Rose Tico emerged from "The Last Jedi" as the breakout character. Who would have guessed when we saw her zap Finn that so many people would fall in love with her passion for life and dedication for the resistance? Considering that Finn gets under my skin as an annoying brat, ME!!
A few weeks ago
Kelly Marie Tran wrote a kick ass op-ed in the New York Times about the online harassment that pushed her off Instagram, as well as the importance of Rose Tico to nerds of color:
...the same society that
taught some people they were heroes, saviors, inheritors of the Manifest
Destiny ideal, taught me I existed only in the background of their
stories, doing their nails, diagnosing their illnesses, supporting their
love interests — and perhaps the most damaging — waiting for them to
rescue me.
And for a long time, I believed them.
Tran sums up harshly and eloquently why nerds of color need heroes that look like them. I guy came over to my office the other day to fix my phone and he saw my Wonder Woman swag everywhere. "You know she's Latina right?" I told him yes and he just went on and on about how much he loves Wonder Woman because she is Latina. "She's one of us!" Of course we're really talking about Linda Carter as Wonder Woman is really more Mediterranean with her Greek mythology background. And I wish I knew this about Cater when I was a kid running around in my Underoos. BUT I'LL TAKE IT!
But for kids today, especially Star Wars fans with Asian heritage,
sisters Rose and Paige Tico are here to serve as inspirations through
two young reader books.
I highly recommend these books
for Star Wars fans who are super into the details. The nerdiest parts of
both books are the detailed plans for a ships, weapons, worlds,
creatures, and people. For me, right now, that's more detail than I need! But I know for many fans it is exactly the details they are looking for, especially for kids of color to get engrossed in zoology or engineering.
What I loved about the books is that they are both presented as if pieces of their diaries. The stories move along as part inner dialogue, part reflection. It made their stories feel accessible and real. Of course my favorite part was Rose dragging of Finn for trying to escape. I've never yelled "Hell yeah!" to a young reader book before.
Seriously though, the way Jason Fry situates the Tico Sisters' passion for justice in an idealism that would had been candy for me as a young person especially in this political moment.
If you have a young Star Wars fan who has signed up for the Resistance IRL, get them
Resistance Fighter and
Bomber Command.
Disclaimer: These books were sent to me from a publicist in return for an honest review that was then prompted by Kelly Marie Tran's amazing op-ed.
Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party by Megan McDonald
