9 Books by Asian Americans You Should Read in College
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May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and with the increasing hostility and violence toward Asian Americans, many are eager to learn and educate others about Asian American experiences, while striving to recognize this group's historical, cultural, and literary contributions.
In just the past couple of months, two deadly mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis claimed the lives of several innocent Asian Americans. These tragic events shifted the conversation about race and highlighted long-standing stereotypes and attitudes held toward Asian Americans, including the model minority myth and the questionable use of the umbrella term "Asian American" as a monolithic label.
As daily reports of violence against Asian Americans persist, and activists call for government officials to #StopAsianHate, this year's tragedies have revealed the ongoing struggle of Asian Americans to claim an identity that reflects the diverse experiences of Asian communities around the world.
This year’s tragedies have revealed the ongoing struggle of Asian Americans to claim an identity that reflects the diverse experiences of Asian communities around the world.
At the same time, we celebrate Chloé Zhao, the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for best director for her movie "Nomadland," a significant accomplishment for both women and the Asian community.
As representation of Asian cultural experiences diversifies, we must take advantage of more opportunities to acknowledge the harmful stereotypes embedded within mainstream American culture and work to understand our unique differences.
One important way people, including college students, can expand their thinking is by exploring contemporary works of Asian American authors. In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, here are nine notable books by Asian American authors that all college students should read to expand their awareness and understanding of different Asian American experiences.
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9 Books by Asian Americans to Read in College
The Woman Warrior
By Maxine Hong Kingston
It's been 45 years since the publication of Maxine Hong Kingston's "The Woman Warrior" (1976), a memoir of a young Chinese girl growing up in California living between two languages, two cultures, and two traditions.
Noted by The New York Times as one of the best 50 memoirs in the last 50 years, this work beautifully blends Chinese mythology and autobiography, expressly articulating the changing nature of inhabiting two separate worlds.
A literary pioneer, Kingston paved the way for Asian American immigrant stories to be accepted by mainstream publishing houses, helping to open the door for today's writers to expand our understanding of what it means to be Asian in America.
Everything I Never Told You
By Celeste Ng
If you love Kingston's "The Woman Warrior," you'll thoroughly enjoy "Everything I Never Told You" (2014), the debut novel of Celeste Ng, a Chinese American, New York Times bestselling author. Though Ng's name may be more familiar to students who've seen the small-screen adaptation of her second novel, "Little Fires Everywhere" (2017), her first work is a must-read.
Through its main characters, "Everything I Never Told You" addresses the complexities of being a multiracial Chinese American and of family dysfunction — an often ignored topic in Asian American communities. The novel opens with lines revealing the drowning of Lydia, the favorite daughter of Marilyn and James Lee. As the secrets of Lydia's life are revealed, the shroud covering her family's deepest, darkest secrets is also lifted.
They Called Us Enemy
By George Takei
Written by George Takei, an American icon known primarily for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original "Star Trek" TV series, "They Called Us Enemy" (2019) is a graphic novel and memoir that recounts Takei's childhood, exploring what it was like to grow up as a Japanese American living in internment camps during World War II.
The book's vivid illustrations bring Takei's experiences to life and shine a new light on America's dark history. The depiction of a barbed-wired childhood, as well as the economic and social impact of internment, helps readers understand the egregious loss of freedom experienced by many Japanese Americans.
Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America
By Erika Lee and Judy Yung
Offering compelling insight into Asian American history, Erika Lee and Judy Yung's "Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America" (2010) addresses the forgotten past of Angel Island, the "Ellis Island of the West." Nestled in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island served as an immigration station primarily for Asian immigrants to restrict their entry following the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
This work draws fascinating comparisons between Ellis Island, the poetic symbol of the American Dream, and the treatment of Asian Americans on Angel Island who were subjected to harsh scrutiny and hostility due to being perceived as a threat.
Interpreter of Maladies
By Jhumpa Lahiri
"Interpreter of Maladies" (1999) is a collection of short stories by Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri. It received the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 and also made Oprah Winfrey's Top 10 Book List.
This work explores the theme of identity — that is, what it means to be Indian in America, and what it means to be an Indian American returning to India. It also addresses the complications that arise when one tries to locate "home" based on elements of their heritage they find sacred. Each protagonist attempts to forge a new identity and make sense of two cultures.
In the titular short story, Mr. Kapasi, a tour guide, narrates the Das family's return to India as they take in the sights connected to their heritage. Mr. Kapasi soon gains the trust of Mrs. Das after he reveals he is also a medical interpreter for several Indian languages. This story, like the others in this collection, highlights the stark differences in cultural experiences — in this case, the lives of two seemingly disparate people trapped in marriage.
Edinburgh
By Alexander Chee
"Edinburgh" (2001) is the semiautobiographical debut novel by award-winning novelist Alexander Chee. In this engaging book, Chee delves into the the difficult topic of sexual abuse, a topic further complicated by cultural conventions of silence and shame.
The protagonist, a Korean American teen nicknamed Fee, is molested by his choir director after being promoted to section leader. Unable to speak out — even with his own friends at risk — he remains silent, resulting in the death of someone he cares for dearly. What ensues are Fee's attempts to shape his own identity while dealing with childhood trauma.
This poignant novel provides an alternative view of Asian Americans as something other than a "model minority," demonstrating how harmful stereotypes can cast a lasting shadow on those in need.
My Chinese-America
By Allen Gee
Recently celebrated as the 2020 Pushcart Prize winner for his essay "Old School," Allen Gee is an expert on the lives of Asian Americans living in the margins. In his collection of essays titled "My Chinese-America" (2015), Gee addresses complex issues that are often shrouded in Asian silence, such as masculinity, immigration, adoption, racial profiling, and the model minority myth.
By thoughtfully exploring what it means to be Asian in modern-day America, Gee gives readers clear insight into the complexities of how some Americans simultaneously bestow racial privilege on Asians while harboring negative stereotypes that promote racial division among minorities.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
By Ocean Vuong
"On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" (2019) is the debut novel of Ocean Vuong, a Vietnamese American poet and 2014 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. This coming-of-age story opens as a letter that the main character, Little Dog, pens to his mother, Rose. Though knowing she'll never read it, Little Dog writes anyway, inviting his mother to tumble through time with him.
This private-letter-made-public recounts Little Dog's life growing up as the son of a Vietnamese refugee in New England, and the complexities of their tenuous mother-son relationship. The novel lyrically slips in and out of memories that tackle issues such as abuse, culture clash, drug addiction, PTSD, and sexuality.
With these fragmented stories, Vuong invites readers to explore an often untold side of the Vietnamese American experience.
Crazy Rich Asians
By Kevin Kwan
Written by Singaporean American Kevin Kwan, the New York Times bestseller "Crazy Rich Asians" (2013) was so popular that it was adapted into a 2018 movie and quickly emerged as a renowned blockbuster. The romantic comedy is the first novel in a trilogy, followed by "China Rich Girlfriend" (2015) and "Rich People Problems" (2017).
The novel centers on Rachel Chu, a Chinese American woman who trots across the globe to Singapore, the homeland of her boyfriend, Nicholas Young. There, she encounters obstacles many second-generation Asian Americans face, such as not being considered Asian enough.
Through humor, Kwan's characters contend with issues like wealth, parental expectations, masculinity, and filial piety. Within the book's lush landscape, Kwan also highlights the beautiful blending of Southeast Asian cultures that makes this island-country so unique.
Feature Image: Oscar Wong / Moment / Getty Images
