ASIA HISTORY/IDENTITY, ANTI-ASIAN RACISM

Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) History, Identity, and Anti-Asian Racism Resources

As shared by the PEW Research Center, “the U.S. Asian population is a diverse one. A record 20 million Asian Americans trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, each with unique histories, cultures, languages and other characteristics.” Furthermore, the population of Asian immigrants to the U.S. grew more than any other racial or ethnic group from 2000-2015 (72% growth). It is projected that by 2055, Asians will be the largest immigrant group to the U.S. Asian American identity is complex and often suffers from the model minority stereotype, lumping the entire Asian diaspora together in broad categorizations that ignore the diversity of the race and the various struggles of different ethnic groups and communities. Coupled with the current climate of anti-Asian hate and violence (NYCPD reported an 1900% spike in 2020), we can see a greater need for learning, awareness, and understanding of the vast identities within the race. Below is only a sampling of resources to begin examining Asian American identity, including historical experiences, current perspectives, and intersectionality within the community. To share recommendations to add, please email antiracismparentteacher@gmail.com. -Maricor Chang

Websites

Teaching for Justice

“What Is the Model Minority Myth?” by Sarah-Soonling Blackburn. Mar 21, 2019
“The Diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander Identities”. May 18, 2020

“A nti-Asian racism in schools relation to the Coronavirus” by Coshandra Dillard. Feb 14, 2020

FACEism - Mission: Expose our often ignored history, erase stereotyping and move towards a better understanding of each other.

Specific videos of interest for group or class discussions:

FACEism: A Panel Discussion of History and Accountability (recommended program for reflection on the National Day of Remembrance) - National Museum of American History. February 19, 2021

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago

Support the TEAACH Act in Illinois
- The TEAACH Act will amend the Illinois School Code to include an Asian American History Curriculum in every public school in Illinois, ensuring that crucial stories and lessons, like the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans in the 1940s, are elevated. It pairs PBS Series (linked below) with a K-12 curricula, compliant with Common Core and National Standards, designed to be easily adopted into lesson plans and curricula.
Bystander Intervention Training

Stop AAPI Hate

Stop AAPI Hate has been collecting data on anti-Asian hate incidents since March 2020 after the “alarming escalation of bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic...The center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harrassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.”

“This report covers the 3,795 incidents received by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021. The number of hate incidents reported to our center represent only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur, but it does show how vulnerable Asian Americans are to discrimination, and the types of discrimination they face.”

National Museum of American History

Viral Histories: Stories of Racism, Resilience, and Resistance in Asian American Communities

https://americanhistory.si.edu/events/viral-histories-stories-racism-resilience-and-resistance-asian-american-communities

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

https://smithsonianapa.org/

Library of Congress
Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History through primary sources

PBS

Asian Americans Film series, shorter clips, and teacher resources
The Chinese Exclusion Act, American Experience
“Asian Americans Face Wave of Discrimination Amid Pandemic,” PBS Newshour

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

https://www.searac.org

“Southeast Asian American Journeys, A National Snapshot of Our Communities” Report. SEARAC and AAAJ. 2020.

South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)

https://www.saada.org

“Beyond the Muslim Ban” Sherally Munshi. Tides . Oct 2018.

National Park Service

Densho Encyclopedia

https://encyclopedia.densho.org/

A free on-line resource about the history of the Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration experience.

Civil Liberties Act of 1988 - https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988/

Chicago Day of Remembrance

https://chicagodor.wordpress.com

“Righting Historical Wrongs: Connecting Black Reparations and Japanese American Redress.” Chicago Day of Remembrance 2021.

Donate

Asian American Advocacy Fund - "A grassroots 501(c)4 social welfare organization dedicated to building a politically-conscious, engaged, and progressive Asian American base in Georgia"
Japanese American Citizens League - A national organization whose mission is to secure and safeguard the civil and human rights of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and all communities who are affected by injustice and bigotry...work to promote and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American Community".

Get Informed

Anti-Asian Violence Resources - Educate, donate, take action
REMEMBER. RECORD. RESPECT. - History of Anti-AAPI Violence and Discrimination (Museum of Chinese in America)
The Smithsonian - Standing together against hate

Resources for the AAPI Community

Anti-Racism Resources for the AAPI Community (Cornell University)
Asian Mental Health Collective
The Lotus Project

Books

As in any racial category, one book will never fully examine all the identities within the APIA community. These books offer insight into the nuance and intersectionality of various APIA voices.

Adult Non-Fiction

The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad 305.891 Prashad Civil Rights

Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White by Frank H. Wu 305.895 Wu Civil Rights

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong 305.4895 Hong Essays

The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee 973.0495 Lee History

We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang 305 Chang Community

Inseparable: the original Siamese twins and their rendezvous with American history by Yunte Huang 973.5 Huang History

All Saints: the surprising story of...by Michael Spurlock and Jeanette Windle 283 Spurlock Religion

Thoughts on the East by Thomas Merton 291 Merton Religion

The New Koreans: the story of a nation by Michael Breen 951.9043 Breen History

Nisei Cadet Nurse of World War II : patriotism in spite of prejudice by Thelma M. Robinson 940.54 Robinson History

Voices of healing: spirit and unity after 9/11 in the Asian American and Pacific Islander

community / editor, Icy Smith 973.931 Voices History

The Arts of Asia: materials, techniques, styles by Meher McArthur 709.59 McArthur Art

Asian Art in the Art Institute of Chicago by Elinor L. Pearlstein and James T. Ulak 708.1731 Pearlstein Art

South-East Asian Ceramics: Thai, Vietnamese, and Khmer : from the collection of the Art Gallery

of South Australia / Dick Richards ; photography by Clayton Glen 738.0959 Richards Antiques

Asian-American Writers / edited, introduction by Harold Bloom 810.9895 Asian Lit Crit

Dear Girls: intimate tales, untold secrets, and advice for living your best life by Ali Wong 792.7 Wong Humor

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversation by Mira Jacob Biography Jacob

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung Biography Chung

What About the Rest of Your Life by Sung Yim

Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia

Model-Minority Imperialism by Victor Bascara

Serve the People: Making Asian America in the Long Sixties by Karen L. Ishizuka

Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation: On the Social and Psychic Lives of Asian Americans by David L. Eng

Yellow Peril!: An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear by John Kuo Wei Tchen and Dylan Yeats

Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics by Lisa Lowe

Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture by Gary Y. Okihiro

America Is in the Heart: A Personal History by Carlos Bulosan

Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream 1899-1999

by Angel Velasco Shaw and Luis H. Francia

Virtual Orientalism: Asian Religions and American Popular Culture by Jane Naomi Iwamura

The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu

Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans by Jean Pfaelzer

To Save the Children of Korea: The Cold War Origins of International Adoption by Arissa H. Oh

Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco's Chinatown by Nayan Shah

Global Asian American Popular Cultures by Tasha Oren, Shilpa Davé, and LeiLani Nishime

YA+ Non-Fiction

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Graphic Novel Memoir) Young Adult Biography Takei

From a whisper to a rallying cry: the killing of Vincent Chin and the trial that galvanized the

Asian American movement by Paula Yoo Young Adult 305.895 Yoo Civil Rights

A thousand beginnings and endings: fifteen retellings of Asian myths and legends

/ edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman Young Adult 398.208 Oh Folklore

Yell-Oh Girls!: emerging voices explore culture, identity, and growing up Asian American

by Victoria Nam Young Adult 305.235 Nam Relationships

Asian Americans: opposing viewpoints by William Dudley, book editor Young Adult 973.0495 Dudley History

Adult/YA Fiction

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Fiction Vuong

America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo Fiction Castillo

O beautiful: a novel by Jung Yun Fiction Yun

The chosen and the beautiful by Nghi Vo Fiction Vo

Swimming back to Trout River: a novel by Linda Rui Feng Fiction Feng

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto Fiction Sutanto

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Fiction Yu

Days of distraction: a novel by Alexandra Chang Fiction Chang

The unlikely adventures of the Shergill sisters: a novel by Balli Kaur Jaswal Fiction Jaswal

Erotic stories for Punjabi widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal Fiction Jaswal

Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig Fiction Craig

The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane: a novel / Lisa See Fiction See

How I became a North Korean by Krys Lee Fiction Lee

Across the Mekong River by Elaine Russell Fiction Russell

Hello Kitty must die by Angela S. Choi Fiction Choi

Unaccustomed earth: stories by Jhumpa Lahiri Fiction Lahiri

Bitter sweets by Roopa Farooki Fiction Farooki

Old filth by Jane Gardam Fiction Gardam

Equation for evil: a novel by Philip Caputo Fiction Caputo

The dark root by Archer Mayor Mystery Mayor papbk

I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson Graphic Novel Wilson

Internment by Samira Ahmed Young Adult Fiction Ahmed

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay Young Adult Fiction Ribay

We are not Free by Traci Chee Young Adult Fiction Chee Historical

Hani and Ishu's guide to fake dating by Adiba Jaigirdar Young Adult Fiction Jaigirdar

Not here to be liked by Michelle Quach Young Adult Fiction Quach

A taste for love by Jennifer Yen Young Adult Fiction Yen

The surprising power of a good dumpling by Wai Chim Young Adult Fiction Chim

The henna wars by Adiba Jaigirdar Young Adult Fiction Jaigirdar

Super fake love song by David Yoon Young Adult Fiction Yoon

The weight of our sky by Hanna Alkaf Young Adult Fiction Alkaf

Zen and the art of faking it by Jordan Sonnenblick Young Adult Fiction Sonnenblick

Dove alight by Karen Bao Young Adult Fiction Bao SciFi/Fantasy

The epic crush of Genie Lo by F. C. Yee Young Adult Fiction Yee SciFi/FantasyLucy Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung Young Adult Fiction Pung

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel) Young Adult Graphic Novel Yang

Almost American girl: an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha Young Adult Graphic Novel Ha

Displacement by Kiku Hughes Young Adult Graphic Novel Hughes

The shadow hero / story (Gene Luen Yang); art (Sonny Liew); lettering (Janice Chiang) Young Adult Graphic Novel Yang

Poetry

Sight lines by Arthur Sze Poetry Sze

Human dark with sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy Poetry Shaughnessy

The BreakBeat Poets, Vol 3: Halal If You Hear Me by Fatimah Asghar

If They Come for Us by Fatimah Asghar

Articles

“The Atlanta Shootings Fit Into a Long Legacy of Anti-Asian Violence in America.” Cady Lang. Time. Mar 2021.

“Largest U.S. Refugee Group Struggling with Poverty 45 Years after Resettlement.” Agnes Constante. NBCNews. Mar 2020.

“A Wave of Violent Attacks Renews Focus on Anti-Asian Racism.” Li Zhou. Vox . Feb 2021.

“Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Are on the Rise. Many Say More Policing Is Not the Answer.” Cady Lang. Time . Feb 2021.

“Coalition of Students Urge School Leaders Around Boston to Address Anti-Asian Racism.” Deanna Pan. Boston Globe . Sep 2020.

“Anti-Asian Hate Crime During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Reproduction of Inequality.” Gover, Angela R et al. American journal of criminal justice : AJCJ , 1-21. 7 Jul. 2020, doi:10.1007/s12103-020-09545-1

“On Anti-Asian Hate Crime: Who Is Our Real Enemy?” Michelle Kim. Medium . Feb 2021.

“Are Asian Americans Even People of Color?” Chip Chang. Medium . May 2019.

APIA Voices and Perspectives in Social Media

Often not covered by mainstream media or in history books, these APIA voices and/or allies act to bring awareness and are a great starting point for further research.

@stopaapihate Asian Americans Demand Action

@michellekimkim Excerpts from On Anti-Asian Hate Crime: Who Is Our Real Enemy? (See full article link above)

@teachandtransform Anti-Asian Racism and Discrimination Did Not Start with COVID-19 (Part I Historical Court Cases)

@teachandtransform Anti-Asian Racism and Discrimination Did Not Start with COVID-19 (Part II: Historical AAPI Struggle)

@dearasianamericans on The Importance of Black History in Asian American History

@dearasianyouth on Black and Asian History and Solidarity

@beyonka Writing a New Story: Asian and Black Solidarity
@myles.tho on Recent attacks on Asian Americans, solidarity, resources, and activism

@amandangocnguyen on Apathy toward Violence Against Asian Americans on MSNBC

@racismisavirus Interview with @danieldaekim on anti-Asian hate and mutual allyship

@morethanyellowblog quoting Jeremy Lin on this generation’s views on anti-Asian hate

@ckyourprivelge on Activist Grace Lee Boggs

@aapiwomenlead on The History of Asian American Activism

@asianlitforkids on Who tells a story and #ownvoices

@tonyrosaspeaks on The Brown Asian American Movement and Colorism in Asian American Representation

Indian Valley Public Library

Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) History, Identity, and Anti-Asian Racism Resources

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