Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning | 2020 | Cathy Park Hong | Buy |
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (2020) is Cathy Park Hong’s first prose book and the work that brought her to mainstream attention. The essay collection examines Asian American identity through personal narrative, cultural criticism, and sharp observations about race in the United States. Hong coined the term “minor feelings” to describe the dissonance between how Asian Americans experience racism and how that racism is typically dismissed.
The book covers a range of subjects, from Hong’s memories of growing up in Los Angeles to her analysis of artists like Theresa Hak Kyung Cha and Richard Pryor. It avoids easy conclusions and resists the pressure to be either grateful or angry in prescribed ways. Minor Feelings was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and appeared on numerous best-of lists for 2020.