New Release
I Belong Here
Living the Life I was Born for in America
An estimated 4.5 million women have been bullied with guns, according to The Trace, an online group which investigates gun violence. I BELONG HERE—LIVING THE LIFE I WAS BORN FOR IN AMERICA tells the story of one of those women, beginning with the night Helen H Yee faces a masked gunman inside her car. Yee is no stranger to harassment. As a Chinese immigrant, bullying had plagued her formative years, but no longer does she passively accept it. Relying on years of martial arts training, she quickly forms a strategy based on the wise advice, “never go to a second location.”
Written with candor and aplomb, I BELONG HERE follows Yee’s journey from a cloistered Chinese childhood into mainstream 1960s midwestern America, navigating between dual cultures and revealing events that cause her to reimagine traditional concepts of family. Yee courageously pursues her own version of love and romance while training for the Olympic Taekwondo Team and discovers the destiny-changing power of massage and acupuncture and a future calling. In the current climate of Asian disdain, Yee’s unfathomable resilience and daring approach to personal and business challenges will inspire not only Asians, but cross over racial lines to those who feel beaten down by haters, bullies, and mockers. She offers a fresh vision to those seeking the hope of a brighter future. Optimistic and uplifting, I BELONG HERE encourages all readers to find their inner strength, identity, and the fullness of their destiny.
"Helen Yee exemplifies what it means to be a resilient immigrant. In her book, I Belong Here, she shares her life's experiences that have led to her success. Her secret? You will have to read the book! It is full of wisdom and insight that will help you succeed as well. I Belong Here is a story you can read over and over again - I did!"
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~Joy Lagunzad Kouns Lewis, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SPC, RCC Executive Director, Asian American Commerce Group
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"I am not surprised the inimitable force of nature that is Helen Ye took our sequestered pandemic time to gather her thoughts and experiences to write this inspiring memoir. . thanks for being and sharing yourself."
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~Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, Funeral Director and Franklin County Ohio Elected Official
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"Despite the cultural dislocation from her Chinese heritage, Helen's journey provides interesting insights into the influence of her grandfather's traditional beliefs and inner wisdom, which she inherited. Told with heart, candor, and good humor, I Belong Here is a gift of knowledge gained and lessons learned throughout a rich and colorful life lived with a big heart and arms wide open.
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~Gail Carnes, Chair, Crafts Council of the Northern Territory, Australia
​"As an athlete, artist, actor, author, activist, musician,entrepreneur, and civic leader, Helen has excelled by beingunabashedly who she is. Helen Yee's story of claiming herAmerican heritage, while proudly embracing her Asian roots,is joyful and uplifting."
~Sunny Graff, Senior Grandmaster, Taekwondo and Arnis Feminist Self-Defense Pioneer, Activist, Lawyer, Author