“Almost American Girl” is another great entry into the subgenre of comic memoirs.
Welcome back to Conductor Pat’s Perspective. Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on "Almost American Girl," by Robin Ha.
“Almost American Girl”
By Robin Ha
Hand lettering: Alison Carmichael
Published: January 28, 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins
Image Credit: Harper Collins
CW: Classism, Racism
“Almost American Girl” is a comic memoir written by Robin Ha (and I believe drawn? I couldn’t find anywhere listing an artist) about her immigration to the United States from South Korea. The story follows her growing up while trying to adapt to a new culture and language.
I had a blast reading “Almost American Girl.” If I didn’t have work during the day, I could have easily finished this in one sitting (I read it in two days). The artwork, which appears to be watercolor, is beautiful and compliments the story. Ha weaves together her love of the comics medium and her story to tell a story of pain, language barriers, and growing.
If you haven’t read other comic memoirs, many discuss topics of growing up, such as “Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir,” by Liz Prince. “Almost American Girl” is another great entry into this sub-genre of comic/graphic memoirs.
Ms. Ha takes the readers into dark places in the story when discussing the struggles of her Mother, a single parent, in Korea and the United States. There’s a lot of cultural elements that impact the story, such as with her Mother; which I will not comment on because, as a white American, I have no business or knowledge of Korean culture to speak on or analyze it.
Ms. Ha’s story also addresses issues within US culture, such as the intolerance against people who don’t speak English as their first language. The moments where Ms. Ha is bullied at her first school forces you to question, if you are an English-speaking American, the standards of our culture, and how as a culture treat immigrants, plus the continued legacy of racism.
For those who, like me, aren’t familiar with Korean culture or language, Ms. Ha includes an index at the back of the book. I appreciated the insights into Korean words mentioned in the book that helped me to better understand what the characters were talking about.
I found her depictions of a single parent household very relatable. Ms. Ha works hard to not demonize her mother, such as working to understand why (minor spoiler, though it’s on the back of the book) she relocated them to the United States, which I appreciated. While the story is Ms. Ha’s, she doesn’t neglect her mother’s story, and how they intersect.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Almost American Girl.” If you enjoy comic memories such as Tomboy or Maus, then you will enjoy “Almost American Girl.” You can buy it directly from Harper Collins or on Bookshop.org (Note: neither links are affiliates)
To learn more about Ms. Ha, check out her website, https://robinha81.wixsite.com/robinha
Have you read “Almost American Girl”? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below, or on social media.
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