Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong Review

Any book that discusses the Asian American condition is a win in my book. I really liked how this started off; it was emotional. Hong unearths so many memories of trauma and microaggressions, and similar experiences I’ve had, as she discusses her upbringing as a Korean American and her outlook on her experience with Asian immigrant parents.

Each essay was punchy and really tied back to the title: Minor Feelings. It truly encapsulates the feelings that come with being Asian American—marginalized, but not that marginalized; traumatic, but not that traumatic. I completely understand where she’s coming from, and it’s so difficult to put into words because it feels like no one cares. We don’t have it that bad, but mostly because we are told to keep our heads down and work hard. So we do. But where does that get us? Thankless hours of labor and work, the model minority myth, abuse that is largely ignored, let alone the abuse that comes with having parents who pass down their generational trauma from their horrific experiences with immigrating to the US. So where are we now?

She isn’t afraid to bring African Americans into the conversation and the essential elements of our history that are ultimately intertwined, and we cannot discuss one without the other. I really appreciated this element and talking about the historical events in LA that involve both parties. She discusses how we must not turn against each other, which is what people in power hope for, to turn attention away from the actual problem.

Unfortunately, the latter bit of the book fell a bit flat, hence my low-ish rating. She goes into minute detail about her experiences with her Asian friends in college and then goes into a journalistic venture into the story of Teresa Hak Kyung Cha. I think I’m just not a huge fan of essay collections. Yes, it ties back to the Asian American experience, but the plot gets a bit lost, and I forced myself to get through it. I wish the themes of Minor Feelings were a bit stronger in the end, not only the beginning.

Of course, all opinions and interpretations are my own. Please let me know what you guys thought if you’ve read it!"