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.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Science / Nature, Animals


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ


Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Japanese Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy

In The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, co-authors Douglas Abrams, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu share their discussion on the nature of joy and the methods to achieve it in the face of adversity. Originally published in 2016, this work falls within the genre of spiritual and self-help literature. The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, and Archbishop Tutu, a leader in the fight against... Read The Book of Joy Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Food

The Book of Salt is a 2003 novel by Monique Truong. Set in the 1920s and 1930s, the novel focuses on Binh, a young, gay Vietnamese cook in French-colonized Vietnam. Binh flees Saigon, and after spending time at sea as a cook, he lands in Paris and eventually answers an ad for a position in the household of Gertrude Stein and her lover/companion, Alice B. Toklas.Binh navigates the limitations of colonialism while exploring his emerging... Read The Book of Salt Summary


Publication year 2000

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

The Bridegroom (2000) is a short story collection by Ha Jin. The stories touch on themes involving Chinese social life, the intersection of Chinese and American cultural and economic customs, and authority and the individual. The Bridegroom is Ha Jin’s third short story collection, and first following the success of his 1999 novel, Waiting. Each of the stories in The Bridegroom previously appeared in journals, such as Harper’s and The Boston Book Review.Other works by... Read The Bridegroom Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Class, History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, WWII / World War II, Asian Literature, History: World, Japanese Literature

Julie Otsuka is a Japanese American writer who was born in 1962 in Palo Alto, California. Both The Buddha in the Attic (2011) and her 2002 novel, When the Emperor was Divine, portray the Japanese American experience of internment camps following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The subject is close to Otsuka’s heart; the FBI arrested her grandfather on suspicion of being an enemy spy, while her mother, uncle, and grandmother were... Read The Buddha in the Attic Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, History: World


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Language

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Self Discovery, Identity: Race

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, History: World, Magical Realism


Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2019

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Disability, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, Asian Literature


Publication year 1978

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Gender

Tags Creative Nonfiction, History: Asian, Chinese Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

The Death of Woman Wang by Jonathan Spence is a nonfiction history focusing on four crises in 17th-century rural China: problems with tax collection; a widow struggling to protect her child and inheritance from her husband’s relatives; a bloody feud; and the attempt of a woman named Wang to leave her husband.It is from the last topic that the book takes its title. Although Spence does not use the term himself, The Death of Woman... Read The Death of Woman Wang Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Business / Economics, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Military / War, History: World, Biography

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe is the nonfiction debut of American journalist and author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, first published in 2011. It chronicles the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young woman living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, who became a fashion entrepreneur at a time when the rights of women were strictly limited. Lemmon traveled to Afghanistan to study... Read The Dressmaker of Khair Khana Summary