A coworker of Bronca, Jess, and Veneza at the Bronx Art Center, Yijing dislikes and fights with Bronca—who retaliates against her by “slut-shaming” her, alluding to her previous sexual liaison with Raul, the Center’s board development chair. Yet when members of a racist right-wing art collective, the Alt Artistes, publish Bronca’s home address online, Yijing offers to let Bronca stay with her. Yijing thus shows how principled political solidarity with other marginalized people can trump personal dislike.
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Yijing Character Timeline in The City We Became
The timeline below shows where the character Yijing appears in The City We Became. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: Boogie-Down Bronca and the Bathroom Stall of Doom
Bronca bursts into a bathroom and calls out “Becky.” At the mirror, Yijing demands Bronca call her by her actual name. Bronca accuses Yijing of submitting a grant...
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Bronca and Yijing’s coworker Jess comes into the bathroom to tell them everyone can hear them. Once Yijing...
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...turning in the widening gyre’” and laugh. Realizing someone in a stall heard her and Yijing, Bronca apologizes. The Woman says Yijing should respect her elders. Bronca asks whether she and...
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Chapter 6: The Interdimensional Art Critic Dr. White
...an (almost entirely white) artists’ collective led by a man she dubs Strawberry Manbun. Jess, Yijing, and the Center’s assistant Veneza are there. After looking at the art, Bronca asks, “Are...
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...coined to describe Asian New Yorkers in Chinatown, whom he believed were clever but soulless. Yijing chimes in that, in the same letter, Lovecraft also expressed virulent prejudice against Black, Jewish,...
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Yijing, furious that racist white men would try to force bigoted art into a gallery “run...
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...other internet-based harassment. The women work on protecting themselves online until late; then Jess and Yijing head home.
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Veneza asks why she could see the paint creatures when Yijing, Jess, and the Alt Artistes seemed unable to. Bronca tells her some people are “closer...
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Chapter 9: A Better New York Is in Sight
...philanthropists, and doctors who sterilize Native American women on reservations. She resolves not to call Yijing Becky again—she’ll only use it on people deserving of it.
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Yijing, Jess, and Veneza are now in the Center. Bronca puts Raul on speakerphone so they...
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Veneza tells the others they’ve been doxed and shows them a forum on her laptop. Yijing, scanning the dates on the posts, realizes the Alt Artistes planned the hate campaign before...
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Yijing says that the Center needs to start its own online campaign to counter the Alt...
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...the Better New York Foundation’s donation and keep Bronca as director. While Veneza is overjoyed, Yijing is angry, pointing out that the board was only bowing to internet pressure. Bronca tells...
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Chapter 11: Yeah, So, About That Whole Teamwork Thing
...vision. She leaves the room (with the others following), goes to her office, and sees Yijing has left her a note reading “600K in new donations!!.” Searching through a book in...
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