What We’re Reading: AAPI Heritage Month 2023

Celebrating AAPI authors brings much-needed recognition and appreciation to the diverse voices and experiences within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. AAPI authors contribute immensely to literature and provide a platform for marginalized voices. To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, we are highlighting five compelling books by AAPI authors that we are reading this month!

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

This book analyzes the historical origins of the "model minority” stereotype of Asian Americans.

Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures  
Edited by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Leora Kava, and Craig Santos Perez

An anthology of contemporary eco-literature bringing awareness to the threats that Pacific Islanders face due to environmental imperialism and the ongoing impacts of climate change.

Curry: Eating, Reading, and Race
by Naben Ruthnum

A book that reads like a conversation asking why the popular dish (curry) is supposed to represent everything South Asian people eat, read, and do.

Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader
Edited by Robert Ji-Song Ku, Martin F. Manalansan, and Anita Mannur

A collection of essays authored by twenty scholars that examine the ways our conceptions of Asian American food have been shaped.

America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States
by Erika Lee

In this book, Lee explains how xenophobia works, why it has endured, and how it threatens America. America for Americans is an urgent spur to action for any concerned citizen.

Krystal is the WhyHunger Communications intern. She has a background in nutrition and dietetics and previously worked as a school dietitian in Union City, NJ.  She is interested in social media marketing and graphic design. When she’s not working, Krystal spends her time cooking or looking for the best restaurants to eat at! 

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