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.

I Love Yous are For White People

by Lac Su

Publication year 2009

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Race & Racism, Asian Literature, World History, Biography

I Love Yous are for White People is a memoir by Vietnamese-American Lac Su, published in 2009 by HarperCollins. This guide refers to the first US edition. The title paraphrases Pa, the author’s emotionally distant and abusive father, who rebuffs his son’s declaration of love at the age of 14. Su writes in simple prose and organizes the material chronologically, relying on the power of his experiences as a young immigrant in Los Angeles to... Read I Love Yous are For White People Summary

Inside Out And Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature

The story opens in February 1975. Hà lives with her mother and three older brothers (Brother Quang, Brother Vũ, and Brother Khôi) in Saigon, South Vietnam. Hà knows her father, a naval officer, only through Mother’s stories and memories; he disappeared nine years earlier, a victim of the Communist Army of North Vietnam. Hà learns fractions, practices embroidery, and celebrates the start of the new lunar year on Tết (February 11). As spring and Hà’s... Read Inside Out And Back Again Summary

Interior Chinatown

by Charles Yu

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Nation, Justice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Race & Racism, Arts & Culture, Diversity, US History, Asian Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Humor

... Read Interior Chinatown Summary

Intimacies

by Katie Kitamura

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Friendship, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Art, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Intimacies Summary

Jade City

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Objects & Materials, Siblings, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Leadership, Trauma & Abuse, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Jade City Summary

Jade War

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Guilt, Revenge, Race, Family, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure

... Read Jade War Summary

Jasmine

by Bharati Mukherjee

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Birth

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

Told from the first-person point of view and in a non-linear style, Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine is about the journey and personal development of a young Indian woman as she attempts to assimilate into American culture. Influenced by Mukherjee’s experiences, the title character, Jasmine, plays a series of different roles throughout her young life.At the heart of the novel is the struggle to find one’s identity, and yet be flexible and courageous enough to reinvent a... Read Jasmine Summary

Journey to Topaz

by Yoshiko Uchida

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, US History, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, World History

Published in 1971 by Japanese American author and educator Yoshiko Uchida (1921-1992), Journey to Topaz is the first children’s novel to address the United States government’s forced relocation of people of Japanese descent to wartime prison camps during World War II. The novel follows the Sakane family’s life as they are forced to move from their comfortable home in Berkeley, California, to the Topaz War Relocation Center, a concentration camp, in the harsh Utah desert... Read Journey to Topaz Summary

Key Player

by Kelly Yang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Language, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Sports

... Read Key Player Summary

Kira-Kira

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Love, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Siblings, Social Class, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Grief & Death, Asian Literature, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, US History, Parenting, Race & Racism, American Literature, Children`s Literature, World History

Cynthia Kadohata’s first novel, Kira-Kira (2004), is a historical coming-of-age novel for middle-grade readers. The novel tells the story of the Japanese American Takeshima family, who live in the Chesterfield, Georgia, in the 1950s. The protagonist and first-person narrator is the younger daughter, Katie. The narrative spans seven years, involving the family’s move from Iowa to the South, where Katie’s parents become workers in the poultry industry. The narrative follows Katie as she awakens to... Read Kira-Kira Summary