Author Profile: Vickie Nam

Vickie Nam

BIO

Vickie Nam was most recently content/community producer at VOXXY, the L.A. -- based interactive network for girls. She was formerly managing producer at AsianAvenue.com, news team coordinator at Teen People, and editor in chief of Blue Jean Magazine. Her work has appeared in Seventeen, Jump, and KoreAM Journal. Vickie lives in Los Angeles.

INTERVIEW

October 23, 2001

Who or what is a Yell-Oh Girl?

Well, in one sense, its an interesting, educational, moving and feisty book. The book's full title is YELL-OH GIRLS: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity and Growing Up Asian American (Quill; ISBN: 0060959444), which tells you both about its special focus (Asian-American young women) and its broad scope (American culture as a whole).

In another sense, according to author Vickie Nam, a Yell-Oh Girl is any young Asian-American woman who is growing up, trying to find her own way. Nam herself grew up in a very middle-class, very white town in rural New York state. She felt totally alone and at odds with all the images she was bombarded with, on television, in movies, at the mall. In college, Nam sought out other Asian-Americans with whom to bond and compare experiences. These stories inspired her to put a call out, via eMail and web-pages, for writings by Asian-American young women, ages 15 to 22. Nam compiled eMails, essays, letters, poems, and other assorted pieces written by over 80 young writers. These young women represent every part of the spectrum --- they come from many different cultural backgrounds (Chinese, Indian, Laotian, etc.), class backgrounds, and areas of the country. What each of the vibrant pieces have in common is the deep need the authors have to feel connected, to their roots, to others like them, and to the American culture at large.

Although all readers may not know what it feels like to be caught between two cultures, everyone can understand and sympathize with the desire to belong. The writers deftly discuss body image problems, interracial relationships, the hardships and questions of adoption, stereotypes, burgeoning sexuality, and white boys' "Asian fetish." At the end of each chapter, Nam also includes a piece by a mentor, in which an Asian-American woman writer (for example Lois-Ann Yamanaka) writes about her own adolescence and her coming-of-age woes. But it's the teen writers who steal the show, with their frank, funny and heartbreaking tales, all written in voices that are true and clear. These young women don't need to yell to get their points across, but this fresh, savvy, talented-filled collection is certainly something to shout about!

Teenreads.com writer Jennifer Abbots recently got the chance to talk with author/editor/activist Vickie Nam about writing YELL-OH GIRLS!. She is one smart and cool woman, so read on.

TRC: Why did you decide to write this book now? Were you inspired by any particular event or did you just decide the time was right?

VN: I wrote this book because I yearned to hear voices and perspectives of other Asian American girls. The anthology lent itself well to initiating an open literary forum about issues we were facing in our lives. After sending out my "call for submissions" eFlyer in the summer of 1999, I had an even stronger conviction that this was a project that would appeal to a diverse group of girls who are of Asian descent. We aimed to address a range of topics --- from family relationships and cross-cultural friendships and sexuality to eating disorders and identity struggle. In my view, there was a void on the mainstream adolescent bookshelf that needed to be filled. We rarely hear Asian American teens engage in conversations around adolescent issues beyond hearing them speak out, perhaps, on race and prejudice. In our book, girls speak out about stereotypes and myths but they also talk candidly about other subjects that all "normal" American teens cope with. In addition to debunking the pervasive myth that Asian American girls are weak, silent and submissive, the title of the book (not "yellow" but "YELL-OH") conveys our collective desire to express ourselves and be heard.

TRC: YELL-OH GIRLS! is a collection of pieces from different Asian American girls and young women. How did you go about collecting the stories? Are there any you left out that you wish you hadn't? Will there be a sequel?

VN: I had a wonderful partner at HarperCollins. Sally Kim was my top editor and she really embraced the mission that I'd put forth in my introduction. I feel confident that I mined the submissions for interesting, honest, provocative stories shared through poetry and prose. Of course there are many that were omitted; I encouraged these girls to keep writing. There are so many gifted storytellers. The contributors represent a small percentage of the total number of girls who submitted material for publication. At times I felt torn because I knew there were certain limitations, but I also believe that there will be other opportunities for these girls to get published in the future. YELL-OH GIRLS! is hopefully being perceived as a "breakthrough" book, meaning that it parts the literary sea for others aimed at this underrepresented demographic for decades to come. There might be a sequel in the works at some point, although I'll not confirmation that statement right now.

TRC: Who did you write this book for? What do you want readers to come away with --- especially those who aren't Asian-Americans? What are the universal themes YELL-OH GIRLS! explores?

VN: Universal themes --- struggling with body image and eating disorders, mourning the loss of a loved one (grandmother, father, brother, best friend, etc.), family relationships and the desire for validation, sexuality, cross-cultural adoption, interethnic and interracial dating, and activism.

I hoped that this book would speak to teens and women who are of Asian descent. That it would reassure them that they weren't alone in facing challenges and obstacles in their lives. I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce youth to the prolific Asian American women writers and activists by featuring a "mentor essay" to close each of the five chapters.

But the anthology, which has been reviewed by a number of mainstream teen magazines, has been a popular read among youth of all cultural backgrounds. Non-Asian teens have told me that there are many stories they could relate to in the book. If you've ever felt like an outsider before (who hasn't felt like they didn't fit in for one reason or another?), you'll relate to some part of this project. Obviously, the search for voice and for identity is not a singularly Asian American phenomenon. Some of the underlying themes are in fact not ethnic-specific at all.

TRC: Did you journal or keep a diary as a teenager? Did the stories in YELL-OH GIRLS! remind you of your experiences growing up?

VN: Yes. I wrote terrible poetry in fourth grade and I continued to write independently --- apart from the material I generated for school assignments. English was never my favorite subject. It was too restrictive and unimaginative. My teachers were dull, and in high school, I can recall two instructors who actually discouraged me quite a bit. One of them told me that I should never expect to pass my AP English final because there was something fundamentally (although she refused to explain what that meant) wrong with the way I expressed myself through writing.

Reviewing the submissions was an emotionally taxing process because the girls were writing earnestly about experiences that often diverged from my own, but from a familiar place of marginality and displacement. I found that I could usually relate to some aspect of their stories, even if it was in the form of a fleeting thought or emotion. I certainly revisited my past, and it wasn't easy to reflect on those tough years of transition and growing pains. At the same time it was comforting to know that this book was gradually materializing and that it would become a resource for girls who would gain strength and encouragement from knowing that they weren't alone.

TRC: How long did writing and editing YELL-OH GIRLS! take you? Did you encounter rejection from the publishing industry?

VN: The entire process took two years. I first dreamt of YELL-OH GIRLS! while I was a senior at Wellesley College, but I didn't start to convert idea to action until the summer of '99. I was working at Teen People magazine at the time. I was fortunate to have been greeted kindly by the publishing industry. I think this book proposal arrived at the right time and I happened to encounter people who felt as I did --- that this book was an important first endeavor, which had great potential to succeed in the literary marketplace. I spoke with many editors and took the opportunity to "interview" them in advance of signing a contract with any particular publisher. It was important to me that there was an instant rapport, and that the editor with whom I'd spend the next year working closely shared my vision and my passion for the project. I won't say that several publishing companies didn't express heavy skepticism; this book attempted to tap into a seemingly invisible consumer group. I proposed that there was a market for this book.

TRC: Do you worry about being pigeonholed as an "Asian-American" writer?

VN: Yes, but I don't like the word "pigeonholed" because I embrace the identifier "Asian American." I am an Asian American writer and I prefer to be referred to as such. I know many authors who see that label as a burden. My experiences as a person of Asian descent in the US are intrinsically linked to my experience as a human being. My heritage, my personal history, colors my perspective. However, I understand why a writer might be resentful of the label, because being called an "Asian American" writer often relegates this person to an "other" status in the context of "American" literature. The writer's material is often critiqued against different standards, and her experiences --- although arguably mundane and all-American --- are objectified and perceived as exotic.

Asian American is not a self-evident, all encompassing label that describes a monolithic group. It is an umbrella term that does not account for the ethnic and socioeconomic differences that make our community incredibly diverse. Asian American authors often feel as if they're pegged as cultural ambassadors, experts, or spokespeople, when they view themselves primarily as artists.

TRC: Why did you choose to focus on young girls and women? What about the female experience in Asian-American life did you want to get across to readers? Will there be a companion --- YELL-OH BOYS!?

VN: You ask some great questions. I don't know if there will be a companion book called YELL-OH BOYS!, although I am working with two guys through the conceptualization stage. There is a possibility that such a resource might exist in the next couple of years, and I have high hopes that this will happen.

I focused on the female experience because I can only speak about what I know. Although I can imagine what it's like to grow up in contemporary American society as a boy of Asian descent, I would be relying solely on hypotheses and what I've gleaned from gender studies and Asian American studies. In the last few pages of the anthology, I make some necessary disclaimers. I am not a psychologist, a professor, a counselor, or an expert. This project stemmed from personal curiosity and passion. It was important that, as editor of this groundbreaking book, I was honest, vigilant, and that I spoke from the heart. Boys were excluded from this first dialogue because there were myriad girls' issues that we wanted to address; boys' matters warrant another discussion. This wasn't the appropriate forum for us to thoroughly investigate the ways in which their experiences were similar yet distinct from ours. I'm not suggesting that Asian American boys and girls don't endure some of the same struggles, but they speak and behave in our society from a non-white, male perspective. The ones who will facilitate this conversation will hopefully help Asian American boys sort through these complex questions, and when the time comes, they will speak for themselves.

TRC: Can you suggest any books about the Asian-American experience for our readers? Do you have a favorite book written by an Asian-American author?

VN: Maxine Hong Kingston's THE WOMAN WARRIOR is an extraordinary novel. Jessica Hagedorn wrote DOGEATERS and Lois-Ann Yamanaka, one of the mentors featured in YELL-OH GIRLS!, has authored so many wonderful young adult books. I also recommend Marie G. Lee's books (FINDING MY VOICE and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS). Phoebe Eng's WARRIOR LESSONS is a handbook and survival guide for Asian American women. For the brainiacs, perhaps, Eric Liu's THE ACCIDENTAL ASIAN, and an anthology called MAKING WAVES (edited by Asian Women United of California). There are so many more...check out the "Warrior Women" link on our Website for more resources! (http://www.yellohgirls.com)

TRC: Who was your favorite author when you were a teen? Who inspired you to write? Do you have advice for budding teen writers?

VN: My favorite author? That's a tough question since I wasn't introduced to non-canonical literature until I entered college. But I read teen-oriented literature now and I'm a huge fan of Francesca Lia Block. I was inspired by Hillary Carlip's GIRL POWER book. I love reading 'zines. When I was a teen, I remember picking up Sandra Cisneros's book THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. Other titles I absolutely loved: MAMA'S GIRL by Veronica Chambers and THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE by Gloria Naylor.

TRC: What are you working on currently?

VN: I returned to LA after having been on tour for a month. I started the tour in New York on the 10th of September. You can imagine what a catastrophe that was. Obviously, it's been a tumultuous few weeks, and although I'm grateful to have had the chance to share YELL-OH GIRLS! with people all over the country, it's nice to be out of the "not-so-friendly" skies and finally have my feet firmly planted on the ground here in Los Angeles. It's great to be home.

The tour has been absolutely amazing. Unforgettable. At first it seemed like spending so much time darting from place to place and mingling with complete strangers would be unsettling during this time of heightened anxiety and sadness, but it's been hugely therapeutic. Our conversations have made YELL-OH GIRLS! relevant and meaningful in the context of what's happening at home and abroad.

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