Q&A with Andrea Wang

 

Photo by Elaine Freitas

 

 

Andrea Wang is the author of the new children's picture book Worthy: The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce. Her other books include Watercress. She lives in Colorado.

 

Q: How did you first learn about Joseph Pierce, the subject of your new book, and at what point did you decide to write a book about him?

 

A: I first learned about the existence of Chinese and other Asian American soldiers in the Civil War from my editor, Arthur Levine. I’d never thought about writing a book about soldiers, the military, or war, but once I started doing the research, I was fascinated by the lives of these men.

 

Initially, I wanted to write about two men, Joseph Pierce and Thomas Sylvanus, and compare and contrast their lives. But ultimately that became too unwieldy for a picture book.

 

There was slightly more information about Joe than Tom, so I decided to focus on Joe’s story. I was also inspired by how Joe made a full life for himself despite all the obstacles he faced.

 

Q: What do you think Youa Vang’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I think Youa’s illustrations bring Joe’s story to life in a brilliant and engaging way. They evoke the oil paintings of the 1800s but some spreads are presented in a panel format akin to graphic novels, so they feel both historical and contemporary at the same time.

 

The book is 64 pages long (which is long for a picture book), but it doesn’t drag and reads quickly – in large part because of the illustrations, which moves the reader along at a fast pace. And the art itself is stunning – the color palette, the details, and the emotion and atmosphere.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I had just started researching the book when the pandemic hit, so I was unable to visit archives and museums. All my research was online and through books I either purchased or borrowed from libraries.

 

I also spoke to a historian and author, Ruthanne Lum McCunn, who has done extensive research on the Asians who fought in the Civil War. Ms. McCunn also contributed to the book Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Civil War, which was published by the National Park Service and was an important text for me.

 

I was surprised to discover that people from all over Asia fought in the Civil War – not just Chinese, but Filipinos, Japanese, Thai, East Indians, Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: It took me a long time to find this book’s “heart” or central theme. I spent a couple of years reading articles about Chinese people that were published in U.S. newspapers from 1840-1890, in order to better understand the society that Joe lived among and what kind of discrimination he faced.

 

And in one of those articles, printed in The New York Times in 1855, was the sentence, “Your Chinaman is the most worthless citizen possible.” I was just enraged by the blatant hatred and racism, and I knew then that the book had to be about worth: What makes a person “worthy?” Who gets to decide another person’s worth? So “Worthy” became the book’s title.

 

The subtitle, “The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce,” came from another newspaper article. This one was an interview with the chaplain of Joe’s regiment in the Union Army, and he described Joe as “a brave, capable, and faithful soldier.”

 

That is the Joe that I want readers to see – a Chinese American man who was confident in his self-worth and determined to show the racists how wrong they were.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on a couple of picture books which are also about the Chinese American experience. One is a follow-up to Watercress, and the other is another historical nonfiction book that I don’t want to say too much about right now.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I wrote in my Author’s Note that “I researched and wrote this book during the pandemic, as anti-Asian hate and violence surged across the country. Just like in Joe’s time, Chinese and other Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are being unfairly blamed for economic and social problems. …Just like in Joe’s time, newspaper articles, statements by politicians, and other media outlets have been stoking the flames of anti-Asian hate.”

 

I hope that readers not only see the historical parallels but also pay more attention to where (and from whom) they get their news and information. We need to read broadly, keep an open mind, and endeavor to verify our sources.

 

The book releases on Aug. 26. 

 

Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Deborah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Andrea Wang.