One place to not start your reading is with Pearl S. Buck. Famous for her 1931 novel The Good Earth, Buck was a white US American woman who was raised in China by her missionary parents. While her intentions were generally good, there is a long history of her works being taught by way of introduction to Chinese culture and Chinese American literature. This is, as you can imagine, really problematic. For an interesting read on the massive influence of Buck’s work on American perceptions of China, among other things, check out Hua Hsu’s article “China in the American Imagination: A Survey of Ephemera”. So. Where should you start? That’s completely up to you. I’ve assembled a list of works written by authors from a wide variety of Asian ethnic backgrounds and spanning over a century. You’ll find short stories, poetry, memoir, graphic novels, essays, novels, and more. I’ve chosen to organize this list chronologically by original publication year for ease of navigation. Have fun!

Influential Asian American Literature

Not Finding What You’re Looking For?

You’re sure to find something to whet your readerly appetite on this list of Asian American books to read this year. Delving back just a little further, you might consider these 5 books by AAPI authors. Alternately, try listening to this podcast for a discussion of Asian American femme authors.

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