On the MoveAn Immigrant Child's Global Journey
December 2007 (perspective of a Ph.D. student)
In December 2007, my first book was published by Whittier Publications, a small academic press in New York. It is an autobiography of my early life, entitled On the Move: An Immigrant Child's Global Journey. This book covers a variety of socially relevant topics relating to my experience of being an immigrant child. At only 200 pages, it is a light and easy read that can be completed in less than 6 hours. The front cover is shown above, and here is the blurb from the back cover:
Before his 12th birthday, Philip Jia Guo had already lived in six cities
spanning three continents, learned three distinctively different
languages, and attended seven schools that had almost nothing in common
with one another. On the Move traces his global journey to places as
drastically dissimilar as his birthplace in South China, a quaint town
in Switzerland, the American Deep South, both the poorest and wealthiest
neighborhoods of New York City, and an affluent suburb in Southern
California. He poignantly describes his struggles to fit in as a
perpetual outsider and his feelings of being constantly forced by
circumstances beyond his control to adapt to new environments, schools,
languages, and cultures. On the Move interweaves candid narratives of
this immigrant boy's unique childhood experiences with critical
observations of such hotly contested social issues as race, ethnicity,
class, religion, child development, peer group relations, immigration,
assimilation, and national identity. This book appeals to anybody who
is interested in learning more about the experience of being an
immigrant and especially its impact on young children.
How On the Move Is UniqueUnlike many memoirs by other Asian-American writers, On the Move:
On the Move: The Full TextI have made the entire book available online for free. Download it as a PDF. If you enjoy reading, consider purchasing a physical copy. Currently, it can only be ordered through Whittier Publications. They specialize in selling wholesale to university bookstores and other academic venues, but they can probably accommodate individual sales as well. Please contact them directly. PrefaceThis book chronicles the first 12 years of my life, as told simultaneously through two perspectives: a child who makes observations about his surroundings and a young adult who reflects back on his childhood experiences. I often switch back and forth between these two perspectives throughout each chapter. The names of most people and institutions mentioned throughout this book have been changed to pseudonyms. Part I: 1983-1990
Part II: 1990-1994
Part III: 1994-1995
Copyright © 2007 Philip Guo Official Chinese translationRead the official Chinese translation by Sam Guo. |