Each week, we ask a member of the college grad student community to share 3 picks related to one of their passions. This week, Anne Drew Hu, an Educational Psychology & Educational Technology Ph.D. candidate, shares 3 identity-based graphic novels:
Graphic novels are often derided as “low art,” but comics can tell a diverse range of stories beyond just superheroes. Each of these stories connects with a different aspect of my identity as a transgender, mixed-race, Chinese American.
- Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang is set in 1899 China as Western influence and Christianity is growing, as well as the backlash from those who see it as an affront to traditional values. The story follows two children on opposite sides of the conflict and explores how they make sense of a rapidly changing China. My grandmother was a Chinese Christian, and these books have helped me understand a little bit more about how that affected her childhood.
- Saga by Fiona Staples and Brian K Vaughn is a sci-fi fantasy epic about the child of two soldiers from opposite sides of a war. Their family is hunted by both governments out of fear that their child will be a symbol that undermines support for the war. As a mixed-race child, I related to the feeling of never being able to fully fit in with either side of my heritage, but instead, I’m able to create a new cultural identity for myself.
- Cheer Up! by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise is a story about two queer high schoolers who are rekindling their friendship through cheerleading. As a non-binary person, I appreciated how Beatrice, a trans girl, is depicted as a whole person with strengths and flaws. This story provides some much-needed queer and trans joy!
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