11/15/2021
In simple, spare prose, Brockenbrough and Lin trace the early life of Wong Kim Ark—born in San Francisco in 1873 to parents who emigrated from China—whose Supreme Court case would clarify the definition of U.S. birthright citizenship in 1898. Employing the refrain “I am an American,” the narrative effectively emphasizes how racism can impact laws’ interpretation and implementation. After Kim Ark is imprisoned for several months when his American citizenship is called into question, his “fate depended on whom the justices believed. And it wasn’t only his future at stake.” Kuo’s fine-lined digital art, gracefully employing reds, blues, and browns, presents an immersive backdrop to this solid historical primer, which also resonates in the present day. Back matter features more context about the story as well as a timeline; end papers display an 1885 segregated map of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)
Praise for I Am An American: Winner of the Woodson Award "The stylized, detailed illustrations create a serious mood for a serious topic."—School Library Connection
"An important and complex period in American history geared to young readers."—Kirkus
"An important picture book biography to augment classroom conversations about immigration and citizenship."—School Library Journal
Firm resolve in the face of discrimination is the theme of this informative picture-book biography by Brockenbrough (Unpresidented, rev. 3/19) and Lin (most recently the Storytelling Math series of board books, rev. 11/20). Wong Kim Ark was a young Chinese American cook whose 1898 U.S. Supreme Court case set the legal precedent that birthright citizenship applies to everyone, regardless of their race or ethnic background. The authors cover this overlooked part of American history and early anti-Chinese discrimination by telling the story of Wong’s childhood and teenage years in San Francisco’s Chinatown and the four-month imprisonment he experienced after he was denied reentry into California when returning from a family trip to China. Kuo’s (I Dream of Popo, rev. 5/21) art emphasizes the othering and segregation of Chinese Americans. For example, the book’s front and back endpapers depict a map of 1885 Chinatown showing the clear delineations between where white and Chinese people lived. Throughout the book, white people are shown wearing brown or black outfits while Chinese people wear red, dark blue, and gray clothing. Only the final double-page spread breaks from the theme of separation, showing a modern scene of children from diverse backgrounds (and wearing a variety of colors) playing together near the Golden Gate Bridge. Back matter includes more details about Wong’s court case, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the continued discrimination he and his family faced, along with a timeline. —Horn Book
"Kuo’s fine-lined digital art, gracefully employing reds, blues, and browns, presents an immersive backdrop to this solid historical primer, which also resonates in the present day."—Publishers Weekly
"...indispensable to any young reader learning about immigration and being a citizen."—Booklist
10/01/2021
K-Gr 4—Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873 and knew he was an American. He had never lived anywhere else. Then the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882, hindering immigration, job opportunities, and eventual citizenship for Chinese people in the United States. Violence toward Chinese people became even more commonplace, and Ark's parents went back to China. After visiting his family in China, Ark was detained from entering the country, despite being born in America. He won the lawsuit in San Francisco to be freed, but this did not apply to the U.S. government, so he brought the case to the Supreme Court. His victory guaranteed citizenship to all of those born in the U.S. This detailed picture book biography introduces readers to a historical figure who changed birthright citizenship laws. The digitally rendered artwork fills each spread, and its detailed imagery gives insight into life in San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1880s and early 1900s. Endpapers include an 1885 neighborhood map of Chinatown, outlining Chinese-occupied, white-occupied, and vacant areas, to give a clearer picture of the city's population. Back matter features photos and a time line starting with 1849, when the first large group of Chinese immigrants began to settle in the U.S., to the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act. VERDICT An important picture book biography to augment classroom conversations about immigration and citizenship.—Kristyn Dorfman, Friends Academy, Locust Valley, NY
2021-08-11
The history of Chinese American plaintiff Wong Kim Ark and the landmark 1898 Supreme Court decision that held that all people born on U.S. soil are citizens of the United States.
This biography of Wong Kim Ark doubles as a primer on Chinese American and American-immigrant history of the late 19th century. Born in San Francisco to immigrant parents from China, Wong believed in his heart, “I am an American” (as the book’s titular refrain proudly repeats). Plain, short sentences teach readers about immigrant life, racism, and Wong’s personal story. The question of Wong’s citizenship comes to a head when he travels to China to visit and is detained upon his return, despite his bearing a document signed by three White witnesses swearing that he was born in California. Eventually his case “went all the way to the highest court in the land” to decide: “What makes someone American?” Of course, Wong won, and “his victory changed the nation.” Told in simple, spare language, the book is an introduction for very young children to this angle of America’s racist past. The result is a narrative and discourse with gaps, and curious older readers will have questions. The four pages of backmatter may help, including more details of Wong’s life, the court case, American citizenship, and a timeline that combines Wong’s significant dates and general Chinese American history. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An important and complex period in American history geared to young readers. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
