Words by Baye, Art by Miki
"A Celebration of Love, Resilience, and Creativity Across Cultures"
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​In Words by Baye, Art by Miki, acclaimed author Baye McNeil (Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist) and his talented Japanese wife, Miki, take readers on an inspiring journey through love, art, and life in Japan. Together, they’ve built a home and a story that bridges continents and defies conventions.
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For Baye, life as a visible minority in Japan presents its share of challenges—moments of cultural dissonance, daily microaggressions, and the constant reminder of his otherdom in a society where conformity reigns. But rather than being a passive observer, Baye has channeled these experiences into his writing, pushing back against the narrow confines of what’s expected. His voice has become a tool of resistance and self-expression.
Miki, his partner and muse, adds her own artistry to their shared journey. Together, they’ve forged a creative sanctuary where their differences are celebrated, their love strengthens them both, and their collaborative work becomes a testament to the transformative power of resilience and creativity.
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From laugh-out-loud anecdotes to deeply moving reflections on race, marriage, and belonging, Words by Baye, Art by Miki offers a window into the triumphs and trials of an intercultural relationship. Blending humor, vulnerability, and breathtaking visuals, this book is as unique as the couple at its heart.
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Loco in Yokohama
"Hilarity Meets Heart in This Unfiltered Look at Life as a Teacher in Japan!"
Knife-wielding schoolgirls, menacing schoolboys, and back-stabbing colleagues—welcome to Yokohama, where every day brings a new lesson in survival. In Loco in Yokohama, Baye McNeil invites readers into the unpredictable, hilarious, and sometimes maddening world of teaching in Japan. With sharp humor and raw honesty, McNeil pulls back the silk curtains for a no-holds-barred look at the cultural quirks, classroom chaos, and personal challenges that define expat life in the land of the rising sun.
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More than just a memoir, Loco in Yokohama takes you deep into the trenches of Japan’s educational system, where every moment is a story waiting to be told. From navigating the complexities of cultural misunderstandings to bonding with students who challenge and surprise him, McNeil crafts a vivid, heartfelt portrait of life as a teacher abroad. Hilarious, poignant, and eye-opening, this book is your ticket to an insider’s perspective on Japan—one you won’t find in guidebooks. Buckle up for a wild ride through the hilarity and hell that is teaching in Yokohama.
"Loco Sensei, as Baye McNeil is known, is the real thing- a teacher who loves what he does. These stories are an enchanting, warm-hearted romp through his experience of being a gaijin teacher at a Japanese school. If this book doesn't charm you, you may no longer be among the living!"
Barry Lancet, Author of "Japantown"
"After receiving good reviews from his self-published debut, McNeil looks to strike gold with a second volume of tales from his time in Japan."
The Japan Times
Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist
"The Heart's Journey: Battling Racism and Finding Love in Japan!"
In this powerful and controversial debut, acclaimed blogger turned author Baye McNeil (a.k.a. Loco) takes readers on an unflinching journey through the birth and evolution of a racist. With unerring introspection and candor, McNeil argues persuasively that the only way to cure this societal virus is by first acknowledging our own susceptibility.
Follow Loco from the streets of Brooklyn, where his childhood playground was the front lines of the Pan-African Nationalist and Black Power movements of the 1970s, through a period of black militancy, military service, interracial romance, and corporate bigotry in the 1980s and 90s. Post 9/11, Loco’s journey leads him to Japan, where he confronts the adage: You can’t hide from yourself.
In Japan, Loco meets the woman he was born to love—only to find she is a member of a race he has learned to loathe. This love forces Loco to confront his deep-seated prejudices, even as the world around him crumbles with the Tohoku disaster of 3/11/2011.
This book is both a heartfelt memoir and an impassioned call to arms. McNeil argues that while racism is demonized as a vice of the morally corrupt or the ignorant, it remains pervasive in our daily lives—hidden in plain sight in our schools, offices, living rooms, and even within ourselves.
"With humour, a refreshing breeziness and an impressively incisive and critical eye, Baye McNeil's Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist, manages to create the virtually impossible: an exploration of race and human intolerance for difference, that delivers honesty without the brutal, raw truth without the rancor, wrapped in engaging, page-turning, guffaw-inducing prose. In doing so, he skilfully defies the natural and somewhat knee-jerk claim that racism is never funny. Instead McNeil cleverly exposes it time and time again as clumsy, awkward and ultimately absurd."
Joan Morgan, Author of "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost"
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"A really remarkable and thought-provoking memoir about a sensitive soul's most unlikely route to a life-changing epiphany about the true meaning of racial tolerance."
Kam Williams, Syndicated Film and Book Critic