K-JANE

A Korean American teenager, believing she’s not “Korean enough,” tries reinventing herself.

Jane Choi, a 17-year-old Korean American girl in Omaha, Nebraska, feels embarrassed about her ignorance of Korean culture. Even Matty Ricci and Bridge Johanssen, her best friends, who are cued white, obsessively watch K-dramas and are K-everything experts. Jane’s second-generation parents haven’t transmitted the bits of cultural knowledge they have, and she’s worried that Franklin, her soon-to-be-born baby brother, will be clueless, too. Feeling inadequate, Jane devises Project K-Jane as a solution: She starts teaching herself all about Korean culture, recording her progress on a private channel on the StoryThyme app. She cooks Korean dishes, learns about holidays, studies Korean language, and watches K-dramas, imagining someday guiding her brother. She also hopes her vlog will entertain her cousins, fellow “white on the inside” bananas, who are her only audience. If she impresses her crush, culturally savvy Taiwanese American Edward Liu, even better. But Jane’s retreat into her obsession alienates her friends and breaks the trust her parents have in her. And when she accidentally goes viral, the ensuing drama shows her what belonging really means. This refreshing portrayal of a young woman navigating culture and identity highlights the diversity of Korean diaspora experiences. Jane’s angst, perceptive voice, and self-awareness add dimension to her transformation. Kang weaves thought-provoking musings on authenticity and the gatekeeping of cultural identity throughout.

A nuanced, skillfully executed, and highly entertaining exploration of cultural belonging.