Escape to Gold Mountain

December 15, 2012
Grades 8-12 The tortuous path to assimilation taken by Chinese immigrants to North America over the last 150 years is movingly depicted in this graphic novel relating the story of the fictional but representative Wong family. The saga begins in 1845 when Wong Ah Gin stows away on a ship bound for San Francisco. Other Chinese, including members of the Wong clan, follow in his tracks to work on the Transcontinental Railroad; but once that's completed they're seen as economic competitors, leading to the racist Chinese Exclusion Act, which prompts many to move to Canada or elsewhere (Ah Gin heads for China, where he teaches English to Sun Yat Sen). The story follows subsequent Wong generations as they work in fisheries, open restaurants, fight in WWII, and become lawyers and physicians. Some readers might find the rough-hewn drawings and one-dimensional characterizations unnuanced, but the directness will appeal to teens who are likely to be unfamiliar with the history. While the work may be artistically blunt, it resoundingly succeeds as an educational and inspirational effort.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)