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Not My White Savior
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
5 posts | 5 read | 38 to read
A provocative and furious book about race, culture, identity and what it means to be an inter-country adoptee in America Julayne Lee was born in South Korea to a mother she never knew. When she was an infant, she was adopted by a white Christian family in Minnesota, where she was sent to grow up. Not My White Savior is a memoir in poems, exploring what it is to be a transracial and inter-country adoptee, and what it means to grow up being constantly told how better your life is because you were rescued from your country of origin. Following Julayne Lee from Korea to Minnesota and finally to Los Angeles, Not My White Savior asks what does "better" mean? In which ways was the journey she went on better than what she would have otherwise experienced? Not My White Savior is angry, brilliant, unapologetic, and unforgiving. A vicious ride of a book that is sure to spark discussion and debate.
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quote
WanderingBookaneer
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
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I measure my name in metric and imperial
measure it in wine, cheese, olives, hummus,
chocolate, red velvet cupcakes,
measure it in maple bacon sweet potato fries,
steak salads,
and ice cream birthday cakes

review
WhatDeeReads
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
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Pickpick

I can‘t help but think of all of those babies who have been separated from their parents at the Mexican border and the trauma they must be burdened with.

This is a preview of what some of them will write very soon. It will be filled to busting with righteous rage. Although, Lee is writing from the slightly different perspective of a transnational adoptee from South Korea, who was most likely stolen from her mother and sold to American “parents.”

MicheleinPhilly I was reading an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer a couple of weeks ago that highlighted the stories of kids adopted from foreign countries by U.S. citizens. Those citizens either didn‘t know or didn‘t care to properly research the steps they had to take to have the children naturalized. Suddenly you have 30 year olds being deported to a country they have never known. 😡😡😡😡😡 6y
JamieArc If you haven‘t read The Leavers yet, I highly recommend it. It deals with this in fiction format. It‘s probably one of my favorite books this year. 6y
Samplergal Yes @JamieArc it‘s another great book. I selected it as September book club pick. So sad we are living through this in the US. 6y
See All 9 Comments
WhatDeeReads @MicheleinPhilly It‘s so incredibly frustrating that American laws are so inflexible that deportation was the only “solution”. 6y
WhatDeeReads @JamieArc For some reason, I have that book on my “has triggers” list, but I‘ve heard it‘s very good. @samplergal The U.S. was built on this. The least surprising part is the U.S.‘s role. 6y
MicheleinPhilly Exactly. And in many cases these individuals now have families of their own. It‘s just disgusting. I will also 3rd the recommendation for The Leavers. It‘s definitely 1 of my favorite books I‘ve read this year. @JamieArc @Samplergal 6y
Samplergal @WhatDeeReads oh I know. It‘s just that I thought that our country had learned and was better. I think we are worse, as we have been through this and now apparently thumbing our noses to laws designed to do better. 6y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Samplergal I know what you mean, you go to school learn all the history, right and wrong and you somehow think that‘s all history, in a past we‘ve learned from and are a better place now than then...and then there comes a time of disillusionment where you realize we are still repeating the same mistakes again..and again. I think the current administration is snapping a lot of people out of their ‘I thought we were better than this‘ bubbles. 6y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa This looks like one I need to add to my list! 6y
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review
Redwritinghood
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
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Pickpick

I‘m a bit on the fence with this one. It is billed as a memoir in poems. This does give one a sense of her experiences as an adopted child from Korea, but not really anything on specific events in her life. One thing that comes through very clearly is that Julayne Lee is angry - at her adoptive parents, adoptive country, the adoption agency, and her birth country. The poems lack imagery and any subtlety, but I enjoyed them for what they teach. 3⭐️

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review
Liberty
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
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Pickpick

😭😭😭❤️

Laura317 As an adoptive parent to two Chinese kids, I think this is an important voice that needs to be heard 6y
Tamra @Laura317 TBR! My children are likewise adopted. 6y
Laura317 @Tamra 💕💕 6y
Kangaj1 I have one from China and one from Ethiopia. This looks good! 6y
123 likes23 stack adds4 comments
blurb
Liberty
Not My White Savior | Julayne Lee
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Preparing for an all-night reading session to practice for the @24in48 #readathon in two weeks. These are the books I hope to read. 📚

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Report back on Zenith :) 6y
Mitch Wow! 6y
minkyb That‘s an excellent training regimen! 6y
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