Librarians are our unsung, modern-day heroes. When shes not writing incredible memoirs, Wang is a litigator working as the managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP a firm dedicated to advocating for education and disability rights. So help us understand how you navigated through that world. Qian Julie Wang grew up in libraries. Whats your favorite part about being Jewish? Its interesting because you think about lawyers and litigators as people who work with their minds, but its also a huge toll on your body because youre working 13 to 14 hours straight. We only spoke Mandarin, and that immediately relegated us to kind of a lower caste. She said, secrets - they hold such power over us, don't they? 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The number one message is there are more undocumented people around us than we think. Agirl I went to law school was also undocumented but I never knew.There are millions of us but we need people to understand that we arent that different from everyone else. Channel thatempathy into youreveryday life. Making more equitable access to books and literacy is, I think, number one. WANG: In the U.S., my mother - my mother's first job was at a sweatshop in Chinatown. All of us have secrets but once youre told to keep something a secret, there is an inherent shame to them. Whether they are or not. It took me decades to unroll the physiological effects it had on me.. I mean, they were in their early 30s at the time. Beyond that, we also work to create platforms for Jews of Color within our synagogue and in the Jewish community and to engage racial justice work and activism outside the temple and outside the Jewish world. There is universality in humanity and in the childhood experience in particular. WebQian Julie Wang is blissfully married to her husband Marc Ari Gottlieb. He sees on the dirt ground a single character written in blood: . Wrongly accused. Can you talk a little bit more about this? WANG: Absolutely. For despite all the campus discourse about anti-racism and wealth equality, there had been so much waste. I knew from my father, who had been an English literature professor in China, that native fluency would be the prerequisite to finding acceptance in American society, and on this front, I relied on my good friends Clifford, Berenstain Bears, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to introduce me to the very basics of the English language. But it bears stating that one cannot in good conscience stand for everything Swarthmore does while generating the waste I watched its student body, myself included, create in abundance. She joins us now from Brooklyn, N.Y. Interview by Elena Bowes. I'd always dreamed about writing this book. I never even thought about it until my husband pointed out, Your parents are super-playful. Your parents are such a central part to the book as you are an only child. He had to find some sense of control and power in his household and the two women that he lived with, and it drove him to do some things that were, I think, probably not even understandable from his point of view. Its an incredibly moving, eye-opening book told through the eye of seven-year-old Wang about the struggles they endured. Most of all, though, I am really looking forward to getting together with family at the seder. Most of all, though, I am really looking forward to getting together with family at the seder. The act of writing was transformative and incredibly healing. In each of the scenes, I was able to be back there and also as an adult in the background. Writing really forced me to do to relive my traumas. There were all these emotions that I couldnt acknowledge as a child because I didnt have the resources to deal with it. Or did you have to take a step back? Qian Julie Wang is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College. What does it mean to you that other young Chinese kids will be able to read your story now? Author Q&A: Qian Julie Wang. Those subway snippets would become "Beautiful Country," a gorgeous and heartfelt tale of Wang's childhood as an undocumented New Yorker, published Tuesday. The public library is a cornerstone of our society and provides vital access to resources and knowledge to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. As we approach the Jewish New Year, any Rosh Hashanah plans you are looking forward to? Do you agree? It was the thing that commanded me to binge whenever I came upon a buffet, that whispered that the only way to stave off the hunger of my past was to eat all of the free food that ever came before me. KM: What is a book that youve read during the pandemic that has given you hope? So when she started acting uncomfortable in her body - she would put her hand over her stomach. It took me six months after the book deal to work up the courage to tell my parents. Please try again later. It also means standing up and speaking out even when it might be uncomfortable to do so - to be rooted first and foremost in our faith in equality. The person that you engage at the restaurant and shop they could be one of those people and they need empathy and kindness. My third grade teacher gave me a copy of Charlottes Web because she knew I loved books. Absolutely, I had always thought I would maybe one day write it as a child. I lived and breathed books. Thats how I learnt Englishbut nobody in literature looked like me an undocumented migrant. Its a voyage into the love, pain and secrets of family, a train ride through the confusion, resilience and delight of coming of age. Lauded by clients as "exceptionally talented" and "exemplary," Qian Julie has represented Fortune 500 corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in Jewish spaces that feel deeply unwelcoming, Jewish Actor Adam Brody Will Play a Charming Rabbi on Netflix, I Tried to Contact My Jewish Ancestor Through an Ashkenazi Seance, 18 Things to Know About Jewish Model Sofia Richie. Beyond that, we also work to create platforms for Jews of Color within our synagogue and in the Jewish community and to engage racial justice work and activism outside the temple and outside the Jewish world. There was probably no better way to discover kindred spirits with whom I share my passion for activism, racial justice, immigrants' rights and spirituality. It wasn't until the discourse of the 2016 election, which took place just six months after I became a naturalized U.S. citizen, that I discovered that I had a newfound power and thus responsibility to share my story, that at that juncture of my life, I was making an actual decision to stay quiet - a privilege that millions of undocumented immigrants do not have. Soon, she was spending Qian Julie Wang came to America with her parents when she was seven years old, living in the shadows and always looking over her shoulder throughout her childhood. That changed when I started gathering with my fellow Jews of Color. And my parents have held on to their childhood selves, for better or for worse, more than any adult or older person that I have met. The waste I witnessed at Sharples threw into relief the hunger painted on the faces of the homeless lining the streets of Philadelphia, where I worked several part-time jobs. The act of having to keep something secret formed a cloud over me. It weighed constantly on my psyche. 04 Mar 2023 20:24:54 So after a day or two, the teacher recommended that I be put in a classroom for students with disabilities, even though I had no disabilities. During my undocumented childhood I arrived at elementary school every day starving.. So, from day one, I knew the books were my salvation. Published by Alma, a 70 Faces Media brand, PO Box 300742Fern Park, FL 32730Ph: (407) 834-8787info@heritagefl.com, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation They say you regress to the age at which your root trauma is. Much like Betty Smiths A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Frank McCourts Angelas Ashes, we are carried into the heart and mind of a child: this time, a young, undocumented girl in 1990s New York City who shows us an And for all three of us, it just happens to be around the same age of 7 or 8. I wrote the first draft of the book while making partner. Judaism is the religion of the enslaved, the uprooted, the marginalized, and the other, and we are dedicated to making sure that its American community lives up to its roots. As such, one could argue, perhaps, that it is none of our business, our responsibility. There was this constant fear and constant messaging that we could be sent home. WANG: It was, but I think I was protected by the fact that I was a child and just kind of took things as they came, as children do, and had that sort of natural resilience. That experience really changed how I think about my story and my right to speak up and share it. I wrote the first draft of "Beautiful Country" while making partner at a national firm. There were not so many immigrants from North China. Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House. Qian Julie Wang is a litigator and the author of Beautiful Country. The story of Qian Julie Wang, as she explains, begins before she was born. I looked through my old diary entries; I was very inspired by Harriet the Spy, and I wrote down a lot of mundane details of my worlds in hopes that I might be able to solve some sort of mystery. WebQIAN JULIE WANG (pronounced Chien Joolee Wong) is a New York Times bestselling author and civil rights litigator. When seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. For a few magical minutes, I dont even care that I didnt have a real childhood, however you want to define it, because to be children with your parents right there is just so rare. Grade school was tough, wasn't it? Detailing her familys experience as immigrants, Wangs first book vibrates with nuance and rhapsodic prose. My small hope is that if my parents don't read the full book until it's available to the public, they won't know the full scale of details shared, so they won't be sitting there, counting down the days to when ICE might be banging down their doors. He took on the form of what American expected of us: docile, meek. It became her second home, a place of safety. Theres never a fee to submit your organizations information for consideration. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two rescue dogs, They became that in so many ways, not just in terms of learning English, but also finding a sense of emotional safety in America that wasnt readily available to me, and understanding the power of storytelling. Qian and her husband Marc exchanged vows in a lovely book-themed wedding in September 2019. There have been many times in the publication process when I have wondered whether I was crazy to go through with putting this book out into the world. WANG: Yeah, when we got here, I remember the first thing we realized - that even though there were Chinese people around us in Chinatown, we were of a different kind of Chinese. The author Quian Julie Wang has married her husband Marc Ari Gottlieb in a book-themed wedding in 2019. It was not safe for us to go to, quote, unquote, "regular doctors," so we found other doctors, undocumented like us, who could help us. It was safe and I could always count on it to supply my old and new family and friends in the form of beloved characters - and all for free. Coming to America at age 7, she was thrown into the brand new world of New York City. You also didn't speak Chinese, as some kid taunted you about - at least his Chinese. That myopic focus in the U.S. tends to result in Jewish spaces that feel deeply unwelcoming, and often even overtly hostile, to Jews of Color. This was particularly the case in early 2019, because I was also planning my wedding at the time. You were thrown into a school. My book is a celebration of childhood, that wondrous time when we were all still so tender and open. Verified. And sometimes even fourths. As I started writing this book and then editing it, I was reacquainted with that 8-year-old little girl who found the condensed biography of Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg and was reminded of all the reasons why she wanted to go into law, and how, in her mind, lawyers were so powerful. It was there that I never had to question whether or not I belonged. It doesnt actually require you go out of your way. Another way is just to get involved for example Make The Road New York helps undocumented immigrants get same pandemic relief. Decca helpsto push forcitizenship. If people want to get involved, Id recommend they donate or volunteer. Sign up for Moments upcoming Zoominarsand watch all our past eventshere! There have been many times in the publication process when I have wondered whether I was crazy to go through with putting this book out into the world. It was safe and I could always count on it to supply my old and new family and friends in the form of beloved characters and all for free. On this front, Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"were my north stars in crafting my own book. It made my whole year. During the naturalization ceremony, a videotaped President Obama said, Greetings, fellow Americans. It clicked for me then how much I had needed to hear the word American ascribed to me, and how it never had been until that point. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. WebFrom ages 7 to 12, Qian Julie Wang lived as an undocumented immigrant in Brooklyn, New York. QJW: I read Cathy Park Hongs Minor Feelings at the beginning of the pandemic and then again throughout lockdown and after the Atlanta shooting. So, I turned down partnership, and it shocked absolutely everybody in the firm, and I opened up my own firm to focus on education law, civil rights, and discrimination work. We are in overdrive pretty much all the time. Memoirist Qian Julie Wang Finally Found a Home With Her Fellow Jews of Color The "Beautiful Country" author speaks with Alma about her love of libraries and I just assumed everyone was like that. Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. My parents have read parts of it, and I have fact-checked certain memories with them, but they have not read the whole thing! But if you look outside America, and specifically to Mexico and China, which are the two sources of major immigration to the United States, you see that if those people are not able to leave and find refuge, they are under lifelong - lifelong - persecution for their religious and political beliefs in a way that is far worse than what my parents and I went through. CONTACT US. When 2016 election happened it jolted me awake. But in late September 2019, on our flight to our honeymoon, I realized that the break had allowed me to subconsciously process everything else that needed to go into my book. For me, being Jewish cannot be separated from tikkun olam, the concept that calls upon us to repair the world. WebQian Julie was born in Shijiazhuang, China. An Inside Look at Beautiful Country Author Qian Julie Wangs Bookish Wedding. First, it is the day my book comes out. What inspired you to share your tale of being an undocumented child?. I would say the first year of working on the book was just me in therapy trying to break everything apart and understand what had happened. Web12.7k Followers, 1,121 Following, 373 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Qian Julie Wang (@qianjuliewang) qianjuliewang. Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House, Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network. It was my biggest and wildest ambition to write a book that might allow others out there to see themselves reflected in literature, and have them know that it is possible to survive similar circumstances. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. But in late September 2019, on our flight to our honeymoon, I realized that the break had allowed me to subconsciously process everything else that needed to go into my book. There, she lived with her father and mother as they struggled to make a life for themselves in America. How did they react? SARAH NEILSON: How did you access and embody your childhood voice in the book? Central to tikkun olam is hearing the call of the voiceless and fighting for justice in every available avenue. . Nowadays, we are sent a link to a video where authors have recorded a short blurb about their book. Editors note: Swarthmore has committed to becoming a Zero Waste campus in efforts to reduce environmental harm and promote just and sustainable systems. A graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College, It was a physical kind of labor, and that was especially taxing for my mother not just because of her health issues, but also because she was a woman, and the ways that manifested I think deeply, deeply affected her. I wrote the first draft of Beautiful Country while making partner at a national firm. Its the story of her childhood. An online magazine for todays home cook. There have been more than one report of, for instance, Black Jews being followed by synagogue security guards and Asian Jews being subjected to fetishized comments during services (if I had a nickel every time a man came up to me during prayer and told me about an Asian woman he once dated). I even found a poem about my cat. The diary really transported me back. There were alsosome conversations with my parents but they not very comfortable talking about it all. There were also a very few photos which helped me remember things like my favourite clothes. Qian Julie Wangs debut memoir Beautiful Country is a compelling and intimate portrait of an undocumented childhood. In many ways, "Beautiful Country" issuch an American story. What memoirs, or other books, inspired you in your writing process? The flippancy with which my peers regarded the many culinary options before them. On this front, Frank McCourts Angelas Ashes and Maya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Singswere my north stars in crafting my own book. The young girl in the book is such a strong character resilient, humorous, scrappy. In QIAN JULIE WANG is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College. She is a commercial litigation associate in the New York office of Robins Kaplan, a law firm. The book will forever represent to me the first time I felt accepted in the United States. Shondaland spoke with Wang over Zoom about education, equity, and her relationship to work, play, and joy. That required a lot of intensive therapy, unearthing traumas and memories that I had shoved into the basement of my mind and of my heart. There have been more than one report of, for instance, Black Jews being followed by synagogue security guards and Asian Jews being subjected to fetishized comments during services (if I had a nickel every time a man came up to me during prayer and told me about an Asian woman he once dated). Even so, I figured I would never make it happen, because I lived under messaging from all directions, my parents included, that my past was shameful and had to be kept hidden. After immigrating to America, I was never able to feel fully at home in a public space. HOME| Could you elaborate on how books provided comfort to you growing up? What do you hope readers take away from Beautiful Country? She is managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, an educational civil rights law firm, and her writing has appeared in major publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. Qian Julie Wang is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College and is managing partner of a law firm dedicated to advocating for education, disability, and civil rights. The second memoir would have a different tone it was a different set of struggles. For a decade, she has represented Fortune 500 corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in complex civil litigation. So, now my mom is in her 50s, and shes playing with the carrot peel to just create something out of it. Can you talk a little bit more about this?. WANG: Thank you for having me. I could hardly believe the range of options, and made my way from the salad bar to the pasta assortment, the entre section and the ice cream spread. I pulled my phone out and started typing on that flight, and gave myself until December 31, 2019 to finish the first draft or forget about it for good. What's your favorite part about being Jewish? It was there that I never had to question whether or not I belonged. Shifting focus, can you tell us about your work with your Jews of Color group? WebQian Julie Wang is the New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood, which was named a best book of 2021 by the New York That changed when I started gathering with my fellow Jews of Color. SIMON: Yeah. The Books Alexis Patterson Is Loving Right Now, Amazing Childrens Books by Arab and Arab American Authors, Browse All Our Lists, Essays, and Interviews. Was it hard writing such a memoir? The only way to balance it with working 60-80 hours a week was a concrete rule: As long as I was on the subway platform or on the subway on my way to or from work, I was writing on my phone. While I grew up learning English on library books, I never found a book that depicted characters who looked like me and lived in the way my parents and I did. We hope so! I allowed that to dictate how I defined myself for far too long, and in deciding to embrace both of my first names, I am very much taking the stance that I can be both-andthat is, both Chinese and American, in absolutely equal parts. Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang is a New York Times best-seller list. Its described as the moving story of an undocumented child living in poverty in the richest country in the world. So, when all of us have our guards down and the children come out, its like the best playtime ever. And we were too terrified to find a doctor. 1/3. This is absolutely what I was meant to do. Photo credit: You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. It took me 6 months from when I got the book deal to tell my parents because they are still very much afraid that we could all be deported. It was verystressful and I didnt know how they would take it. They didnt take it very well. Now they have resigned themselves to it. The Chinese we do not like airingour dirty laundry it was how I was raised and it feels very exposing. I have shown them chapters and fact checked parts (particularly the opening chapters about my father) but I havent shown them the whole book cover to cover. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Shifting focus, can you tell us about your work with your Jews of Color group? Secrets: they have so much power dont they. They were very different from the joyful people that they were in China. And Julie represents the pre-teen, teen, and woman who was determined to survive no matter the cost, even if it meant hiding or obliterating her origin story and her authentic self. SIMON: I'm sure you know there are people who will hear your story and say that what happened, what your family had to live through was sad and outrageous. They just have these moments where you see like, oh, this kid never got to play. How did they react? I always knew that I would be good at the writing and researching part and had no idea how it would be on my feet in the courtroom. personal reflection by Qian Julie Wang 09. The stench of decomposing flesh floods his nose. I decided to embark on writing this when I became a citizen in May 2016, six months before the election. SIMON: Let me ask you about the time your mother falls ill and it kind of underscored a lot of the fear in which you had to live because when you're undocumented - well, you tell us. As such, our group's mission is first and foremost to build a safe space for Jews of Color to connect and engage in their religion - shelter for when we feel utterly unwanted in all other Jewish spaces. A New York Times bestselling author and advocate for marginalized communities, Wang writes about the hardships she and her parents faced moving to and living in the United States. They didn't have the prescription abilities. It was then that I realized that what I had long thought of as singularly mine was no longer my secret to keep. Do I want to go down this path, which is just following the momentum of what Id done with my adult life, or do I want to listen to little Qian and do what she would want me to do? The only thing that astounded me more than Sharpless offerings was the sheer amount of food my fellow students dumped into nearby trash cans. I pulled my phone out and started typing on that flight, and gave myself until December 31, 2019 to finish the first draft or forget about it for good. Welcome because it was a great success story of a Jewish writer in a candid & luminous way. Librarians are our unsung, modern-day heroes.
