GIRLS TO THE FRONT

Profiles in greatness.

In her foreword, Mata describes how alienating it felt to learn a monolithic version of history: “What if I had opened a book and it told me an extraordinary story about a girl who looked like me?” Here she writes the work her younger self longed for—a celebration of 40 Asian American women who “pushed their way to the front.” She covers both well-known subjects (author Amy Tan, fashion designer Vera Wang, vice president Kamala Harris) and those potentially less familiar (Mary Tape, a 19th-century Chinese American immigrant who fought for her children’s right to an education; Gyo Fujikawa, a Japanese American children’s book illustrator). Each entry is accompanied by an engaging portrait, surrounded by colorful doodles that playfully hint at their contributions. And though the profiles aren’t in any chronological order, readers will get a taste of the historical events that shaped the lives of these women: An entry on actor Anna May Wong addresses the racism she confronted, as well as the practice of “yellow face”; a profile on historian Erika Lee touches on the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the California Gold Rush on her own family. Young readers and their caregivers will find this an accessible entry point for learning about these compelling women. A glossary is included, and quotes are interspersed throughout the book, though they aren’t cited.

Shines a much-needed spotlight on Asian American trailblazers.