Asian Americans in Story

Book excerpt: This important guide will help LIS instructors, educators, librarians, students, and scholars better understand Asian American children's and young adult literature in a historical, geographical, and political context. According to the Pew Research Group, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S.; simultaneously, hate incidents directed at Asian American individuals and groups are on the rise. Asian American children's and young adult literature, one of the most vibrant yet underexamined bodies of works in the larger body of literature, constitutes an important means of both encouraging inclusivity and celebrating Asian American children's heritage. In this pathbreaking guide, the authors delve into the context and content of Asian American stories for youth by tracing the development of Asian American youth literature and the ways in which these titles continue to diversify, with a historical overview chronicling how Asians were viewed and situated politically and socially from the first instances of immigration through the rippling consequences of changes in immigration policies; critically analyzing the complex issues surrounding the representations of Asian Americans in youth literature; exploring key themes in Asian American lit, including folktales and folklore, immigration, intergenerational relationships, cultural conflicts, multiracial characters, and binary/hybrid visions of culture; surveying notable titles and authors, valuable for collection development, readers' advisory, and courses in English and Asian American Studies; recommending numerous Asian American titles on specific topics for different ages; discussing publishing and programming with Asian American literature; incorporating interviews with authors, illustrators, editors, agents, librarians, scholars, and other figures in the field; and pointing out additional resources for further study.