The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla | Book Review
Credit: Hachette Book Group
The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman
About the book: From Trump’s proposed border wall and travel ban to the marching of white supremacists in Charlottesville, America is consumed by tensions over immigration and the question of which bodies are welcome. In this much-anticipated follow-up to the bestselling UK edition, hailed by Zadie Smith as “lively and vital,” editors Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman hand the microphone to an incredible range of writers whose humanity and right to be here is under attack.
Chigozie Obioma unpacks an Igbo proverb that helped him navigate his journey to America from Nigeria.
Jenny Zhang analyzes cultural appropriation in 90s fashion, recalling her own pain and confusion as a teenager trying to fit in.
Fatimah Asghar describes the flood of memory and emotion triggered by an encounter with an Uber driver from Kashmir.
Alexander Chee writes of a visit to Korea that changed his relationship to his heritage.
These writers, and the many others in this urgent collection, share powerful personal stories of living between cultures and languages while struggling to figure out who they are and where they belong.
Review
The United States hails itself as a country based on immigration but with tensions over immigration on the rise, we may have lost sight of who we are as a nation. In the post-Trump era, this book is even more timely as we grapple with what it means to be a good immigrant, who is accepted in this country and who is fighting for basic human rights. I was moved by the collections of essays and different perspectives of what it means to be a “good” American immigrant. This book should be essential on everyone’s bookshelf.