David Mura

The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself by David Mura offers the reader, especially the white reader, a nuanced and understandable explanation of the many ways whiteness convinces itself that it is the default in the world.

I saw convinces itself but in fact there are many who actually believe that their whiteness makes them better in every sense. But for those of us who know better and try to both make society better at the same time we try to deprogram ourselves of the lies that pass for fact, show more this book shows us many of the ways we may well contribute to a racist society even when actively fighting that same society. From implicit bias to how even the best-intentioned stories (novels, movies, etc) can ultimately serve to maintain the status quo, Mura shows how we must begin by looking within. We don't stop advocating for change and claim that working on ourselves is the extent of making the world better, but we work on ourselves so that our activism will truly work to make change and not just shift an already distorted perspective.

I had the pleasure of reading this book while also reading Dina Nayeri's new book Who Gets Believed? Together these wonderful books illuminate how the work we do in society, our activism, must also include work we do on ourselves, an internal personal activism so to speak. Either book alone is a great way to broaden your perspective. Together they serve to give the reader plenty of personal perspective as well as theoretical grounding.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to make positive change, both in society and in themselves.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

David Mura has written a phenomenal book about how the myths and narratives of white supremacy are integrated into every facet of American society and the deadly consequences this has for people of color, historically and in the present. He begins with the birth of the nation and the legacy of slavery, portrays how racial myths are perpetuated in the arts and media, and embedded in policy, education and attitudes. The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself is meticulously researched and show more thoughtfully, coherently written in a conversational, accessible style. Mura lives minutes away from where Philando Castile and George Floyd were killed and was deeply affected by their murders. He connects the ideas in this book to the prevalence of police violence against Black people. Highly recommended for those working toward positive change, both in society and within themselves. Every American needs to read this book. Sadly, those who need to read it the most are neither capable of it, nor open to it.
Thank you to BooksForwardPR and the author for a copy to review.
@booksforwardpr @muradavid #BooksForwardFriends show less

One of my literature professors gave me this book as a gift when he learned that I am going to teach English in Japan. Author David Mura is a third generation Japanese-American poet and these memoirs chronicle his first trip to Japan, his family history, his experience growing up Asian-American while surrounded by white people in the Midwest, and his quest to make sense of his identity based on cultural perceptions of race and sexuality.

While Mura does describe cultural differences between show more the U.S. and Japan and does provide an abridged travelogue of his adventures, this is not a traveler’s handbook. The text is primarily about Mura’s struggle to make sense of his upbringing and future path—his nuanced and thought provoking discussions about race weave into delicately spun narratives about relationships, politics, and history. This is not lightweight reading, but Mura’s background as a poet gives his writing a beautiful rhythm that makes even the most difficult and philosophical chapters a delight to read. His honest approach really touched me despite some slow sections, so I give the book four stars. show less

It's not just in Minnesota. It's not just about being Black in America. It's not just about being Indigenous in America. It's also about being LGBTQIA in America, being a refugee in America, and about the personal difficulties of the isolation due to the pandemic. It is a collection of essays written by individuals who have been objectified and have suffered because of a mass mindset that rejected their value. And each and every one of us needs to read it.
I requested and received a free show more ebook copy from University of Minnesota Press via NetGalley. Thank you! show less