The writing is awful, on par with a high school writing assignment. ( )

I dont know why I torture myself reading books of abusive parents. It's just so sad and makes me so damned mad.In this book the author manages to rise above his upbringing and come through all the hell he had been through. Message here...never lose hope. ( )

It is amazing that there are refugees who manage to rise above difficulty and tragedy in a country that can be cruel and unforgiving. Lac and his family flee Communist Vietnam and end up in the U.S., in a horrible Los Angeles neighborhood rife with prostitutes, drug dealers and gang violence. While Lac's parents deal with the challenges of language, culture shock and trying to find work while raising their children, Lac and his siblings cope with teasing at school and learning the English language. As Lac grows older, he yearns to escape his family, especially his often brutal father, and finds acceptance and freedom with street gangs. Lac is never completely hard-core; the weight of his father's disapproval keeps him from going over the edge. Still, Lac goes through some hard times before finding his way out. Teens from the 'hood will burn through this book. ( )

“I Love Yous Are For White People” gives a vivid picture of the Asian-American culture in San Gabriel. A heart breaking family tale, but Lac Su rose above the neighborhood he was raised in to make a success of himself. ( )

I think I am getting a bit jaded when it comes to memoirs. This did not grab at my heart strings like it should have and I am sure it is purely because of the writing style, it was quite dry and point of fact. I hate to think that I have become desensitived to all but the most horrific of stories but I believe that it is because the author seemed to be almost a bit removed from the story and so I felt the same. ( )

Gut-wrenchingly good. ( )

A gripping, insightful read. Story of a refugee surviving an abusive father and a tough Los Angeles. The author describes his struggles and maintains an authentic voice and clear-eyed critique of his circumstances. ( )

Lac Su's experiences as a Vietnamese refugee "off the boat" in greater L.A. are rich and riveting. He captures with compelling detail the cultural misunderstandings, racism, and alienation of a new American. These episodes provide some great read-aloud moments (visiting Big Boy with food stamps; the 'goose' dinner, etc) Due mostly to the colorful neighborhood in which he lives, Lac flirts with gang activities: graffiti, drinking (no drugs), violence, and crime (one break-in). In the end, he transcends his environment by switching schools. The other main theme of the book is his dysfunctional relationship with this father; a man who is physically and emotionally abusive. (Lac became a Psychologist, in part, in an effort to understand his father.) Language and violence limit the book to mature teens. ( )

Lac Su escaped Vietnam in the early 1970s, and came to America with his family. This book is about his childhood and teenage years in Southern California. It's honest through several difficult topics including drug and alcohol use, physical abuse, and gang violence. ( )

This is another example of a memoir that cannot survive on plot alone. ( )