Call Me Emma - by Makee (Paperback)

About the Book

After immigrating from China to New York City, a teenage girl and her family struggle to adjust to the new world they've found themselves inches Yixuan Liu, a 16-year-old Chinese girl, just moved from China to America with her family. To try to fit in to a new school, a new city, and a new culture, Yixuan chooses an English name, Emma. As she works to succeed in school and make friends, Yixuan/Emma is confused by the anti-Asian and anti-Black racism she hears from her teachers and her friends. She must learn to be herself and stop striving to please everyone else in order to make sense of it all. Balancing chaotic school life with divorcing parents, her sister's mental illness, and a new crush, Emma must ask herself, "How do I know who I really am?"

Book Synopsis

Finalist for the Graphic Medicine Award 2026

After immigrating from China to New York City, a teenage girl and her family struggle to adjust to the new world they've found themselves in.

Yixuan Liu, a 16-year-old Chinese girl, just moved from China to America with her family. To try to fit in to a new school, a new city, and a new culture, Yixuan chooses an English name, Emma.

As she works to succeed in school and make friends, Yixuan/Emma is confused by the anti-Asian and anti-Black racism she hears from her teachers and her friends. She must learn to be herself and stop striving to please everyone else in order to make sense of it all.

Balancing chaotic school life with divorcing parents, her sister's mental illness, and a new crush, Emma must ask herself, "How do I know who I really am?"

Review Quotes

"An emotional read that is thoughtful and honest. . . . Makee writes an affecting, memoiristic graphic novel that zeroes in on one girl's inner struggle to exist in a new reality without losing her sense of selfhood." --Library Journal

"A painfully candid coming-of-age tale and a warts-and-all portrait of America. . . . Makee's wide-eyed and insightful semi-autobiographical debut centers on a teenage immigrant whose adolescence is as hard to navigate as her new home in New York City." --Publishers Weekly

"Makee's account of her teenage years will resonate with YAs struggling to fit in new places. . . . Blatant racism, microaggressions, and miscommunications abound, but making art nurtures her soul--and gives her the courage to claim her own space." --Booklist

"Poignant and insightful, this graphic novel offers a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the clash of cultures, all seen through the eyes of one teenage girl. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand today's young adult immigrant experience." --Tracy White, author of Unaccompanied

About the Author

Makee is a China-born cartoonist and designer based in New York City. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2019. Makee currently works as a designer during the day and draws at night. She enjoys eating, reading, and a clean desktop.