Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity

by Winona Guo, Priya Vulchi

An eye-opening exploration of race in America

In this deeply inspiring book, Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi recount their experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity on a cross-country tour of America. Spurred by the realization that they had nearly completed high school without hearing any substantive discussion about racism in school, the two young women deferred college admission for a year to collect first-person accounts of how racism plays out in this country every day--and often in unexpected ways.

In Tell Me Who You Are , Guo and Vulchi reveal the lines that separate us based on race or other perceived differences and how telling our stories--and listening deeply to the stories of others--are the first and most crucial steps we can take towards negating racial inequity in our culture. Featuring interviews with over 150 Americans accompanied by their photographs, this intimate toolkit also offers a deep examination of the seeds of racism and strategies for effecting change.

This groundbreaking book will inspire readers to join Guo and Vulchi in imagining an America in which we can fully understand and appreciate who we are.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Politics, Social Justice, Sociology, Essays, Anti Racist

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2019

About the author

Winona Guo is a social entrepreneur, student activist, co-founder of CHOOSE, and author of "Tell Me Who You Are" (Penguin Random House, June 2019). She will graduate from Harvard College in 2022.

Reviews

[Roxane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Tell Me Who You Are, Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo do exactly that--tell us who they are, how they have come to thinking so carefully, so deeply about race, and how they want to create change. From Alaska to Florida they visit all fifty of these United States to talk to people about their experiences of race and the intersections of identity in America. This book is at once hopeful, raw, and brimming with curiosity, engagement and youthful energy. Through the conversations these women have with people from all walks of life, we see that the key to any kind of progress begins with letting people tell us who they are. If you want to have richer, more fruitful discussions about race, gender, all the things that comprise our identities, this book will give you a necessary vocabulary. All you have to do is turn the page.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

"White people are so worried about being uncomfortable for one moment, while we're uncomfotable all the time. You really do get exhausted talking about this."

"The oppressed shouldn't have to do it all. The oppressor needs to help out. White people need to talk to other White people about what is what. Y'all gotta teach each other-like, right now."

"Let's respect the earth, and let's respect each other. Let's not take any fake crap from the history books, and let's start telling the truth."

"What even is "an Indian"? The term was invented by English colonizers to homogenize hundreds of tribes with different economies, systems of government, languages, and religions."

"Butler opened our minds to the fact that Civil Rights Movement required a man to be effective. If a Black woman had taken charge, she would have been dismissed. Racial identity was not the only identity that mattered. Who we fully are is never exclusively about race. When the two of us think about our own identities, being Chinese American and Indian American always comes to mind first. We think about how, when we first joined a local anti-racist organization, every single person in the room was Black or White. The unspoken question was, "Why, as an Asian American, do you even care about race?" We think about how we feel like intermediaries closely acquainted with both oppression and privilege, how both White people and people of color we interview will end their storytelling with "you know what I mean?" as though we could somehow understand both their experiences. We think about how perhaps we wouldn't be so readily trusted if we were Black or Latinx or White. But what if we were older, or fat, or trans?"

"I noticed that kids on reservations don't come to school because they're embarrassed that they don't have shoes to wear. And I notice that some kids have really bad shoes, but at least they have shoes. Equality is a truck showing up and giving out only size 8 Nikes. Equity is a truck that shows up and has a size shoe that fits everybody. That way, everyone can walk around." In other words, equity acknowledges inequalities. Equity focuses on the just and fair distrubution of resources and access to opportunities."

"The problem was coming in as a foreigner, or White person, and assuming that you deserve an authentic experience. It'slike, huh, why is there this feeling in White people that they belong everywhere? Meanwhile, I feel like I can't belong anywhere!"

"There's so many people that are hurt and broken by the past. We can't directly heal anybody, but hopefully by sharing our stories, people will think about it or be inspied."

"Asian-American communities plow through our struggles. This mentality causes us to continue to work even if we are breaking down, turning down our emotions or neglecting our physical health, because we tell ourselves we're not "successful" yet."

"Hip hop is so inclusive, and it's not about aggression, or fighting back, or backlash for the social struggles we go through; it's all about love and life and even the unity of similar community conditions faced within the African and Latinx and Asian-American communities."

"From a young age, I was always navigating these hyphenated hybrid identities that made me feel like I was an anthroplogist.In a way, it distanced me from my own self; I can observe the cultures that Ia m part of without fully being recognized as of those cultures. It's a lifetime journey to figure out where I fit in the world."

"My expectations are of being able to savor the changes that take place, not to be complacent about it, not to make myself crazy about it, because I will not see in my lifetime what I would like to see."

"I think that's why I have never actually valued making a ton of money in my life. I value purpose and jobs where we can try to chip away at the inequality that exists in teh world."

"There's nothing more entrepreneurial than the immigrant experience because you give up everything, because you are forging a world that you can't see yet; that you can only imagine."

"What an honor that is, to not have to just be seen as White, by physicality. For so many of our kids here, so many kids in all communities, they have never had the opportunity to trust White people. That's the truth. Some kids just need someone to be able to see for a second, or to just take a breath of what they're breathing, because life just can be so heavy."

"My advice to young girls of color? Stand in your truth. Be brave. Sometimes these experiences happen to us because only through them would we be required to find teh voice within us. I would have loved to have known what would've happened if I'd spoken up of gotten out of the car. By excusing it, I perpetuated it, but I had an opportunity to be brave. And that bravery doesn't mean to be combative either. It's not to be like, "Im going to pick a fight." It's to ask questions: "Why did you say that? What did you mean by that? What makes you feel that this is okay?" To actually be present for the possibility for change."

[Sabra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors’ interjections of facts failed to challenge the conflation and confusion of race and ethnicity; they perpetuated it. Listening to that was akin to nails on a chalkboard for me.
African American is not a race or a very effective label for an ethnic group seeing as how diverse people from 3 continents are just thrown in together in the US definition. Especially, since ethnicity is about geography and culture. This means that people from 3 different continents cannot share an ethnicity. I couldn’t get over how many people including the authors are still using that stale phrase in a modern day context. I wish they’d stop.

Also not a race, Hispanic and Latino. They are ethnicities and are often used effectively to erase non Spanish speaking, Black and Indigenous Latinos. The same thing with religion. Yes, muslim is an identity but it’s not a race or ethnicity. Again, using the word muslim to depict a race or ethnicity rather than a religion and subculture erases Black and all non Arab/Asian muslims; who don’t get to ignore their racial identity for a religious one. So any factual interjection that doesn’t include the whole story isn’t all that factual. Also, when it comes to religion, leaving out the critical voices and voices of those who left creates a fractured picture. Many women who follow Islam think being forced to or rewarded for covering all or most of their bodies is male patriarchy. Real choice is when I can say no to the male created status quo/standard and not fear for my physical safety or receive damaging consequences. Language and naming are so powerful. That’s why I don’t buy into just taking what I was given/status quo (White supremacy, capitalism and male patriarchy) without much reflection. I appreciated the random history that the authors inserted every so often. Yet, I wondered why they sometimes used them to reinforce inaccurate information like the, “Lynch letter”.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ambitious book that invites readers to meet an incredible cross section of Americans (the authors interviewed people in every state) and learn about their experiences of race, racism and living with the consequences of and responses to their intersectionality through their own narratives. Guo and Vulchi insert interesting and relevant historical facts and current data to clarify or support the stories their interviewees are telling. I loved the diversity of people they interviewed—age, culture, ethnicity, race, gender identity, education levels, income levels, political affiliation—the breadth of this project is staggering. Listening, engaging, understanding, empathizing and becoming advocates for fair, honest and compassionate treatment of other humans is ultimately the authors’ charge to all of us.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don’t know what you don’t know. This was a powerful and moving book about race in America.

[Nicole Means · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Be present to the possibility of change.”

[Nathan Albright · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a terrible one.  Yet it is the sort of terrible book that is instructive in discussing the authors’ views of race and identity.  Such a book is worse than useless, harmful even, but even in a case like this one the skilled reader can find something of worth in this book, namely the understanding that identity is highly weaponized in contemporary culture and that the only identities that are acceptable to leftists are either those identities that have become deeply tied to victim ideologies (which this book demonstrates in many cases and a great many levels) or those identities that serve as a sign that someone is an ally of various subaltern groups that seek to become viewed as cultural elites.  Indeed, the most important diversities of this book are not included, as there are no conservatives here, no even moderate white men, and none of that religious diversity that includes those who take their religion and its moral principles seriously.  That tells you all you need to know about how skewed and how misguided a book this one is.

This particular book, which is about the right weight to club someone over the head with, is over 350 pages and is divided into ten chapters.  The book begins with an introduction.  After this the authors opine that “race impacts everything” (1) and that the past is the present (2), so that no historical wrongs can be forgiven or forgotten.  After that the author talks about the richness of faux diversity (3) as well as the way that even our best friends are strangers in some fashion (4).  There is a discussion of the way that words matter (5) and that people need to stop fighting among themselves (6) among the coalition of subaltern groups that the authors want to encourage.  There is a risible suggestion that everyone is “normal” except those who are actually normal in statistical terms (7) as well as a recognition that diversity is not the goal (8), but rather cultural control.  Finally, there are chapters on the search for healing (9) as well as the call to leftist identity activism (10), after which the book concludes with suggestions on how people can share their story as well as acknowledgements, sources, an index, and some notes about the authors.

This book was not a joy to read at all.  The authors made sure to include a great deal of coded language to clue in readers as to their worldview and books like this are likely used by many people to convince themselves or try to convince others that they have an understanding of what diversity involves.  Yet the diversity included here is only ideology deep.  So you have a lot of women, a lot of various kinds of Asians and Pacific Islanders and various tribal or mixed identities.  There are a lot of so-called gender minorities or sexual minorities included here.  The authors have done the reader a service in showing all of the kinds of people whose identity and whose views they accept, and if you do not find yourself included here, you can rest assured that in the eyes of the racialist authors and others of their ilk that your perspective does not matter and your identity does not count for anything.  When person after person in this guide talks about how they reject and look down on their conservative relatives, especially parents, this book is a reminder that the hypocrisy and double standards and insufferable arrogance of leftists is alive and well when it comes to identity politics.

[Annah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priya and Winona take a year off before college to travel around the US, collect racial narratives from every state, tie them to sociological terms, stats, and trends, and assemble these into a timely, important, attractive "story"-book.

The genius of this book is in its wide appeal. If any of the following describe you, you should read it:
• You’re new to racial literacy and you’d appreciate an accessible and engaging starting point
• You’re a scholar of racial literacy but you feel jaded by the weight of the work and need a fresh injection of humanity
• You’re a parent wanting to give your [I recommend middle school+] kids frameworks for differences in people they see or don’t see, in a way that’ll hold their attention
• You can't devote hours to reading, but would like to learn something in 2-3 pages at a time
• You’re interested in identity, memory, and the power of an individual narrative
• You’re interested in patterns, history, and the importance of sociological context
• You’re a student with a passion, trying to figure out how to put it to pen and paper

Tell Me Who You Are is a conversation starter (...literally). It's easy to put to use in homes, schools, houses of worship, workplaces, affinity groups, civic organizations, and support groups. At the very least, it gives voice and vocabulary to a nuanced, but often thorny, topic. Recommended.

[sarah panic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could barely even give that two stars. That was such a struggle to get through. I appreciate the concept, but the execution was boring and monotonous

[William Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell Me Who You Are is an eye-opening experience by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi. There is a background to this work, but it mainly has to do with the authors asking questions after a tragedy that happened. I don’t remember which one it was, but these two young women are from Princeton, New Jersey. I don’t know much about New Jersey in terms of racism or anything like that, so I don’t really know their experiences with this idea.

As for myself, I am a white male, born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. I identify as male, I am heterosexual, and I have Schizoid-Personality Disorder which is a form of schizophrenia. It developed when I was in college, which is something I did not complete. I never considered myself privileged, but as a white male, I guess I had some advantages that I never noticed. I don’t usually come out with this, because it makes me somewhat uncomfortable, but hey, this is who I am.

The book concerns racism, discrimination, and bias in all forms. Starting in Alaska, the authors travel across the United States, discussing issues with people who would answer their questions. They talk to all sorts, mainly with people who don’t insult them or put them in danger, which is good. They talked to a man whose father or grandfather was in the KKK. They talked to someone whose mother personally knew Martin Luther King Jr. They talk to people who don’t consider Hawaii to be part of the United States. They talk to people who have Bipolar Disorder. It is quite fascinating to read.

The main book is composed of a number of interviews with over 100 people. The book contains full-color photos that show the person being interviewed along with little factoids about that person. A lot of the people that answered their questions had lived on multiple continents, some people love skydiving or want to try it, a lot of people like Beyonce, and so on. While the book isn’t really organized from coast to coast, it is still a book that pulls you into the narrative.

At the end of the day, our blood is red, we are all the same species, and we all deserve respect. This is the case regardless of our skin color, sexual orientation, or mental and physical abilities.

[Danika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading books about race, class, gender and culture since I have been struggling with the value placed upon identity. I dislike how it always seems like boxing someone in when I know based on my personal experiences that boxes aren't the complete story.
It was refreshing hearing people talk about who they are instead of where they come from; I enjoyed the way people shared their experiences and how they introduced themselves in ways that made them so much more relatable. I dislike answering the question WHERE are you from and hate when people say "where are you really from?" or "i hear an accent *proceed to try to figure it out as though they are playing bingo*". It can be tiring experiencing racism and bias but I do not have the privilege to ignore it. People shouldnt be judged on their background, race or class that is something that personally cannot be controlled, it is so much more valuable to learn who someone is and what values they actively stand behind.
My husband was able to understand privilege for the first time due to this book so I am grateful for its existence.
The final chapter on how to share your story was also a great read. I just wish this book was longer because I wanted to meet more people and hear their experiences. I want to go out into the world asking more open questions of people.

[Carly Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this book. I have been looking forward to reading it for a long time. The introduction, concept, and general idea behind the book is VERY impressive for two students between high school and college. They are clearly incredibly intelligent and meant for great things.

Unfortunately, I found the book itself a bit repetitive and too long. The book is made up of short introductions of MANY individuals around the country. With only 2-4 pages per person and little connection between the individuals, I found it repetitive. I quickly skimmed the last half of the book and did not feel like I missed much.

I do look forward to either of these authors' future books!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for discussion group. A broad selection of interviews with people around the country about race, culture, and identity conducted by the authors after graduating high school. The interviews are brief but thought-provoking, and the authors’ framing of racial literacy is helpful in continuing this work.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was amazing. The best anti racist book I have read/listened to so far. So many personal stories interwoven with educational information. Everyone should read this book!

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, with 1-2 page profiles of an amazing diversity of people across the United States, had moments of great interest and would be worthwhile to read in snippets. I admire the project, but think I would have been a better audience for a book that had fewer stories more extensively told. I deeply appreciated the photographs that accompanied each profile -- they were gorgeous, and brought the rich variety of our country's population to life.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell Me Who You Are is a collection of interviews of people across the fifty states of all genders, identities, races, creeds, religions and it is breathtaking. Hopeful, raw and brimming with insight all that is left for me to do is to let it speak for itself because I honestly don’t know why this is not more popular.

* “White people are so worried about being uncomfortable for one moment, while we’re uncomfortable all the time.” - Justin, Latino community, Chicago IL

* “I’m going there for the Eucharist and for owning my faith. I tell all LGBT people who are Catholic or Christian that leaving the church isn’t going to help the Church change. If they have to see you regularly, they’ll have to see that they’re making a mistake, and eventually they’ll fix it. The church - the world - moves very slowly, but it is moving.” - Ahyoka “Niki”, Native Cherokee/Two-Spirit community, Tahlequah, OK

* “The point of this chapter is not to provide you with a list of the “right” and “wrong” words, but to simply bring your consciousness into your words. The words we use matter. Words can show malice or ignorance. Words can make manifest dangerous ideologies and actions. Words - your words - hold tremendous power.”

* “What bothers me is that classic image of the White savior, like a White girl taking a ‘volunteer trip’ during the summer, and who helps those ‘hungry Black kids’ without ever realizing her ancestors made those kids hungry and rampaged that country and sold their ancestors into slavery.” - Treniya, Black community, Atlanta, GA

* “Asian women are often viewed with these paradoxical lenses. You’re submissive but also intellectually intimidating. It’s a stereotype that I benefit from and suffer from, it’s a double-edged sword.” - Amanda, East Asian community, New York, NY

* “Being a Muslim and being a feminist are not mutually exclusive. You can be one; you can be both. But White feminism excludes Muslim women, just like it excludes Black women. I qualify as a feminist, and for me, feminism is about choice - it’s not about one choice, it’s about protecting everyone’s choice.” - Nastesho, Somali Islamic community, Fargo, ND

This is not a book of answers. Rather these are snapshots of real people; windows into moments of people’s lives who are struggling to make sense of their every day; of their identities. Some pose questions while others just offer their truth. The reader is just tasked with turning the page and absorbing what they are offered.

[Sarah Ingala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that so many various people shared their stories in this book. I really appreciated that it not only dealt with race, but also with different cultures and identities (sex, gender, sexual orientation). The stories are heartbreaking and hopeful and powerful.

Two quotes that really stuck out:
“The KKK saw a boost in its membership in 2017. In fact, more than half of today’s clans formed in the last three years. As of 2017, the KKK was still active in 22 states.”
This was simply kind-blowing to me! I am a bit sheltered and perhaps naïve having lived all my life in CT, but I thought the KKK was ancient history. This angers and disgusts me.

This quote was from a black man from Germany when talking about his encounter with a policeman in the US:
“I don’t know if it was so much racism or police brutality as much as the American gun culture.” He went on to explain that in Germany police are domineering but they hardly ever use their guns because they are the only ones who have them, while in the US the police are afraid because everyone has the potential to have a gun. I really hate the gun culture of the US and this made a lot of sense to me.

Overall, a great read. I will say, however, that I listened to the audiobook and I think I would have preferred the physical book. Because the same narrator told all the stories and they tended to jump around between more than one person, it was sometimes a bit confusing.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook was not the right format for this book, which is essentially a bunch of stories collected across the nation from people speaking about race. The stories didn’t come thru read by the same narrator, although they are still a powerful example to the ways in which people express their identity, understand the concept of race and racism, and engage with the two Asian American women at the helm. Definitely a good primer for talking about equity and anti racism, carefully defining key vocabulary, slang, and historical references theoughout.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the the authors' approach to sharing personal stories paired with statistics

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually finished this a few days ago but just hadn't had the chance to sit down and write some thoughts on it. Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi spent their gap year traveling to all of the United States to interview residents about who they are (the cover quote comes from one of their indigenous interviewees), so this book is primarily American narratives with some explanatory commas on the side for added historical and cultural context. In some ways, this book might feel from a specific point in time (Heather Heyer's mom is interviewed, as is the then-mayor of Santa Fe Javier Gonzales who passed away last year), but on the other hand people's origin stories and how they view themselves is evergreen, especially if it is informed by historical events (I've described my own background before for things on my Asia-Asian America shelf, but the fact that both sides of my family came during the Chinese Exclusion Era and long before the 1965 immigration law changes shapes much of my view).

I do think some of the people who might need this aren't going to read it, but I also appreciate how it is structured sort of as an introductory textbook to considering the ways identity impacts our lives (especially if other people invalidate that existence). It's a good introductory text to people, especially if you're used to a homogenous community, but I would also consider using this as a jumping off point to explore deeper into any particular lived experience you're not familiar with.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Americans--moms, dads, teachers, entrepreneurs, scuba divers, Wall Street executives, archaeologists, policymakers, humans--we can all reframe our work and lives toward racial literacy.

That this project was undertaken by two young women on their gap year is astounding. There is so much compassion for individuals and knowledge in communicating that is shared in this book.

This book primarily shares the stories of hundreds of Americans--some are mayors or state lawmakers, some are high school students, some are people just like your neighbors. Each one of them shares their story about race and its impact on their lives. I learned so much from this book as I heard from Indigenous people about the importance of their culture and from POC about how they fit into their white communities. As a white woman, this is important for me to read about and continue to educate myself and do the work to erase the prejudice and racism that exists in our society. Hearing other people's stories is a great way to start.

Our rich diversity, not Whiteness, should be normal. Let's work to stop allowing some Americans to feel like they don't belong. Let's not be surprised that people of color, just like White people, have built up this nation from the beginning--or have been here before us--and call it home....let's imagine that people of color everywhere will be able to unapologetically declare, to no surprise or objection, "I belong here too. I, too, am normal. I, too, am...American."

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ambitious project for a couple of 18 year olds to do during their gap year, and I liked the premise of talking to so many diverse people all over this country and listening to their personal stories related to race and identity. The authors are impressive young ladies with a bright future. The book was long, though, a little slow, and a bit repetitive to me. Each individual story was short so it was easy to read in small doses, but you didn't really get an in depth feel for each person interviewed. Maybe including fewer stories with more details would have been better (and more memorable), but I understand the desire to include a wide and diverse variety of voices. I liked the use of the footnotes and statistical facts right there in the text (rather than at the end) and I enjoyed the photos of the people whose stories were included.

My big takeaway was that prejudice and bigotry are alive and well in this country, and not just in the deep south. Many Americans still divide each other up into "normal" (like us) and "other" (not like us)....be it skin color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, disability, politics, etc., and we create stereotypes and judgments based on same. Books like this can be helpful in humanizing all who are different from us, give us ideas to start conversations to create better understanding, and reinforce the importance of respect and acceptance of all our fellow Americans. I think this would be a good textbook for high school students.

[Tim N · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

The book contains long excerpts from 100s of interviews about race. They're diverse and interesting, ranging from the expected (WW2 internment camps were bad) to the surprising (somebody got kicked out of ballet class for their hair style this century). I appreciate the many personal stories in this book, which show me experiences that I would never have.

Often the interviewees will then segue into making blanket statements, which end up being a lot less interesting. In places the authors there add some relevant background information, but it's generally so brief that it doesn't convince me of anything.

The chapter introductions consist of the author's personal stories (interesting) and then their opinions (not that interesting and not well-supported). Their ideology is a caricature of woke thought, going so far as to blaming white people for Native Americans who proudly proclaim to be full-blooded and look down on "mixing."

I'm also a little dismayed that a book about racism printed "The majority [of Germans] believe foreigners, or minorities, are lazy people coming to profit from their hard work" without question. As far as I can tell this claim is false. The true prevalence of that belief seems like it's more like 25% of Germans and falling.

This is worth reading for the variety of personal stories.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up - I really admire Guo and Vulchi's curiosity, empathy, and boldness. I certainly wasn't thinking in such a deep and nuanced way about race and identify and multiculturalism when I was their age. The anecdotes they share in this book showcase the true diversity of the nation and the individual and collective struggles we face. My issues with this book were two-fold. First, they clearly went for quantity over quality - I would've preferred less people with more detail about their experiences. Second, I didn't always find the book well-organized, such as with each chapter's themes not necessarily resonating with each story shared. Despite these structural issues, a useful tool for many, especially youth, to learn from.

[G. Allen Turner II · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really important book that I believe is crucial reading for any citizen of the United states, or the world.

The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world, with one of the most diverse populations across socioeconomic, racial education, opportunity, etc boundaries. This book has two young academics taking on the challenge to hear from the perspective from as many of those different cultures and backgrounds as possible. Experiences related to race and culture are different for every individual, and it is our responsibility to continue to grow and expand our understanding of different people's experiences so that we can grow together as a society of beautiful, diverse people.

[Jarrod Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I definitely enjoyed learning from people’s stories and the historical moments that I did not know. In that case it was helpful and impactful.
Two things did wear me down and were why I did not finish. The over-sensitivity of the authors to micro-aggressions make it difficult to even speak about some of the issues these people might face. I think it’s a bad starting point to assume that the intent behind their examples of micro-aggressions are automatically bad. It creates a culture of us vs. them. I’m taking these thoughts directly from Jonathan Haidt’s The coddling of the American Mind. The second issue was the obvious limit of viewpoints of the people interviewed, particularly in regard to religious views.

[E Money The Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book designed to cut through the propaganda that the US is one big happy melting pot. Does a wonderful job introducing the topic of each section before delving into relevant narrative-based experiences.

To deny that all of these people’s stories are the rule, and not the exception, would be one of the greatest feats in white-privilege imaginable.

This text is guaranteed to make the white “racial blind” folks mad. Unless at least one of these stories can somehow reach their heart.

On the other hand, this book may also be used by the activist types. Cultural awareness is just as important to organizing as any orthodox materialist perspective. The many struggles against what bell hooks labels “White-Supremacist-Capitalist-Patriarchy” are one struggle.

[Christine Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cool concept and I think the idea was a cool thing for two teenagers to follow-through on. We need young people, especially, to think this way, so I like that the book exists. The writing was less than perfect for me. It is looong (and physically kind of heavy and clunky to hold). There are a lot of kind of surface-level stories so I felt eventually that I was just skimming through similar things with no clear progression. It may be something that is better read in snippets than as a whole all the way through. That said, there are some really interesting viewpoints and it brings up some lesser-known historical issues. I hope these women continue to do this type of work, because it's important and I think their execution will only get better.

[Kds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell Me Who You Are is an exploration of who we can be if we close the heart mind gap and listen, learn, and love with our hearts, minds.and histories. After hearing that we form our thoughts about race by age 3, Guo and Vulchi started their journey into race, culture and identity in America and how we can improve our racial literacy. Through these stories across the nation they show how much more we can be if we make the effort to acknowledge and understand not only what every being brings to this planet but also, the systems and histories that created our current existence. Thoughtful and compassionate, Vulchi and Guo blaze a path that others will be happy to follow.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two young people decide to learn more about racial and cultural identity by traveling across the US and asking people about how they seem themselves. In the book, each person identifies a few unique points about themselves and then talks about the impact of race and racism in their life. I especially liked the way that the authors use footnotes to define terms and ideas and provide further context for the comments. I think this would be a great book for teenagers to read for that reason. The only caveat is that I listened to the audio book and found it hard to keep track of each person due to the narrator’s tone.