Robin Ha

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Robin Ha
Alma materRhode Island School of Design
Genregraphic novels
Notable worksCook Korean!
Almost American Girl
Years active2016-present
Website
robinha81.wixsite.com/robinha/about

Robin Ha is an illustrator, writer, and graphic novelist.

Life and career[]

Early life[]

Ha was born in Seoul, South Korea by the name "Ha Chuna" and was raised by her single mother, Cassie.[1][2] At the age of 14, her mother brought her on a 'summer trip' to the United States, which became a permanent relocation to Huntsville, Alabama after her mother abruptly announced marriage to a suitor living there.[1] [2] [3] While in the United States, she maintained her interest in Korean manhwa comic books[4] a hobby she picked up from her mother.[2] Ha would graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, and relocate to Brooklyn, [2] where she began trying her hand in home cooking Korean cuisine.[5]

Cook Korean![]

Ha was working as a textile designer when she contributed a single page for a comic anthology illustrating a recipe for a Korean dish. [6] In 2014, she began illustrating recipes for Korean dishes and posting an web comic series titled "Banchan in Two Pages”.[2] After the popularity of the series grew, Ten Speed Press approached Ha about publishing an illustrated cookbook.[2] As she had not undergone formal culinary training and was a relatively inexperienced cook, she cooked with her mother for the first time to develop the recipes featured.[5]

In 2016, Ha released "Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes", which contained both narrative-driven comics as well as her illustrations of recipes and explanations of Korean ingredients and culinary practices. [5] It debuted on the New York Times Bestselling List.[7] Ha's choice of integrating Korean characters into the mostly English text, rather than transliterating or translating them, was highlighted as a part of a trend of non-English characters appearing in otherwise English-language cookbooks.[8]

Almost American Girl[]

In 2013, Ha began working a memoir focusing of her own immigration.[9] On January 28 of 2020, Ha released Almost American Girl, which she both wrote and illustrated.[1] The graphic novel recalls Ha's experience with immigrating from South Korea to the United States as a teenager, including the tribulations with racist harassment, tension with Asian American relatives, and acclimating to foreign school and lifestyles.[4] One review described its as "an insightful, moving coming-of-age tale," while another noted the work as "also a love letter to comics fans."[10] It would be honored with a 2021 Walter Award under the "Books, Teen" category.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Ha, Robin; Wong, Dorcas. "ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Robin Ha Is the Comic Book Superhero of Korean Cuisine". NBC News. July 15, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Bae, Hannah (April 21, 2020). "Who Gets to Be an All-American Girl?". Bitch Media. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "A Conversation with 'Almost American Girl' Robin Ha". The Nerds of Color. February 23, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Greenlee, Cynthia R. (July 3, 2016). "When Comics and Cooking Meet: Robin Ha and Cook Korean!". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "A brief history of graphic cookbooks". Washington Post. July 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  7. ^ "Robin Ha's COOK KOREAN! makes The New York Times bestseller list!". Transatlantic Agency. July 19, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. ^ Baron, Rachel (September 30, 2021). "Why's it taken so long for foreign-language characters and words to make it into English cookbooks?". The Counter. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "INTERVIEW: In ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL, the universal language of comics connected Robin Ha to her new culture". The Beat. January 31, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. ^ "Beth Snow: Korean girl's experience in America a contemporary coming-of-age story". Joplin Globe. August 27, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  11. ^ Zoboi, Ibi; Salaam, Yusef (August 1, 2020). "2021 Walter Awards". Wild Rumpus. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
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