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Summary
Summary
Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.
"Chella chronicles the value in creating your own mold in order to reclaim your space and to feel represented in this always ever-evolving world, and he inspires others to stretch what it means to be human--and there's no right way."--Nyle DiMarco (model, actor, and Deaf activist)
"Full of heart, grace and precision, Chella Man charts his path toward himself in a world not yet equipped for all he encompasses. An affirming, artistic and accessible primer for anyone searching for themselves or yearning to learn about others."--Janet Mock (Bestselling author of Redefining Realness and Surpassing Certainty )
"Chella is the future. A total visionary and a wonderful example of a human being in every way. A master of empathy, courage, and growth."--Jameela Jamil (actress, model, writer, and activist)
"Navigating social norms can be so damn confusing and traumatic as a kid, but Chella shows that there is always a degree of dignity behind each step as we venture closer to the self."--Christine Sun Kim (sound artist and composer)
"Chella Man's journey is as compelling as it is brave and candid. I can't even imagine all the boxes people wanted to put him into and yet, he has emerged triumphant. His story will resonate with anyone who has a desire to be their true self. I can't wait to see the next chapter of his extraordinary life." --Marlee Matlin (Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress, author, and activist)
In Continuum, fine artist, activist, and Titans actor Chella Man uses his own experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color to talk about cultivating self-acceptance and acting as one's own representation.
Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists.
"What constructs in your life must you unlearn to support inclusivity and respect for all?" This is a question that artist, actor, and activist Chella Man wrestles with in this powerful and honest essay. A story of coping and resilience, Chella journeys through his experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color, and shows us that identity lies on a continuum -- a beautiful, messy, and ever-evolving road of exploration.
Author Notes
Renowned for his personal documentation of his experience in gender transition, Chella Man is celebrated for his motto "be your own representation." As a deaf, genderqueer, Chinese, and Jewish individual, Chella found he didn't have role models to look up to, and so he became a voice and a true representation for himself and for others. With over 290K subscribers and many millions of views on his YouTube video entitled "One year on testosterone: voice updates," Chella is normalizing the conversation around gender issues for disabled and LGBTQ+ youth.
Since leaving high school as a junior to attend college early, Chella has written for Condé Nast 's first queer publication Them , launched a radically inclusive clothing line in collaboration with Opening Ceremony, signed as the first deaf and trans masculine model with IMG Models, and was cast as a superhero within Warner Brother's DC Universe, Titans . He hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of what it means to be accessible, inclusive, and equal in this world.
Ashley Lukashevsky is an illustrator and visual artist born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, currently based in Los Angeles. Ashley uses illustration and art as tools to strengthen social movements against systemic racism, sexism, and anti-immigrant policy. She aims to tear down these systems of oppression through first envisioning and drawing a world without them. Her clients include Refinery29, Broadly, The Washington Post , Planned Parenthood, Girls Who Code, GOOD magazine, Brooklyn magazine, ACLU, Red Bull, Snapchat, Air Jordan, and Logo TV. Ashley is also the illustrator of the best-selling Antiracist Baby , by Ibram X. Kendi.
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
Deaf, trans artist Man meditates on his journey and identity in this brief memoir. Growing up in conservative central Pennsylvania was tough for the 21-year-old Deaf, genderqueer, pansexual, and biracial (Chinese/White Jewish) author. He describes his gender and sexual identity, his experiences of racism and ableism, and his desire to use his visibility as a YouTube personality, model, and actor to help other young people like him. He is open and vulnerable throughout, even choosing to reveal his birth name. Man shares his experiences of becoming deaf as a small child and at times feeling ostracized from the Deaf community but not how he arrived at his current Deaf identity. His description of his gender-identity development occasionally slips into a well-worn pink-and-blue binary. The text is accompanied and transcended by the author's own intriguing, expressionistic line drawings. However, Man ultimately falls short of truly insightful reflection or analysis, offering a mostly surface-level account of his life that will likely not be compelling to readers who are not already fans. While his visibility and success as someone whose life represents multiple marginalized identities are valuable in themselves, this heartfelt personal chronicle would have benefited from deeper introspection. Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author. (Memoir. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Are you a boy or girl? The authors of these entries in the Pocket Change Collective series (2 new titles) never let this question define them. In the small-sized books with profound impact, young activists give a first-person account of their genderqueer identities. Shorter, easier text makes their stories accessible for a wide range of readers. Continuum traces the life of Chella Man, an artist and actor who shares the intersections of their Deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish, and Chinese identities. After losing their hearing as a young child, Chella Man relates feeling like an outsider in both hearing and Deaf communities, as well as their struggles with fitting into a binary gender system. They conclude by discussing their continuing self-acceptance and reconciliation among their gender dysphoria, genderqueer identity, and the starting of hormones and the surgery process. This volume includes some of Chella Man's line drawings, which contain mature content. #OwnVoices stories for the real world.
Excerpts
Excerpts
PROLOGUE If I had been born during any other era, my story would be different. The world would not be ready to understand with open hearts or minds. To this day, many still choose not to. But whether they choose ignorance or empathy is up to them. My story will still be here; it will never be erased. It begins and remains with a revelation: All of who I am lies on a continuum. My identity cannot be encompassed by a single term. My ethnicity. I am biracial. I am both Jewish and Chinese. My gender. I am genderqueer, existing outside the binary of "boy" and "girl." My disability. I am Deaf with access to some sound through two cochlear implants. My sexuality. I am pansexual, loving beyond "straight" or "gay." I have not always known these identity expressions. To understand them, I first had to unlearn. It required diving deep into the systems that oppressed me, scraping the surface to expose them, and then studying their roots. And while it was terrifying, I understood that the communities standing by me would always offer support. That love and empathy (products of this ever-long process of discovery) can melt the cold, hard surface of the iceberg. Together, we will rebuild these systems around inclusivity and accessibility by embracing individuality and living our truths. CONTINUUM As soon as I could articulate my choices, I chose to paint my childhood bedroom blue. Looking back, it is clear that this decision was made in favor of the gender I wished to claim. Books and loose papers filled with doodles covered the floor--one thing that has never changed. From bed, I gazed up, scanning the edges of my ceiling, watching the blue meet the bare drywall. My body was engulfed by the tangled mess of superhero blankets as my pupils ran laps around the whites of my eyes, cycling through the routine in hopes it would shift my focus from the constant ringing in my ears. It was an eerie pitch, distant yet close, seeming to emanate from my mind. At times, I wondered if the incessant noise was my own subconscious, passing on a message. Its voice kept me awake, encouraging my futile attempts of translation. Enough, I thought, swinging my small legs over the side of the bed. I've never had much patience, although I have learned there are pros to this con. Letting my body drop the short distance from the bed to the ground, I walked down the hallway to my parents' bedroom. Every year, my parents insisted on hanging my sister's and my school photos down this path. Passing them that night, I felt my own eyes follow me, bright from the moonlight. My mom always advised us to sport our favorite shirt each year on picture day. "Screw formality," she said. "When you look back, you'll connect with the clothing you loved." Naturally, I chose to fill my frames with baggy Spider-Man T-shirts. Empowered to be in clothes I connected with, my smile was genuine. I wish this remained for the school pictures to come. Reaching my parents' door, I cracked it open. "Mommy?" I said, rubbing my eyes as they adjusted to the light. "Rachel! Why are you awake? What's wrong?" She rushed over and crouched down so we were eye to eye. My mom always tried to treat us as equals. "My ears are ringing," I heard myself say. A crease formed between her brows, and her shoulders softened. "I thought the ringing would have stopped after a week, but I'll take you to the ear doctor tomorrow morning just to be safe, okay?" "Okay." I hugged her hard and retreated to my blue room. Excerpted from Continuum by Chella Man All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
