I'M LAUGHING BECAUSE I'M CRYING A Memoir

Youngmi Mayer is a Korean American woman who lived in Saipan and South Korea before moving to America. Here she narrates her memoir of growing up between cultures and encountering a rough start to life in the U.S. Mayer's sense of humor is self-deprecating, sometimes veering into self-abusive. She is alternately funny yet, at the same time, extremely critical to the point of harshness. Mayer discusses Korean culture, the value of assimilation, and Korean concepts like nunchi, which she defines as a type of emotional intelligence involving doing the right thing at the right time without being told. Korean language is sprinkled throughout the text along with translations. Mayer is opinionated, with some controversial views. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]