tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post7519171025892643982..comments2024-03-10T14:07:40.468-04:00Comments on Blue Rose Girls: my long-winded rant on why I will continue to write about shy Asian charactersBlue Rose Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05224076615462128422noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-50538955877963068582010-10-28T12:52:12.618-04:002010-10-28T12:52:12.618-04:00Great response, Grace! I was a shy black kid, and ...Great response, Grace! I was a shy black kid, and was pretty much the only black kid in my class. <br />When a Filippino girl moved in and was the "new kid", I befriended her immediately because I knew how it felt.<br />Books are SO important. Keep up the fantastic work!Nicole Tadgellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14375868685169414073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-44449359757940110462010-10-22T08:46:25.678-04:002010-10-22T08:46:25.678-04:00Sometimes people get too carried away with politic...Sometimes people get too carried away with political correctness and stray into the area of censorship.L.C. Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079046991505167355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-46782081788855310352010-10-21T20:01:09.392-04:002010-10-21T20:01:09.392-04:00I think it is quite a stretch to make a connection...I think it is quite a stretch to make a connection between showing natural feelings like situational shyness and/or a quiet personality in a child with perpetuating the complex adult racial and gender stereotyping the letter writer suggested, because they come from utterly different places for utterly different reasons. <br /><br />Being introverted or extroverted is a personality type, and has nothing to do with one's capacity to be assertive, strong, decisive or powerful. Strength is in one's character, not in one's external style, and speaking of stereotypes - it is actually a tired stereotype to suggest otherwise!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-72659567363843847982010-10-21T14:52:02.366-04:002010-10-21T14:52:02.366-04:00Ling and Ting aren't shy, either!Ling and Ting aren't shy, either!alvinalinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-14489604107234094602010-10-20T21:35:59.607-04:002010-10-20T21:35:59.607-04:00Ha, yeah, the writer of that letter should go buy ...Ha, yeah, the writer of that letter should go buy Where the Mountain Meets The Moon.Meghan McCarthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117528918335897128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-45915277300538588262010-10-20T20:48:21.188-04:002010-10-20T20:48:21.188-04:00Thanks, everyone, for your nice words. Stereotypes...Thanks, everyone, for your nice words. Stereotypes are always something to be aware of, and actually I do appreciate that the writer of this letter obviously spent a lot of time and thought considering it.Grace Linhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18129288262225671104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-1570339814021240272010-10-20T17:35:31.615-04:002010-10-20T17:35:31.615-04:00I thought your response was perfect. Which brings ...I thought your response was perfect. Which brings me to the next point, what about Minli? She certainly wasn't a shy character. Perhaps this person should add "Where The Mountain Meets The Moon" to their shelf.Kimmyvhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14901124497798265909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-1280624533291672222010-10-20T16:30:59.763-04:002010-10-20T16:30:59.763-04:00Grace,
Your book begins: "Lissy was the new ...Grace,<br /><br />Your book begins: "Lissy was the new girl at school."<br /><br />IMO, that is the context for why Lissy seemed shy. As you know, I was an elementary teacher for many years. Lots of young children feel/act shy when they don't know the other children in their classrooms...when they haven't yet established any friendships. I see "LIssy's Friends" as a story that speaks about the feelings MANY "new kids at school" feel--no matter what their race or ethnicity is. The character of Lissy just happens to be Asian. I don't see any stereotyping in your book.Elaine Magliarohttp://wildrosereader.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-55368805840137862242010-10-20T15:38:55.756-04:002010-10-20T15:38:55.756-04:00Agreed, first and foremost you have to write true ...Agreed, first and foremost you have to write true to your experience!Anna Alterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16158290821419472185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-87394670916124145382010-10-20T15:14:04.304-04:002010-10-20T15:14:04.304-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Meghan McCarthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117528918335897128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-81228345113630477722010-10-20T15:14:03.309-04:002010-10-20T15:14:03.309-04:00Oh for God's sake. I was a shy NON ASIAN kid. ...Oh for God's sake. I was a shy NON ASIAN kid. Really. I love that book. I identified with Lissy. Who cares what race she is? This is what really irritates me. We have to be so worried about these things that now we can't write anything for fear of this kind of stuff? There are shy kids everywhere! So now you can only write about super outgoing Asian kids? That would seem really, really false to me. You have to write what you know. Imagine all those poor shy asian kids not finding any books for themselves because all they could find were books about outgoing asian kids! They'd think there was something wrong with them! You need a range. Grace, just keep doing what you're doing!Meghan McCarthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117528918335897128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-47492951828086988752010-10-20T14:31:19.742-04:002010-10-20T14:31:19.742-04:00Great post! Fantastic response! I think as long as...Great post! Fantastic response! I think as long as you write true to your own heart, that's what matters. Go you! I remain a true, blue fan of you and your work. xo debbiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31911817.post-74948600037244830702010-10-20T10:12:50.553-04:002010-10-20T10:12:50.553-04:00Wonderful post! Thank you, thank you!
I too was ...Wonderful post! Thank you, thank you! <br /><br />I too was a shy Asian girl so I really appreciate that you wrote a book like Lissy's Friends. (Haha, I even loved origami.) I wish I could have read it when I was young because I think it might've helped me to break out of my shell a little.Caroline Tung Richmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10668185436035686911noreply@blogger.com