Written by Nadia Nugent, Graphics sourced from various publishers.
In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Atlanta that took the lives of eight people, including six Asian women, people from all backgrounds are looking for ways to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. It was the latest in a recent uptick in attacks against Asian Americans. Between March 2020 and February 2021, 3,795 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported to Stop AAPI Hate. A study by the Pew Research center found that about 31% of Asian adults say they’ve been subjected to slurs and jokes about their race or ethnicity since the COVID-19 outbreak began. These are just the incidents that have been reported so far.
Attending protests and vigils, speaking out against anti-Asian rhetoric and donating time or money to various initiatives both now and in the future are crucial to combatting Asian American hate. What will also be important is how allies turn their activism into a sustained practice after the media buzz fades. Learning more about Asian American history and perspectives is a necessary step.
Asian American book Instagram accounts have created diverse reading lists in May for AAPI Heritage month in collaboration with other AAPI Instagram accounts. You can find some examples here and here. In addition to their recommendations, here are 10 books by or about Asian Americans you should add to your reading list.
“Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong
Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong uses her personal experiences to provide an unflinching portrait of race and racial consciousness in America. Part memoir and part cultural critique, “Minor Feelings” was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR.
“Heartbeat of Struggle: the Revolutionary Life of Yuri Kochiyama” by Diane C. Fujino
“Heartbeat of Struggle” is the first biography written about Yuri Kochiyama, an important activist in the 1960s. Radicalized by the treatment of Japanese-Americans post Pearl Harbor, she moved to New York and began her work fighting injustice. While she’s known partially for her association with Malcolm X, the book details her life, beliefs, and work beyond this connection.
“Strangers From a Different Shore” by Ronald Takaki
An important overview of Asian American History, “Strangers from a Different Shore” covers the early experiences of Asian ethnic groups up to the present day. It blends oral testimony, personal insights, and historical record to paint a nuanced picture of AAPI experiences in the US.
“America Is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan
First published in 1943, this memoir by Filipino poet Carlos Bulosan describes his childhood in the Philippines, his journey to America, and the hardships he faced while working and endeavoring to achieve the illusive American Dream. Working his way through the rural West, many of his observations on American society still ring true today.
“The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri
An important tale of generational conflict, resettlement, and immigrants’ experiences coming to the United States. The story follows the Ganguli family and their firstborn son Gogol as they navigate self-discovery, identity and belonging.
“The Making of Asian America” by Erika Lee
Another retelling of early AAPI history up to the present day, Lee provides insights and historical events that are often left out of traditional historical teachings. Lee also infuses historical retellings with critical race analysis and theory, a union that shines a light on otherwise ignored connections.
“I Was Their American Dream” by Malka Gharib
“I Was Their American Dream” is a graphic novel and memoir that amplifies the experiences of immigrants and first-generation Americans, mixed raced struggles, and the specific pressures felt by the author to fit into white culture. The daughter of Filipino and Egyptian immigrants, Gharib’s story uses personal experience and humor to illuminate a broad and modern take on immigration and the American Dream.
“Somewhere in the Unknown World: a Collective Refugee Memoir” by Kao Kalia Yang
While places like New York and California held allure to immigrants at the turn of the century, Minnesota has actually welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state. Yang’s retelling of fourteen refugee families’ experiences from a range of ethnicities provides centers the voices of populations often referred to only in statistics.
“The Farm” by Joanne Ramos
Written in a near-future capitalist dystopia, Ramos tackles themes of race, class, and feminism in a timely piece of fiction. The story follows Jane, a Filipina immigrant to the United States who agrees to be a “Host,” or surrogate, on the Farm as part of her pursuit of a better future. Once there, she loses all connection with the outside world for nine months. The story follows Jane as she grapples with her desire to connect with the outside world, and the life changing sum of money she stands to lose if she does.
“How to Pronounce Knife” by Souvankham Thammavongsa
This is a collection of short fiction stories centering Laotian refugees, as told by a Laotian refugee herself. At times bleak and other times heart-wrenching, the stories in the novel are timely portraits of culture and connection.
More stories can be found under the Instagram hashtag #standupforaapi.
