AAPI Heritage Month may be over, but the stories, cultures, and voices we celebrate during May deserve our attention all year long.
We often hear reminders to read queer books after June ends and to continue reading books by Black authors after February. The same idea applies here: diverse reading shouldn’t begin and end with a heritage month. Representation matters every month of the year. AAPI people are still looking for representation and recognition long after May comes to an end.
So here’s a little reminder: read diversely all year. Keep reading books that challenge your views and build your empathy. Read books with characters from the AAPI community no matter what month it is. Continue to learn and celebrate the vast cultures that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders bring to the table and support authors that are sharing their stories with the world and let those stories shine.
While these months celebrating the heritage and history of different communities are important, they can sometimes unintentionally limit conversations to a few weeks each year. True representation and understanding require year-round attention, not just a designated month on the calendar. So be a part of the change and remember to continue to read diversely and keep on learning and growing no matter what month it is. Because even when the month is over, the struggle is not and all stories have the power to build understanding, empathy, and connection every month of the year.
And with that little reminder, here are some of my favorite books that feature characters in the AAPI community to get you started 🙂
Great AAPI books from authors in the community
Light from Uncommon Stars
A unique science fiction novel that provides representation to a variety of Asian backgrounds, sparking conversations about true representation and intersectionality.
Crying in H-Mart
A heartbreakingly raw memoir on the loss of culture and the unique grief that accompanies it.
House of Sticks
A moving memoir on immigrating to the United States from Vietnam while tackling themes of the struggle of self-definition, familial expectation, generational trauma, and the quiet courage of coming of age.
Yellowface
A powerful work of literary fiction that sparks debates of cultural representation and when to draw the line of appropriation.
Stealing Buddha’s Dinner
A reflective memoir on the expectation and experience of assimilation from the perspective of a young Vietnamese immigrant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in a Black and White American
A thought provoking memoir about what it truly means to be Asian in country that changes your racial privilege and status based on convenience.
A Song to Drown Rivers
A historical romance that offers equal parts cultural celebration and heartbreak.
To All the Boys I Loved Before
This book offers a beautiful representation of the struggle of biracial people, and the journey of finding one’s culture and self.
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