Reed has had enough. Outraged by the recent killing of a Black man by an Asian American officer, Reed is ready to drop out of college and devote himself to the Black Lives Matter movement. Because when the establishment is the problem, how can you support a system built by the oppressed and fight for change? Through a series of conversations with his mom, Reed is challenged to reconsider the meaning of allyship, the power of building a coalition, and the importance of balancing activism and enjoyment.

WHICH SIDE is a humorous yet profound debut about the significance of building a community and fighting for change. With less than 200 pages, Wong explores multiple concepts about modern activism that resonate powerfully with me. For starters, I appreciate that Reed signifies a faction of perfectionist activists that expect everyone to live in shame because of their privilege. "Unfortunately, it turns out it's hard to build a movement when you keep ejecting people for not being perfect." This quote so accurately reflects the importance of maintaining a coalition that allows people to make mistakes and grow.

I also love how Wong emphasizes that activism is a marathon rather than a sprint. While social injustices shouldn't have existed in the first place, acknowledging the difference between ideology and reality will enable us to stay engaged with our cause without burnout. Along the same lines, there are always multiple ways to fight for justice, and only those extremely privileged can afford to devote 100% of their resources to social movements. We can still live with intention and be an ally without suffering.

Wong brilliantly scatters these nuggets of wisdom throughout the book with Reed's and his mom's conversations. THE LIGHT WE CARRY (Michelle Obama) makes a great companion read. I immensely enjoyed WHICH SIDE and can't wait to read Wong's future work!