PARACHUTE KIDS

A family from Taiwan pursues the American dream.

It is February 1981, when the Lin family lands in Los Angeles for the first time. Their monthlong vacation becomes a journey of circumstantial immigration when the three children find out they are staying—enrolling in local schools for political safety and a better future with more opportunities. When Mama’s tourist visa extension is denied, she leaves 10-year-old Feng-Ling, or Ann; 14-year-old Ke-Gāng, or Jason; and 16-year-old Jia-Xi, or Jessie, to live on their own—with some support and supervision from family friends who immigrated earlier. With an endearing artistic style and colors that pop, this graphic novel explores how such a process, for better or worse, alters relationships and family dynamics. While learning English, navigating social interactions, and confronting racism, the siblings face additional challenges that deliver tough life lessons: Studious Jia-Xi falls for a scam with devastating consequences, Ke-Gāng’s struggles with his identity lead to a serious accident, and Feng-Ling follows bad influences and does something she regrets. By the time Baba and Mama rejoin them, however, the siblings can serve up a decent meal and show off their savings from summer jobs. The development of the characters and their relationships is convincing and balanced, and the siblings’ respective experiences are relatable for anyone who has tried to fit in somewhere. This empathic story centers a less widely recognized community and thoughtfully presents a distinct facet of immigration.

Emotionally moving and beautifully executed.