Join Arlington Public Library in a bookclub to unlearn racism.

October Selection: "Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning" by Cathy Park Hong

Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose the truth of racialized consciousness in America. Binding these essays together is Hong's theory of "minor feelings."

As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these "minor feelings" occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality—when you believe the lies you're told about your own racial identity.

Hong uses her own story as a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness in America today. This book traces her relationship to the English language, to shame and depression, to poetry and artmaking, and to family and female friendship in a search to both uncover and speak the truth.

This book discussion will be led by the Arlington Public Library group Beyond the Hashtag: Unlearning Racism, One Book at a Time. This group fosters a sustainable discussion around systemic racism while exploring these complex social dynamics through direct literary analysis and conversation.  

Instructions to join the Zoom meeting will be emailed the day before the meeting to all registrants. New members are always welcome. You don't have to read the book to join, but it is encouraged.  

18+. Registration required.  

• Location campus
• Audience:
  • Events for Adults
  • Good for Adults Age 55+
  • Good for Parents
• Categories:
  • Book Discussion