I found Trans writing really refreshing. Throughout most of time most authors put things delicately. They aren’t as blunt and even though there works can be quite powerful it is really easy to be overlooked. His bluntness was really refreshing. I do think that his declaimer to the work “mother*****” was very respectful to his readers. There were no hidden ideas you had to uncover it was just straight to the point. I really enjoyed these excerpts due to not fully being aware of all of the things Asian Americans faced during covid.
I found his layout confusing, and hard to follow. It felt like they weren’t supposed to tie together even though it did. Just because it was confusing to me doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a deeper meaning. The limited black writing on each mostly white page. It made the small amount of writing seem more important. It is interesting that every time a sentence is started the first letter of the first word is not capitalized. In the last few years Americans have been divided in a different way. In 2020 we saw so much mistreatment of people of color. All over America hate crimes we being committed due to misconception. Especially against Asian Americans. With Tran being Vietnamese I’m sure something in him just broke. When you are pushed to your breaking point there is this need to do something. Which is when he wrote “Book of the other”. In the excerpt we can see some of the questionable things people have said to him. “he assumes that English. is not your first language.” (Tran) The title of the book is Book of the other. At first glance it really seems insignificant. Truong Tran is the other. He is giving an unpopular perspective. In most of history we have been shown one perspective. The other perspectives tend to be dismissed. The title is really significant due to him being the “other” perspective.
I think that Harryette Mullen’s poem “We are not Responsible” gives a really good perspective of what happens in the world and specifically America. The poem is showing how we won’t take accountability for the discrimination of minorities. Basically, saying that it their problem. Step aside, please, while our officers inspect your bad attitude. You have no rights we are bound to respect.” (Line 18, Mullen) Her poem shows us racism in a different way, compared to Tran’s writing. Both are very powerful and eye opening, but they are so different. Tran shows his perspective while Mullen shows the perspective of the racist.
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Mullen, Harryette. “We Are Not Responsible.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2002,
Tran, Truong. Book of the Other: Small in Comparison: Essay. Prose. Poems. Antipoems. Kaya Press, 2021.