As a woman of color, I found that my familial experiences were rarely portrayed accurately in the media. There are cultural and religious nuances that the movies never got right, and I was always left scratching my head and wondering if my experiences were just outlandish. As always, books to rescue. For BIPOC folks, our family dynamics are influenced by the pressures of “isms,” whether they be racism, colonialism, or colorism. On top of that, there are the insurmountable pressures of surviving in spaces that have not always been built for us. Here are five books that have helped me shed light on the experiences of BIPOC families. Although my experiences aren’t precisely like that of the authors, there are plenty of common denominators to keep the lightbulb on. A note: Please remember that authors don’t represent their entire communities but rather themselves and their lives (in which race plays a significant role). These are all important stories that shed light on specific family dynamics and the cultural forces that shaped them.
