Abstracts
Abstract
This review examines Sharon N. Tran’s Asian Girlhood in the Shadows of U.S. Empire (University of Minnesota Press, 2026), which analyzes the construction of Asian girlhood through the intersecting forces of race, gender, and empire. Drawing on literary analysis and historical texts, Tran explores Japanese American incarceration, Korean War camp towns, Operation Babylift, and the Vietnam War to reveal how Asian girls are simultaneously rendered disposable and idealized as human capital. While Tran’s book has been praised as a significant contribution to girlhood and Asian American studies, the review notes gaps in South Asian representation, limited methodological transparency, and an epilogue that offers limited practical direction.
Keywords:
- Asian American,
- girlhood,
- empire,
- minor literature
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Appendices
Biographical note
Jung Kim is a professor of literacy and co-chair of the Department of Education at Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois. Her research has covered areas as diverse as teaching with graphic novels, hip-hop pedagogy, and Asian American racialization, but has always focused on equity. Her current work is focused on Asian American teachers and youth. Email: Kimju@lewisu.edu
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