The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change Hardcover – September 28, 2021

Dear Michelle Mi Jung Kim,It was hard for me to write this review. I was caught up in perfectionism, and I was scared to miss something after reading something that I felt gave me so much. Here's my review, and to help me move past my block: I wrote it as a letter to you and whoever wants to listen.This book serves as my anchor when I get lost or frustrated. It tells me the truth about DEIB and calls in so many experts in our work. I appreciated you honoring others in our work even when folks are hidden.This book reminds us that our stories of struggle and success are valuable data points. I often hear people leveraging numbers, and the stories are just an add-on. A nice to have. And to me, the stories you shared with us made me feel and remember the numbers, hard data, and my why. Your stories have empowered me to own my truth even when it’s hard. Now, when I speak my stories, I tell the parts that make people uncomfortable. To me, the awakening for my audience is more important than the comfort that keeps folks stagnant. A pool of temporary movement v. the punch of consistent work. Page 84.This book has inspired me to write my story. Despite many friends and loved ones encouraging me to, I’ve avoided it. Mentally, I wonder how painful it is to go back and gather more details from my stories? Physically, I wonder how I can write while crying? Professionally, I wonder if becoming literally an open book will negatively impact my boundaries or safety? Still, I’m inspired by your truth-telling, provided how-to steps, and validations.The book helped me realize that my parenting practices correlate with things you share about allyship. Which deepened my relationship with my learning journey. Page 23. “It is a practice of accountability when we make a mistake or cause harm by reflecting, apologizing, repairing, and course-correcting.” OR When you say, “Allyship is a practice, not a permanent identity we get to claim.”This book made me realize that like my children, I love our folks. And like parenting, I mess up. Recently my child’s therapist told me when I curse, I trigger him. Sigh. Yes, I say "duck" quite a bit. And like DEIB work, I mess up.But it’s the recovery and ownership that keeps my focus. It’s the lifelong commitment I hold on to. It’s the hope in your stories and in the hope of others' stories I hold on to.What else?-Take notes. I have the paper version, and I have no regrets.-Deep and thick. Drink with a cafécito if you’re like me and read slowly!-Listen. I plan to listen to the audiobook.-Honest. Avoid this book if you can’t handle the truth.-Deserves action. Buy this book for someone who will do something good with the knowledge.-Spoiled. I wish there were a go-to facilitator's guide. I’m strong in this area, but I wonder how you, amiga, would've facilitated the discussions.-Accountability. If you’re not a big book reader, join a book club to help you process, learn, and take action from this book.Thank you, Michelle,-Katherine Castro, A slow reader, a DEIB practitioner with privileges including being able to see with my eyes and read in English.

This book is something I didn’t know I needed -- a whole-hearted reflection on tying our personal experiences to proactively creating a better society and culture. I’ve been grappling with how to better show up as a person committed to the values of social justice and equity, but it's hard work as a real, tangible daily practice. I know Michelle’s work on social media and am a fan but WOW… this tome is truly on another level. Michelle’s writing is always personal and accessible, but the thoughtfulness and insight (and vulnerability) Michelle shares when she has more room to breathe and write is a special treat for the reader. I’ve already brought up The Wake Up in so many conversations since reading it and can’t wait for more people to know Michelle’s words so we can all have tough but important conversations.

Michelle has a phenomenal gift of breaking down uncomfortable and difficult topics into something relatable and actionable. She leads with vulnerability in sharing her own struggles and journey of waking up and gives the reader permission to be imperfect (as we all are) and to followup their good intentions with real action.While reading this book, I went through an emotional rollercoaster ride of joy, anger, frustration, sadness, and hope. I felt seen in ways that I haven't been seen before: in acknowledging my AAPI pain, in the constant guilt I feel, in the back and forth jump between feelings of hope and despair.At times, Michelle leads through story and at other times she provides foundational history and lessons. Buy this book and have conversations with others to keep the learning and action going. This is an absolute must read for everyone.

Michelle Mijung Kim writes from personal experience on how she has navigated unsafe work spaces as a queer person of color into a transformative narrative and practical guide on how to be a responsible practitioner of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Mijung Kim writes with a voice that is inclusive, accessible, and knowledgeable of the ever changing language of DEI and even includes helpful footnotes to explain why she elects to use certain terms. Highly recommend for veteran activists, newly “woke,” or dutiful allies. This engaging and wonderful read is worth space in your mind and on your shelf.

Where to begin. Such an amazingly well written book that’s easily digestible and broken down into well thought out and well organized parts for any reader in any stage of their social justice journey to easily understand, learn and unlearn. This is a book that I will be recommending to all friends and family members and lending out to as many people as possible who might not yet be ready to take that step in investing in their social justice wake up call. With relatable and perspective fueled stories of both successes and failures in racial awareness, equity and impact, Kim offers thoughtful and purposeful lessons and knowledge that help a reader truly grasp the gaps of injustice in our world today.

This book is at once insightful, tender, hopeful, blunt, clear, shocking, warm, human, accessible, humble, unapologetic and excellent. Michelle Mijung Kim is able to provide overviews of important themes while refusing to overlook the minutae of people's important stories and experiences that make up those overviews. She has an incredible ability to create a sense of inclusion and belonging even when discussing difficult topics that might cause white people, like myself, to get triggered into fragility! We are a gay inter-racial blended family and my wife and stepchildren have experienced many incidences of overt racism (as well as the usual myriad of microaggressions). At a time when, as a family we felt somewhat defeated, this book was a beacon of hope, possibility and most importantly, impetus for ACTION! Thank you for writing such an important and hopeful book.