May 2021 Virtual Display #1: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Text on a red background reads Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Clark College student library worker Austin Ada assisted in the creation of this post.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This month we recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Find the 2021 Presidential Proclamation here, and check out the official website, run by the Library of Congress, for more resources.

Follow the links below to check out some ebooks, videos, articles, and other digital resources. To access ebooks click the link next to “Get It Now At:” and sign in with your lab username and password. Some may have a link at the top of the page that says “Check for full text” instead. Non-library resources do not require a Clark Labs account.

Ebooks

Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader

The cover of Crossing Sidelines, Crossing Cultures. In the center there is an image of a river.

Crossing Sidelines, Crossing Cultures: Sport and Asian Pacific American Cultural Citizenship by Joel S. Franks

The cover of Racial Ambiguity in Asian American Culture. There is a drawing of a person with brown skin and curly hair in the center.

Racial Ambiguity in Asian American Culture by Jennifer Ann Ho

The cover ofQueering Contemporary Asian American Art. The background is a landscape image with waterfalls.

Queering Contemporary Asian American Art edited by Laura Kina and Jan Christian Bernabe

The cover of Making Asian American Film and Video. There is a black and white image of an Asian person with a film camera at the top.

Making Asian American Film and Video: History, Institutions, Movements by Jun Okada

The cover of American History Unbound. There is a black and white image of a ship in the center

American History Unbound: Asians and Pacific Islanders by Gary Y. Okihiro

The cover of Contemporary Asian American Communities. There is a drawing with people in the center

Contemporary Asian American Communities: Intersections And Divergences by Linda Trinh Vo and Rick Bonus

The cover of Cities of Others. There is a drawing of a city street in the center.

Cities of Others: Reimagining Urban Spaces in Asian American Literature by Xiaojing Zhou

Outside Resources

Articles

9 AAPI Women Who Have Paved the Way in Political Activism

“We’d like to honor Women’s History Month by recognizing the phenomenal Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women leaders who have trail-blazed and contributed significantly to building power for our community. These women have pioneered movements, authored key policies, and have led campaigns into the next century. They have shaped our country and inspired us.”

AAPI Heritage Month: How I Used Art to Find My Voice, Identity

“My life is an ongoing battle. I’m always fighting for my voice to be heard. Being Asian-American means struggling to break away from the racist stereotypes put upon us. But I will continue to wear my skin color and my queerness as powerful parts of my identity. Those two things — things that victimized me for decades — are now integral to my strength and contributions as an artist.”

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – May 2021

“The U.S. celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month each May. Through traditional and social media, in theatres, museums, and parks, various events are organized to draw attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander culture.”

The Climate Crisis for Pacific Islanders

“This migration represents a cultural loss. The land our creators made for us, the land that our ancestors are buried in, is disappearing underwater with more and more centimetres of land slipping away every year. Five of the Solomon Islands have been lost since the mid-20th century, and sea level around Palau is rising at a rate three times the global average.”

LGBTQ+ Asian Americans Battle the Intersectionality Amid COVID Pandemic

“’Those who were already vulnerable—whether you’re an immigrant, undocumented, or because of your gender identity and sexuality—the pandemic has amplified that,’ Choi told VICE. ‘Those who were suffering before the pandemic, their situation is worse off.’”

The Pacific Climate Reality

“Here’s the stark choice that one low-lying Pacific island nation faces: either relocate or elevate. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (which consists of 29 atolls made up of over 1,200 islets) is considering whether to relocate all 55,000 of its citizens (making them climate refugees) or to build one elevated island and consolidate its population there.”

‘Teaching is My Form of Activism’: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month | Teach For America

“Kiliona hopes to be the teacher he never had as a child: a teacher who affirms the identity of his students, and a teacher who shows young Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders what is possible for them by exposing them to scholars, writers, and professionals who share their background.”