Super Short Summary

American Panda by Gloria Chao follows the coming-of-age journey of 17-year-old Taiwanese American MIT student Mei Lu, who grapples with reconciling her parents' rigid cultural expectations and her own aspirations. As Mei navigates her dual identity, cultural pressures, and anxieties, she learns to balance her desire for independence with her family's traditions. This novel includes references to anti-Asian racism, cultural stereotypes, familial pressure and conflict, identity struggles, body shaming, and anti-gay bias.