By MariNaomi Lake-Schal.
Turning Japanese is a comics memoir that chronicles MariNaomi’s experiences working in illegal hostess bars in San Jose and Tokyo while attempting to connect with a culture that had eluded her since childhood. The story begins in 1995 when 22-year-old Mari had just gotten out of a long-term relationship. She moved to San Jose, California, where she was exposed to a wider Asian population than she’d ever known in her hometown of Mill Valley. It didn’t take her much time to fall in love with a new person. Soon after, she found employment at a hostess bar for Japanese expats, where she was determined to learn the Japanese language and culture. This all in the hopes of finally connecting with her Japanese relatives without the use of her mother as a translator.
Hardbound: 228 pp.
Also available:
Displacement
Citizen 13660
They Called Us Enemy (expanded)
