This standalone graphic novel sequel to author/illustrator Betty C. Tang’s Parachute Kids picks up on the story of the three Lin siblings, originally from Taiwan, who are living on their own in the United States of the 1980s. Their parents brought the children to the U.S. for safety and security, while the parents, who couldn’t get work visas, returned to Taiwan to provide for them.
In this volume, the children (Jia-Xi (Jessie), 17; Ke-Gang (Jason), 15, and Feng-Li (Ann), 11) are still trying to integrate into their new school and community in California, while staying under the radar of immigration authorities. Integration is perhaps hardest for Feng-Li, who struggles with English, but is starting to make some friends at school and is excited about participating in the band. Jia-Xi is trying to care for her siblings, study for the SATs, and deal with a boss who is taking advantage of her undocumented status to treat her horribly. Ke-Gang seems to have problems with one other boy in his class, but soon makes a new friend, Alex—who then becomes more than a friend.
We see the siblings supporting each other while they learn American customs like Halloween, navigate social situations at school, and try to maintain connections with their parents. Life is challenging, but they’re managing—until, through a variety of circumstances, their young cousin Ting-Ting (Josephine) ends up staying with them for an extended period. Josephine is the same age as Feng-Li, but her English is better, she’s a violin prodigy, and she’s entitled, bossy, and mean. Soon, Feng-Li’s friends are abandoning her for Josephine, and the discord between the two girls could threaten the family’s life under the radar.
Ke-Gang’s queer romance is handled thoughtfully, as we see both Jia-Xi and Alex deal with biases and assumptions within their families about gay people. Jia-Xi’s family thinks that being gay is an American thing and there are no Chinese gay people. (His siblings don’t reject him, however, and slowly start to learn.) Alex, who is White, comes from a Christian family that thinks one can’t be gay and Christian. The boys are nevertheless confident in their identities and relationship.
As with the first book, this one was inspired by Tang’s own experiences as a “parachute kid” left in the U.S. by parents living elsewhere, but it is fiction, not memoir. It manages to convey the challenges and uncertainties that some undocumented kids may face without making this a tale of pure trauma. There is joy here, too, and lots of humor, even as Tang looks at issues of racism, bullying, homophobia, socioeconomic privilege, and immigration status. It’s a pitch-perfect balance and a well-paced, entertaining read, making it a highly recommended title.
