Hannah Is My Name
Candlewick, 2004
Through Hannah, we learn about the anxieties and trials of immigration for a Taiwanese family in San Francisco. Among other things, Hannah must learn a new language, bid farewell to a friend whose family is deported to Hong Kong, and flee the hotel where her father works when an immigration officer comes for an inspection. But her daily trial is one shared by the entire family, waiting for green cards. At last the cards arrive, and Hannah proudly takes ownership of her American name and her legal status.
Belle Yang's story and illustrations are bright and upbeat, rendering the immigration narrative accessible and minimizing the stress. But, the book's decided ambiguity generates its own anxieties. Why is Hannah's family rewarded with green cards, when her friend's family is deported? What are the ethics of immigration? "Freedom" is repeated a number of times, and we wonder, why is it that the so-called land of the free grants freedom to some and not others?
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