandparents with business transactions. Living in poverty was hard, but not nearly as hard as being the objects of racial hatred by some of their Black and hispanic neighbors. She describes her efforts to escape the ghetto.
The book was short and fascinating. Ying came across as real with her simmering angry, her fear, and disappointment. The book showed a lot of the challenges, but it also offered hope. I hope to have my granddaughters read this book to help them understand the difficulties of immigrants and that there are possibilities to a better life through hard work and education .
Over several years, her uncles and grandparents moved to the United States. When she was about ten, her family moved to Oakland, California, to share a squalid apartment with her grandparents in the ghetto. She and her brother hurried to learn English so that they could help her parents and grandparents with business transactions. Living in poverty was hard, but not nearly as hard as being the objects of racial hatred by some of their Black and hispanic neighbors. She describes her efforts to escape the ghetto.
The book was short and fascinating. Ying came across as real with her simmering angry, her fear, and disappointment. The book showed a lot of the challenges, but it also offered hope. I hope to have my granddaughters read this book to help them understand the difficulties of immigrants and that there are possibilities to a better life through hard work and education .
July 19, 2020
This book left me craving more. The time period that Ying Ma finds herself leaving China (80's) and integrating to life in the US is really fascinating. She speaks of being bitter and angry toward her adopted home. She tells a lot about the poverty and violence of inner-city Oakland, but she doesn't really explain HOW or why her attitude shifted...or even if it did. She speaks about finding a love in studying philosophy, history, and art, but not how those things reshaped her view of her surroundings. All in all, I found her narrative honest and raw, but too perfunctory. I needed more to "wrap up" her teenage years. She tells of an academic trajectory from regularly to honors to AP courses and then...BOOM! She's at an Ivy League school. If her story is to resonate with those who may share aspects of her background, I wish she had explained the factors that really propelled her forward.
August 22, 2022
Brave book about an important topic, in many ways way ahead it's time.
Book itself unfortunately doesn't offer that much. First half of the book is about authors life in China. It wasn't that interesting personally but I liked that it was true to life instead of the usual China bashing. The issues people have with CCP rarely actually impact everyday folks and one incident where it did, was covered in this.
A short book. Would have liked to hear more specific incidents about live in Oakland.
Read by the narrator. She clearly wasn't use to it but had it's own charm although the recording itself was at times amateurish. I greatly appreciate the effort though.
Book itself unfortunately doesn't offer that much. First half of the book is about authors life in China. It wasn't that interesting personally but I liked that it was true to life instead of the usual China bashing. The issues people have with CCP rarely actually impact everyday folks and one incident where it did, was covered in this.
A short book. Would have liked to hear more specific incidents about live in Oakland.
Read by the narrator. She clearly wasn't use to it but had it's own charm although the recording itself was at times amateurish. I greatly appreciate the effort though.
March 27, 2018
I was intrigued about her book when I saw the author on a tv program. While I am not an immigrant, I am a first-generation, biracial person who grew up in the ghetto, and I did experienced the racial slurs as Ying Ma experienced. While I appreciate her sharing her story & openness about her continued bitterness, I was disappointed that this book ended so awkwardly and was overall, disappointed and would not recommend this read.
September 7, 2019
Sad that this little girl had somewhat a 'better' life while growing up in China. Enduring the racial hate and oppressive poverty after moving to America could have destroyed her. Her story is proof of the indomitable human spirit and testament to the fact that America is truly the land of freedom and opportunity, in spite of its negative aspects.
March 7, 2023
Imperfect freedom
Live the trials of racism for Asians in America. Learn about the resigned silence when others scream obscenities. The
author made it up out of the ghetto and brought her family along, but the journey was arduous. This is a success story for the author, but not for our society.
This book is well written and sustained my attention with the story it tells.
Live the trials of racism for Asians in America. Learn about the resigned silence when others scream obscenities. The
author made it up out of the ghetto and brought her family along, but the journey was arduous. This is a success story for the author, but not for our society.
This book is well written and sustained my attention with the story it tells.
December 15, 2018
A decent memoir of childhood, immigration, and difficult youth. It may be a bit self serving here and there, but who among us is without sin? She secured an elite education and an admirable career. No left winger she.
(My own immigration story was far easier.)
(My own immigration story was far easier.)
October 21, 2019
If Ma Ying one day decides to run for public office this book may proof problematic for her: she made her unambiguous observations that people from certain races were behaving better than people from other races:-)
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