Resource Update: 10 Books with AAPI Representation

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This month we celebrate and honor people of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage in the United States. We also remember harms done to these communities and promote equitable treatment of Asian and Pacific Islanders as under-represented minorities in the U.S.

Asian and Pacific Islander is a very broad phrase that refers to people whose heritage stems from anywhere on the continent of Asia and the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. This is very important to note because many people focus on East Asian heritage rather than including all the other parts of the continent and the islands. Many cultures, languages, and peoples are included in this heritage month, and all of them deserve recognition. AAPI Heritage Month has gained awareness and prominence in the last few years, likely due to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many communities held protests against these hate crimes and the racist sentiments that caused them.

You can learn more about Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the people it represents by visiting the websites below:

• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Understanding What the Term AAPI — Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — Means
• Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide
• How One Woman's Story Led to the Creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• The story behind Asian Pacific American Heritage, and why it's celebrated in May
• A Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023