Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature

In May, we celebrate the vital contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Explore this collection to find texts related to AAPI history and culture, including works by Ted Chiang, C Pam Zhang, and Ha Jin, among others.

Twisted Hate

by Ana Huang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Beauty, Self Discovery, Friendship, Family, Appearance & Reality, Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health

... Read Twisted Hate Summary

Unaccustomed Earth

by Jhumpa Lahiri

Publication year 2008

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Tags Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

Unaccustomed Earth is a 2008 story collection by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. Part 1 contains four stories with distinct characters and plotlines, while Part 2 follows the story of Hema and Kaushik through three different stories. Each story chronicles an important phase or event within the lives of the characters it addresses, and most of the protagonists are Bengali or Bengali-American individuals. Most of the storylines seem take place in the 1980s or 1990s, with... Read Unaccustomed Earth Summary

Under a Painted Sky

by Stacey Lee

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action & Adventure, Romance, Coming of Age, World History

Under a Painted Sky is a young adult historical novel set on the Oregon Trail during the 1849 Gold Rush. It is a debut novel by Stacey Lee, inspired by her own family history as a fourth-generation Chinese American. The novel won several prizes, including an American Library Association award. Her corpus focuses on Chinese culture and Chinese American experiences. Her other works with these themes include Outrun the Moon (2016), The Downstairs Girl (2019), Luck of... Read Under a Painted Sky Summary

Vietgone

by Qui Nguyen

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor

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Vietnamerica

by GB Tran

Publication year 2011

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Family, Fathers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Immigration

Tags Vietnam War, Military & War, Immigration & Refugeeism, World History, Biography

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War Without Mercy

by John W. Dower

Publication year 1986

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Military & War, World War II, World History, Japanese Literature

In his 1986 nonfiction work War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian John W. Dower investigates the racism between the United States and the Empire of Japan, as it existed before, during, and after the Second World War. The very nature and understanding of who the enemy was, for both the Anglo-Americans and the Japanese, presented in many forms. On the American side, there was an important... Read War Without Mercy Summary

We Are Not Free

by Traci Chee

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Friendship, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Asian Literature, Race & Racism, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, World History

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Weedflower

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Justice, Race, Shame & Pride, Loneliness, Family, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Equality, Fear, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History, Japanese Literature, Arts & Culture, World War II, Coming of Age

Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary

When Dimple Met Rishi

by Sandhya Menon

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Love, Immigration, Family

Tags Romance, Relationships, Arts & Culture, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

When Dimple Met Rishi (2017), a young adult romantic novel by Indian-American author Sandhya Menon, is focused on the blossoming love story between two Indian-American teenagers during a tech summer camp. It was widely praised for its realistic and original depiction of the ways in which second-generation teenagers react to their mixed cultures.Dimple Shah is a strong-willed eighteen-year-old girl with plans to go to Stanford. She wants to go to university to build a career... Read When Dimple Met Rishi Summary

When My Name Was Keoko

by Linda Sue Park

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Korean Literature, Children`s Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History, Japanese Literature

When My Name Was Keoko (2002) is a young adult work of historical fiction by Linda Sue Park about the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Many praise the novel for how it exposes this often overlooked topic in history, authentically portraying Korean life, culture, and perspective in the 1940s. Park wrote the narrative in alternating chapters from the first-person perspective voices of two Korean siblings: 10-year-old Sun-hee (aka Keoko) and 13-year-old Tae-yul... Read When My Name Was Keoko Summary

When the Elephants Dance

by Tess Uriza Holthe

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags World War II, Military & War, Asian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

When the Elephants Dance is Filipino-American writer Tess Uriza Holthe’s first novel. Published in 2002, it is based on Holthe’s father’s experiences growing up in the Philippines during World War II. The novel centers around a group of friends and neighbors seeking shelter in a cellar and sharing traditional moralistic Filipino legends that illustrate their resilience and the importance of stories for survival. The title is taken from a saying offered by one of the... Read When the Elephants Dance Summary

When the Emperor Was Divine

by Julie Otsuka

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, World War II, Military & War, World History

Japanese-American author Julie Otsuka’s historical fiction novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, was published in 2002. It is a short book, falling at the boundary between a novel and a novella, chronicling the experience of one Japanese family at an internment camp during World War II. The book is broken into five uneven sections: “Evacuation Order No. 19,” “Train,” “When the Emperor Was Divine,” “In a Stranger’s Backyard,” and “Confession.” The first three sections are... Read When the Emperor Was Divine Summary