10 Books with AAPI Representation

Published on 25 May 2023 at 14:37

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:

Image Description: People of Asian descent march holding signs that say "Stop Asian Hate."

Credit: Kareem Hayes / Unsplash via Webador

10 Books with AAPI Representation

  1. A Suitable Boy (Vikram Seth): Set in 1950, this book tells the story of a girl whose mother seeks to find her a boy suitable for marriage. Read or listen to this book for free through the InternetArchive or buy it on Amazon.
  2. Bliss Montage Stories (Ling Ma): This Indie Bestseller has won a collection of prizes. This book collects eight fantasy stories that highlight human and relatable elements like love connection, and home. Find this book for free at a library near you by searching the WorldCat database or purchase it on Amazon.
  3. Frangipani (Celestine Vaite): Set in Tahiti, this book is about a mother who works as a professional cleaner and her daughter Leilani who she puts in Catholic school in the hopes of giving her daughter a promising future. Read or listen to this book for free through the InternetArchive or buy it on Amazon.
  4. Heaven (Mieko Kawakami): This book focuses on adolescence and the emotional pain that comes from being the target of bullies. Buy it from Barnes & Noble or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
  5. No Honour (Awais Khan): This book tells the story of a teenage girl who defies the rules of her Pakistani village and, upon facing dire repercussions, escapes to Lahore. Her father follows, making the story an exploration of love and family. Buy this book from Barnes & Noble or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
  6. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong): Formatted as a letter from a son to his mother, this book portrays familial love and discusses masculinity and class as characters of Vietnamese heritage. Buy this book from Penguin Random House or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
  7. The Bone People (Keri Hulme): This book centers an asexual, aromantic Mixed-race artist of Maori and European descent. This book brings together mystery, romance, and indigenous identity. Read or listen to this book for free through the InternetArchive or buy it on Amazon.
  8. The Leavers (Lisa Ko): About an undocumented Chinese immigrant, this book follows Deming as his mother's disappearance leads to his transracial adoption and the struggle between assimilation and the need to hang on to family and heritage. Learn more about the book, its author, and where to buy the book on the author website or search the WorldCat database to find it at a library near you.
  9. This is Paradise (Kristiana Kahakauwila): This book highlights the need for home and a sense of belonging as it explores the islands of Hawai'i. Borrow this book for free from OpenLibrary or buy it on Amazon.
  10. Where We Once Belonged (Sia Figiel): This bestselling book is the first book written by a Samoan woman to be published in the U.S. A coming-of-age story, it is written in su'ifefiloi, a form of storytelling traditional to Samoa. Borrow this book for free from OpenLibrary or buy it from Kaya Press.

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