Synopses & Reviews
With Chinese-influenced paintings in jewel-like colors, Belle Yang tells an immigration tale that reflects one of the many facets of the American dream.Hannah is my name in this new country. It doesn't sound at all like my
Chinese name, Na-Li, which means beautiful.
It's a long way from Taiwan to San Francisco, but Hannah's family has made the journey because they want to make America their home. Here in America, Baba tells his daughter, people are free to say what they think, and children can grow up to be whatever they choose. And so Hannah takes a new name, begins a new school, learns a new language, and starts to adjust to a new way of life. Meanwhile, they all wait — and hope — for the arrival of the green cards that will assure they are finally home to stay.
About the Author
Belle Yang was born in 1960 in Taiwan and came to the United States with her parents at the age of seven. She has studied at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design and the Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting. She has had solo museum shows and has written and illustrated two highly praised adult books and a picture book. She says, "HANNAH IS MY NAME is based on our first years in San Francisco. I missed my old friends and teacher, but it was not a miserable yearning. It was a great privilege to come to the United States, and we didn't look back."