New From Here by Kelly Yang
“Anytime someone says something intolerant, we should interrupt them, correct the thing they are saying, educate them on why it's wrong, and echo statements of support for the victim.
The echo part makes a lot of sense. Things have gotten so much better since me and Christopher started echoing each other. Now, when we stand up to Tyler, our voices carry the power of two.”
I just finished New From Here, the latest new release from one of my family’s favorite authors Kelly Yang.
New From Here tells the story of Knox and his family’s journey from Hong Kong to California during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s funny, and courageous, and heartwarming. I gasped out loud when the kids sell a family heirloom during a garage sale fundraiser to help get their dad to join them in the United States.
But, what hit me hardest from this book was that so much of it was relatable, but so much of it was not. I also experienced the pandemic in California. But no one asked me if I was contagious because my race. No one made my kids be “the virus” during a game of COVID tag.
Books like this one are so important to help kids understand lived experiences. That two people can go through the same thing and have vastly different experiences.
I want to be an echo. I want my kids to be an echo. Because when you stand up for what is right, your power is multiplied by those who stand with you.
