Fighting for diversity one book at a time
Art by ALISON XIONG
Viking alumna Joanna Ho advocates for representation in youth media
I
was looking for books where my son could see himself and I just had this epiphany — you [I] should write a book,” said Joanna Ho, author of the picture book “Eyes that Speak to the Stars,” describing her entrance to the world of writing. Ho, Palo Alto High School alumna and vice principal at East Palo Alto Academy, has just released her third picture book incorporating Asian-American representation and is gearing up to publish her first young adult novel later this year. Ho’s newest book, “Eyes that Speak to the Stars,” is a companion to her 2021 book “Eyes that Kiss at the Corners.” Both books focus on an Asian-American child embarking on a journey to love their eye shape, which differs from the ones they typically see around them. This plot was inspired from her own life, according to Ho. “I didn't think I could be beautiful because I didn't have big eyes and they weren't blue,” Ho said. “I used to look in the mirror and I would pull my eyelids up, trying to imagine myself with bigger eyes.” She also said her passion for an-
Text by KARRIE HUANG and MAYA MUKHERJEE
ti-racism and equity work stemmed from an her in picture books would have improved intensive camp she attended while at Paly. her confidence when she was younger. “We went to this weekend away where “Growing up, I struggled a lot with my it basically was intense, intense racial justice identity and appearance because I would al[learning]. Just like workshops. And that ways want to look like the characters in my was really my first eye opening experience,” books, who more often than not were Caushe said. casian,” Cummings said. “I struggled a lot Paly senior Sophia Cummings, who is with insecurity of my race and I had a lot half Korean and half white, said she did not of jealousy of kids who fit into the typical see many people who looked like her in the appearance shown in the media.” media as a child. She believes representaAccording to Ho, a large part of her tion can improve self-esteem. inspiration to write picture books came from “The content a lack of diverse books that people are in her youth, and she exposed to unfor- “I didn’t think I could be hopes she can change tunately defines a someone else. beautiful because I didn’t that for lot of standards in “I didn't realize it terms of appear- have big eyes and they wasn't just me who felt ance and ways of that way,” Ho said. “I living, so when kids weren’t blue.” didn't even think that I don’t see themcould see myself in the — JOANNA HO, author story — I didn't know selves in any books or other media, that was possible.” it can make them feel abnormal and inseShe hopes her books will not only encure,” Cummings said. gage children, but help parents start a conHo, whose parents immigrated from versation with their children surrounding Taiwan and China, began writing picture race and identity. books to help children like her son see peoHo is also preparing to release her first ple who looked like themselves in the media. young adult novel this summer, “The Si“It [my writing] lence that Binds Us,” which is about a Chireally is born out of nese high school student in an area similar a desire to tell stories to the Bay Area whose family confronts raand join and be part cially motivated criticism from her commuof a canon of stories nity after her brother dies by suicide. and storytelling for Ho strives always to include represenpeople who have his- tation in her writing to inspire Asian-Amertorically been mar- ican youth. ginalized or invisible “I feel like it's to help young people of or silenced in our so- all ages or adults recognize the power that ciety,” Ho said. they have within them to one be critical of C u m m i n g s the society that we live in,” Ho said. “And said seeing people then ultimately to know that they have the who looked like power to create change.”
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