Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American

Yuyang “Laura” Gao is from Wuhan, a place that became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic. When she moves to Texas with her family, she must navigate cultural barriers, family dynamics, romantic relationships, body-image issues, racial stereotypes, and discrimination while missing home, adapting to a new culture, and trying to live up to her parent’s expectations. This graphic novel is a memoir that explores themes of identity and self-discovery through the lens of the immigrant experience. It is suitable for a senior secondary audience and lends itself as a book-club selection or full-class text for units themed around identity and the immigrant experience. In the classroom, students may be prompted to explore how Gao reconciles the culture she grew up in and her adopted one.