Call Me Emma: One Chinese Girl Finds Her Way in America

 
By Makee
 

PUBLICATION DATE: May 2025

6” X 9”

246 PAGES

TRADE PAPERBACK

ISBN: : 9781951491383

EBOOK ISBN:

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List Price

US $23.99

What People Are Saying

“Makee’s artwork has the simplicity of a teenager’s notebook sketches but bursts with telling details: school cafeteria lunches (“free but not so tasty”), vegetables grown in Chinese American yards, Yixuan’s first Thanksgiving dinner. The result is both a painfully candid coming-of-age tale and a warts-and-all portrait of America.”—Publishers Weekly

“Poignant and insightful, this graphic novel offers a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the clash of cultures, all seen through the eyes of one teenage girl. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand today's young adult immigrant experience.”—Tracy White, author of Unaccompanied

Synopsis

After immigrating from China to New York City, a teenage girl and her family struggle to adjust to the new world they’ve found themselves in.

Yixuan Liu, a 16-year-old Chinese girl, just moved from China to America with her family. To try to fit in to a new school, a new city, and a new culture, Yixuan chooses an English name, Emma.

As she works to succeed in school and make friends, Yixuan/Emma is confused by the anti-Asian and anti-Black racism she hears from her teachers and her friends. She must learn to be herself and stop striving to please everyone else in order to make sense of it all.

Balancing chaotic school life with divorcing parents, her sister’s mental illness, and a new crush, Emma must ask herself, “How do I know who I really am?”

About the Author

Makee is a China-born cartoonist and designer based in New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2019. A passionate advocate for hand-drawn art, she conveys her voice through bold ink strokes and fluid watercolors. Makee’s work often explores themes of everyday life, identity, and belonging, all infused with a sense of humor. When she’s not drawing, you might find her reading or crocheting. Check out Makee’s website: makeeart.com