CPP Common Read Selected for 2024-25
Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H-Mart,” a memoir about growing up Korean American, has been selected for Cal Poly Pomona’s 2024-25 Common Read.
In its 18th year, the Common Read encourages all CPP students, staff, faculty and friends to read and engage with the same book. The Common Read is also a component of the university’s First Year Experience (FYE) courses.
A singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Zauner writes about growing up as one of a few Asian American kids at her school in Oregon, her adolescence, and her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis. In caretaking for her mother, Zauner reflects on her identity and the Korean food, language and history she shared with her.
Jacqueline Naranjo, senior coordinator of Academic Support & Engagement, nominated the book. She said that the book’s themes were resonant, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This book portrays a very authentic perspective on grief and loss as well as the experiences of someone navigating biracial identities,” Naranjo said. “In our post-COVID world, I think it will speak to students and community members who have lost someone dear to them. The book provides some catharsis because it discusses some of the more taboo feelings and thoughts someone grieving might experience, as well as coming-of-age and turbulent relationships with parents.”
In the FYE courses that the eight colleges, the University Library and Career Center offer, first-year students spend time getting to know their major, exploring campus resources, and learning what being a college student entails.
In addition to reading “Crying in H Mart,” all students can participate in an annual writing contest on the book’s themes. FYE students will also participate in a Signature Polytechnic Experience (PolyX) within their FYE courses and present their work at the PolyX Showcase. Information about these opportunities will be available on the FYE website.
Since 2007, the FYE community has grown with new students, faculty and staff engaging in programming. The Common Read is organized by the Office of Student Success and the First Year Experience Committee, comprised of faculty and staff across colleges and divisions.