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Table of Contents

Statement of Acknowledgement

This guide is written in the spirit of being inclusive and resisting reductive identity labels and constrictive historical perspectives. However, it can be misleading not to address the multi-faceted aspect of racial identities, and the guide creators want to intentionally recognize that the variety of Asian American experiences cannot be encompassed in a single label.  While we use the Asian American and Asian Diaspora to describe the resources on this guide, we do not mean to reduce complex histories and experiences to a single label or to ignore other racial and ethnic identities.  Additionally, we want to recognize the experiences of Pacific Islanders, who are often grouped with Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora without having resources or narratives reflecting and supporting their experiences.  The boundaries of identities are always in flux and are often couched in terms of the current systems of power that organize society.  Please take care to explore the resources included as a beginning point of inquiry into imperialism, racial domination, hate crimes, prejudice, and social movements, and not as a finite record of resources.  We also ask for continued work to improve the quality, range, and depth of resources for all minoritized communities. Please contact Shatha Baydoun at sbaydoun@miami.edu for further information. 
 

Chinatown Community Mural


Tsen, Wen-ti, Fichter, David, and Members of the Community. Chinatown Community Mural. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://jstor.org/stable/10.2307/community.14402217.

History

In 1978, a joint Congressional resolution established a 7-day period beginning in May of 1979 as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week." The month of May was specifically chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and the completion of the Transcontintental Railroad (May 10, 1869), which heavily relied on Chinese workers.

In 1992, the heritage week was officially extended to a month-long recognition of the contributions of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander Americans.

Origins and Influence



Origins and Influence was an exhibit showcased at the Otto G. Richter Library through the months of April and May 2014. Featured in the exhibit were items from the UM Anime Club, AASA, University of Miami Libraries Special Collections, as well as items from the collection. 

AAPI Heritage Month online

Library of Congress

United States Census Bureau

National Archives: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Asian and Pacific Islander experience, and it highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media.

AAPI Heritage Month from Library of Congress and National Archives
Includes materials from the Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history.

National Park Service: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a rich heritage thousands of years old and have both shaped the history of the United States and had their lives dramatically influenced by moments in its history. Every May during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and our partners share those histories and the continuing culture thriving in parks and communities today.



 

Select Articles

Kim, Claire Jean. "The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans." Politics & Society 27, no. 1 (1999): 105-38.

"Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans." American Journal of Criminal Justice, 2021, 1-21.

Jain, Anupama. "Theorizing South Asian America: The Praxis of Locating Communities Locally and Globally." South Asian Review (South Asian Literary Association) 24, no. 1 (2003): 220-36.

Keum, Brian TaeHyuk, Brady, Jennifer L, Sharma, Rajni, Lu, Yun, Kim, Young Hwa, and Thai, Christina J. "Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale for Asian American Women: Development and Initial Validation." Journal of Counseling Psychology 65, no. 5 (2018): 571-85.

Brian E Armenta, Richard M Lee, Stephanie T Pituc, Kyoung-Rae Jung, Irene J K Park, José A Soto, Su Yeong Kim, and Seth J Schwartz. "Where Are You From? A Validation of the Foreigner Objectification Scale and the Psychological Correlates of Foreigner Objectification among Asian Americans and Latinos." Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology 19, no. 2 (2013): 131-42.

Select Databases

ProQuest Research Library
ProQuest Research Library provides in-depth coverage of the top 150 core academic subject, including 5,060 titles -over 3,600 in full text- from 1971 forward.
 
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDTGlobal)
Includes millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format.
 
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Indexes journal articles in political science and related areas.

JSTOR
JSTOR provides digital versions of the backfiles of major scholarly journals. 
 
Historical Abstracts
Historical Abstracts indexes and abstracts journal articles and dissertations on world history from 1450 to the present excluding the United States and Canada.

HathiTrust
Offers millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world. 
 
Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
Indexes a wide range of social science journals and periodicals with full-text coverage beginning in January 1995.

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies
 A comprehensive reference work in the fields of international relations and international studies.

WorldCat
Search the collections of libraries in your community and around the world. You can search for popular books, music CDs and videos, and other digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks.

Select Print Books

Select Ebooks

Chang, Gordon H., and ProQuest. Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.

Hong, Cathy Park, and EBSCOhost. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. First ed. New York: One World, 2020. Web.

 Joshi, Khyati Y., Jigna Desai, and Ebrary, Inc. Asian Americans in Dixie Race and Migration in the South. The Asian American Experience. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013.

Chang, Robert. Disoriented: Asian Americans, Law, and the Nation-State. Critical America; 11. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2000. 

Wu, Ellen D., and Ebrary, Inc. 
The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2013.

Lee, Jonathan H. X. Southeast Asian Diaspora in the United States: Memories and Visions Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015.

Okihiro, Gary Y., and Moon-Ho Jung. Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press, 2014.

Asghar, Fatimah, and EBSCOhost. If They Come for Us: Poems / Fatimah Asghar. First ed. New York: One World, 2018.

Pao, Ellen K., and EBSCOhost. Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change. First ed. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2017.

Select Fiction Titles

Select Fiction Titles

Kim, Eugenia. The Kinship of Secrets: A Novel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.

Okada, John. No-no Boy. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1981.

Chin, Frank. Aiiieeeee! : An Anthology of Asian-American Writers. Washington: Howard University Press, 1974.

Nguyen, Viet Thanh. The Sympathizer. First ed. New York: Grove Press, 2015.

Yang, Gene Luen, and Lark Pien. American Born Chinese. First ed. New York: First Second, 2006.

Kwan, Kevin. Crazy Rich Asians. 1st ed. Overdrive. New York: Doubleday, 2013.

Ko, Lisa, and ProQuest. The Leavers: A Novel. First ed. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2017.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

Kim, Susan, and Amy Tan. The Joy Luck Club. New York, NY: Dramatists Play Service, 2009.

Araki-Kawaguchi, Kiik, Gautam Rangan, and ProQuest. The Book of Kane and Margaret. Tuscaloosa: FC2, 2020.

Otsuka, Julie. The Buddha in the Attic. First ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.

Lee, Min Jin. Pachinko. First ed. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2017.

Children Books

Young Adult Books

Graphic Novels

DVDs

What's Wrong with Frank Chin? : a Novel Documentary
Documentary about the work and life of Chinese American author Frank Chin and his role in the changing perception of Asian Americans by Asian Americans and American society in general. Chin's role in creating Aiiieeeee!, an anthology of Asian American writers; The Asian American Theater Workshop and the Asian American Writer's Conference is discussed by numerous friends and writers who have been influenced by Chin.

A Village Called Versailles
A documentary about Versailles, a community in eastern New Orleans first settled by Vietnamese refugees. After Hurricane Katrina, Versailles residents impressively rise to the challenges by returning and rebuilding before most neighborhoods in New Orleans, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill just two miles away. [It] recounts the empowering story of how this group of people, who has already suffered so much in their lifetime, turns a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance for a better future.

 

Streaming Videos

10th Festival of Pacific Arts
The Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA) is regarded as the premiere festival of the Pacific. The festival provides the opportunity for Pacific Islanders to share their knowledge and experiences and celebrate who they are as oceanic people. This documentary gives you a glimpse of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts in American Samoa in 2008.

Asian Americans, PBS, 2020, 5 episodes
This series covers the history of Asians in America. Episode 5, Breaking Through, documents the civil rights movement by Asian Americans since the 1980’s.
 
Chinese in America, CNN, 2017
Lisa Ling explores the massive and economically diverse movement of immigration from China to the United States – and traces her own family roots, to find out what it means to be Chinese in America.
 
Hollywood and the Yellow Threat, Wichita Films, 2019
This documentary explores how Hollywood portrayed Asians, especially Japanese, during World War II and the Cold War.
 
Island of Warriors
Pacific Islanders
serve in the U.S. military in disproportionally high numbers and have suffered the highest casualty rates in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We visit Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, to speak to some of the island’s veterans. The men and women here are American citizens and serve in our country’s military at a rate three times higher than the rest of the country. We explore why Guam’s returning veterans say they can’t get the healthcare they need.

Nuclear savage
Featuring recently declassified U.S. government documents, survivor testimony, and unseen archival footage, Nuclear Savage uncovers one of the most troubling chapters in modern American history: how Marshall Islanders, considered an uncivilized culture, were deliberately used as human guinea pigs to study the effects of nuclear fallout on human beings. The film raises disturbing questions about racism, the U.S. government's moral obligation to the people of the Marshall Islands, and why the government is continuing to cover up the intent of the tests and Project 4.1 after several decades.

 

Project Yellow, Border2Border Entertainment, 2015
A documentary by an Asian guy about Asian guys and the stigma they often face. Yellow is a documentary about the Asian male phenomena perceived in the media and gay culture and how it reflects from their childhood.
 
Slaying the Dragon
A comprehensive look at media stereotypes of Asian and Asian American women since the silent era. From the racist use of white actors to portray Asians in early Hollywood films to the Asian-American anchorwoman of today, this fascinating film shows how stereotypes of exoticism and docility have affected the perception of Asian-American women.

Slaying the Dragon Reloaded
Looks at the past 25 years of representation of Asian and Asian American women in U.S. visual media -- from blockbuster films and network television to Asian American cinema and YouTube -- to explore what's changed, what's been recycled, and what we can hope for in the future.

Urban Love Poem, PBS, 2020
Explore San Francisco's history, from the Gold Rush and early Chinese immigration to the rise of Silicon Valley, through Marilyn Chin's poem of her San Francisco youth.
 

Podcasts

Dear Asian Americans
Is a podcast for and by Asian Americans, focusing on authentic storytelling rooted in origin, identity, and legacy. Host Jerry Won brings on guests from diverse backgrounds and career paths to celebrate, support, and inspire the Asian American community.

Self-Evident: Asian American Stories

Tells Asian American stories and each episode presents an in-depth audio documentary or radically open conversations from Asian American communities — across generations, cultures, and class.

Asian Boss Girl 
A podcast for contemporary Asian American women hosted by Melody Cheng, Helen Wu, & Janet Wang. It's no secret that Asian women are lacking in almost all media outlets, and those who are present mostly represent the fashion, beauty, or blogging industries.

They Call Us Bruce
Hosts Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.

Asian American: The Ken Fong Podcast
Explores the cultural, artistic, historical, and spiritual aspects of the Asian American community. Each podcast interviews guests across all sectors of society who are transforming what it means to be Asian American.

Asian-American Student Organization (AASA) - 1988 Ibis Yearbook

University of Miami Organizations and Resources

Asian American Students Association (AASA) (Facebook)
The Asian American Students Association (AASA) at the University of Miami promotes the awareness of Asian culture and the Asian American identity. Our goal is to build unity and strengthen communication among Asian and Asian American students, while educating the University community about our cultures and traditions.

Delta Epsilon Psi  (Nu Chapter)
South Asian social and service fraternity.

Filipino Student Association
The members of the Filipino Student Association associate ourselves to promote and provide a means by which the students, faculty, and administration at the University of Miami, can experience the culture, unity, and heritage of the Philippines and the Filipino Americans. We emphasize diversity as well as inclusivity, encouraging all students to enjoy the topic of diversity together.

Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers' mission statement is "To prepare Asian heritage scientists and engineers for success in the global business world, celebrate diversity on campus and in the workplace, and provide opportunities for members to make contributions to their local communities." UM SASE is here to help you reach your full career potential! From networking opportunities with Fortune 500 companies and perfecting your resume to landing an amazing internship/job offer, UM SASE is here to help you in any way to find success.
 

National Organizations and Resources

Care Package
Poems, meditations, films, and other cultural artifacts, curated by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

Chinese for Affirmative Action
Chinese for Affirmative Action was founded in 1969 to protect Chinese Americans' civil and political rights and advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Asian Mental Health Support
Provides resources to normalize and de-stigmatize mental health within the Asian community.
  Works on building a movement for social, political, and structural change for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls.

COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub
Translated resources on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for multilingual communities. 
 

Racial Justice Toolkits

Find more information in our Racial Justice Resources research guide

Stop AAPI Hate
A national coalition aimed at addressing anti-Asian discrimination amid the pandemic was founded by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department. 

Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit
Includes modules on racial justice training with resources on Black Lives Matter, the Model Minority Myth, gender and sexuality, and more.

Anti-Asian Violence Resources 
Includes resources and statistics on addressing anti-Asian hate crimes

COVID-19: Reducing Stigma
Information about the dangers of stigma regarding COVID-19 and how to prevent it, provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
 

Pan Am World Tours: Asian-Pacific Travel (1927-1991)


From Pan Am’s founding in 1927 through its closing in 1991, the airline served as an international leader in aviation and was a pioneer in the development of airplane design and technology, air routes, commercial passenger service, navigation techniques, and communication systems. Items showcased from the collection include official brochures, photographs, menus, and ephemera.
 
Items included are from the holdings of the Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records, University of Miami Libraries Special Collections.

    

Online Archives


Asia Art Archive
With one of the most valuable growing collections of material on the recent history of art from Asia, freely available from their website and onsite library, AAA builds tools and communities to collectively expand knowledge through research, residency, and educational programmes.

Japan Center for Asian Historical Records
JACAR has built and operates an online database for releasing Asian historical records, that are historical documents of Japan concerning to the modern Japanese relations with other countries, particularly those in Asia. The documents of the archive are provided by the National Archives of Japan, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and the National Institute for Defense Studies of the Ministry of Defense of Japan.

Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive (JARDA)
The Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives (JARDA) contains thousands of primary sources documenting Japanese American internment

Korean American Digital Archive
The Korean American Digital Archive brings more than 13,000 pages of documents, over 1,900 photographs, and about 180 sound files together in one searchable collection that documents the Korean American community during the period of resistance to Japanese rule in Korea and reveal the organizational and private experience of Koreans in America between 1903 and 1965.
 

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Library of Congress: Asian Division Digital Collections
The Asian Division has an on-going effort, in cooperation with the Library’s digitization initiative and external partners, to digitize select items from its collections of high research value. Many items in the digital collections are rare materials, some of which are the most valuable titles and editions dating back to the 11th or 12th century and are the only extant copies in the world. Also included are contemporary materials in the public domain that cover all manner of topics and offer insights into the study of multiple facets of Asian countries and peoples.

Smithsonian: Asian Pacific American Center
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is a migratory museum that brings history, art and culture to you through innovative community-focused experiences.

South Asian American Digital Archive
SAADA digitally documents, preserves, and shares stories of South Asian Americans.

Southeast Asian Archive
The UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive collects, preserves, and makes accessible primary and secondary source materials documenting the history of the Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese diaspora. Collection strengths include Southeast Asian American experiences of resettlement and community formations since the Vietnam War, Cambodian Genocide, and geopolitical turmoil in the former French-occupied "Indochina" in the latter half of the 20th century.