Brown Enough: True Stories about Love, Violence, the Student Loan Crisis, Hollywood, Race, Familia, and Making It in America

Brown Enough: True Stories About Love, Violence, the Student Loan Crisis, Hollywood, Race, Familia, and Making It in America by Christopher Rivas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brown Enough: True Stories about Love, Violence, the Student Loan Crisis, Hollywood, Race, Familia, and Making It in America by Christopher Rivas is a very honest and soulful take on race in America from a Brown man. Discussing everything from colorism to homelesseness to dating. Rivas was not afraid to admit what made him grow and showed his vulnerable side.

The way the book opens really stuck with me. Rivas talks about seeing Ta-Nehisi Coates speak about racism in America being a very black-and-white issue, one that leaves little room for all that comes in between. As a Black woman, my experience is really black-and-white, so reading this book really opened my eyes to other experiences.

One of my favorite essays in the collection is Rivas going over his reflections of being a writer. I really connect with the message about learning and being vulnerable in such a public way. Even putting together this book, he ran the risk of disturbing relationships by revealing things about himself and the people he loves and has loved.

Rivas’s writing is so down to earth and relatable, but sensitive at the same time. I listened to the audiobook, and I really liked the animation he brought to the story. I also liked how he was inviting but not alienating. There is a fine balance between leaving things internal for the culture and over explaining things to people outside of the culture that is alienating for your own people. Rivas strikes that balance well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I could connect to it on a personal level, even though I am not Latinx. In Brown Enough you can see into the in-between of black and white.

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