Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire

I read selections from this book for a junior tutorial class called "Feminist Political Thought." This compilation broadens the definition of "political" beyond elections and voting, emphasizing radical thought, thinking outside of the liberal/conservative binary, and grassroots social movements. The essays cover a broad range, from the politics within activist circles and how to deal with the inclusion/safe-space vs. staying true to one's values "paradox" to thoughtful discussions on organizing strategies to globalization's effects on Filipina overseas workers. I particularly liked this book because it was not East-Asian (American) centric in a good effort to reflect the complexities embedded in a collective identity, such as Asian American feminist. If you are interested in writing/social justice, the variety of essays also presents lots of methodologies.

From Blue Jean Onlineby Melisa Gao, Teen EditorAs soon as I picked up Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire, I knew I wanted to read it. The originality of the book's title and its unconventional cover immediately attracted me. And I was curious: just how many Asian-American feminists are there, anyway?As I began reading, I was caught off guard by the style and complexity of the writing. Dragon Ladies is a collection of essays written by various Asian-American activists-it's no light-hearted novel that you can breeze through. There's plenty of historical information, which can be dry at times (this could easily be used as a reference if you were writing a paper on feminists). But the majority of the essays contain thought-provoking discussions of serious issues that every young woman should reflect upon. The contributors take different approaches to their subjects, which range from sexuality to domestic violence to the plight of workers, but they share a passion for their cause that is evident in every word of the book. Having little experience in political activism, I enjoyed reading the women's anecdotes depicting their struggles and successes. The same conviction that makes the book worthwhile, however, may also turn off some of its readers. Even I, a liberal young Asian-American woman, found some of the essays too radical to be realistic. But the point of the book isn't necessarily to propagate these beliefs. As editor Sonia Shah explains in the introduction, "...[This book] provides a set of issues, terms, ideas, and stories for folks to talk about-whether it is to debunk and decry them or to transform them into an agenda for action." Even if the book doesn't inspire you to become politically active, it will at least make you ponder some significant issues and reexamine your own beliefs. Read Dragon Ladies with an open mind, and you will gain from it. Copyright 2002, Blue Jean Online

its ok but not as romantic as the notion, but its not the best written or organized books but the SM is important