I feel lucky to have been guided to these books about the Asian American experience. Downstairs Girl, A Place to Belong, When you Trap A Tiger, and Prairie Lotus, all chronicle the abuse, prejudice, virtual enslavement , and illegal imprisonment that Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other groups have suffered in the United States.

Prairie Lotus is unique in that it is based somewhat on Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The author’s note is invaluable explaining that she read and loved the Little House books as a child and in fact used Laura as her model to attempt to become American. Only as she grew older did she realize that, being Asian this was impossible and began to realize the racism in Laura’s treatment of Native Americans and African Americans. I would like to see the two books read together. Librarians can no longer recommend The Little House Books to everyone with no qualms. They are still great books but the racism must be identified.
SP 8/17/20