Resources

Asian American/Pacific Islander History/Narrative Basics 

Where “Asian American” Comes From 

• Are You “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It's Complicated. | A People's History of Asian America (PBS Voices) 

Arab American/Middle Eastern American Experience 

While Arab Americans are often not considered a part of the Asian American community, Arab countries are within the Asian continent, which we believe should use this platform to share their stories. 

• Don't Erase Me: The Modern Arab American | Jeremiah Stinnett | 

• Misconception of Middle Eastern Culture and Religion | Melika Rahmani

• The Cloak of Invisibility: MENA Representation in the US | Parwana Khazi

• ARAB | How You See Me

• Arab American Institute Library 

Labor – Coolies 

• “A History Of Indentured Labor Gives 'Coolie' Its Sting” (NPR) 

Bengali Harlem 

• Bengali Harlem: the book (JSTOR)

• Bengali Harlem: the Website 

Chinese Exclusion Act 

• The dark history of the Chinese Exclusion Act - Robert Chang (YouTube- TedEd) 

Fight for Citizenship 

• United States. V. Wong Kim Ark (PBS) 

• Bhagat Singh Thind v. USA (Immigration History) 

• Ozawa v. United States (Immigration History) 

Figures to Know

• A Young Organizer's Guide to Asian American Activists

Guam 

• How The U.S. Territory Of Guam Became An American Colony | AJ+

• Inside Indigenous Life In A U.S Territory | AJ+

Hawai’i 

• The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii - Sydney Iaukea (YouTube, TedEd) 

• Meet the native Hawaiians fighting U.S. occupation | AJ+ (YouTube) 

• Timeline of Hawai’i Labor History (University of Hawai’i) 

Model Minority Myth 

• Model Minority Myth History Timeline (Densho) 

• Adam Ruins Everything - How America Created the “Model Minority” Myth (YouTube) (History and Stereotype Breakdowns) 

• 'Model Minority Myth’ Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks

Japanese Incarceration 

• Ugly History: Japanese American incarceration camps - Densho (YouTube) 

• I Know What Incarceration Does to Families. It Happened to Mine (NYT)

Immigration History

• Immigration Act of 1917 Bans Asians, Other Non-White People from Entering U.S. (Equal Justice Initiative) 

• Legacies of the 1965 Immigration Act (How It Impacted South Asian Americans)  (SAADA)

South Asian American History 

• Quick Overview Paper– The History of South Asians in the United States (PDF) 

• The Bellingham Riots (Washington University) 

• Sikhs in America (PBS)

Filipino American History 

• A Filipino American Story Since 1587

• Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland (PBS)

Third World Liberation Front 

• The Third World Liberation Front and the Origins of Ethnic Studies and African American Studies Resource Guide 

Punjabi-Mexican Communities 

• The History of California’s Punjabi-Mexican Communities (Latina) 

• Punjabi-Mexican American Families (South Asian American Digital Archive- SAADA)

Vincent Chin 

• 40 years after Vincent Chin’s death, activists work to keep legacy from fading (PBS)

• Who Killed Vincent Chin: Civil Rights Activism (PBS)

• Voices: Who Is Vincent Chin? | NBC Asian America (YouTube)

Affirmative Action 

• • Affirmative Action | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | YouTube

The Asian American and Black Community: Allyship and Addressing Anti-Blackness

This is not an exhaustive list but a starting point that we hope will expand larger through community feedback and suggestions. 

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: non-exhaustive but extensive compilation of resources on how Asian Americans can address anti-blackness within themselves, friends, family, and their community. 

• TedTalks on Black History Month

• Examples of Solidarity 

  • Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X 

  • Grace Lee Boggs 

  • Asian-Black Solidarity Movements for Liberation (Asian Pacific American Smithsonian Center)

• Asian Americans and Anti-Blackness 

  • How the Asian model minority perpetuates anti-blackness 

  • 'Model Minority' Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks (NPR)

  • Unlearning Anti-Blackness in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities w/ Dr. Kim Tran 

Dispelling Stereotypes 

• • Data Disaggregation 

    • AAPI Data

    • Data Disaggregation Explained (ECAASU)

    • Inventing the “Model Minority”: A Critical Timeline and Reading List

  • Model Minority Myth 

    • https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/19/524571669/model-minority-myth-again-used-as-a-racial-wedge-between-asians-and-blacks

    • https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/model-minority-myth-says-asians-are-successful-dangerous-rcna420

    • https://time.com/5859206/anti-asian-racism-america/

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrDbvSSbxk8

  • Perpetual Foreigner

    • https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/aapi-perpetual-foreigner-stereotype/

    • https://www.gq.com/story/perpetual-foreigners

    • https://www.huffpost.com/entry/perpetual-foreigners-a-reflection-on-asian-americans_b_5810b616e4b0f14bd28bd19a

Informative/Representational Asian American Media 

Series 

• • PBS series 

  • Vox Asian American Identity series 

YouTube

• • how the Asian "Model Minority" perpetuates Anti-Blackness

  • Being Asian in America

  • Asian Americans Have Always Fought for Their Place in the U.S. | NowThis

  • The dark history of the Chinese Exclusion Act - Robert Chang

  • The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii - Sydney Iaukea

  • Ugly History: Japanese American incarceration camps - Densho

  • Are You “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It's Complicated. | A People's History of Asian America

  • Asian Americans: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

  • Asian American History In 4 Minutes

Podcasts 

• Asian Boss Girl Podcast 

• Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast  

• Politically Asian! Podcast by Aaron Yin and Gerrie Lim 

• https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/04/10-essential-podcasts-from-aapi-creators

• https://www.rd.com/list/asian-american-podcast/

• https://aapodcasters.org/31-asian-american-podcasts-for-aapi-heritage-month-2022/

Mental Health 

• • Wellness Center (Timely, etc) 

  • Asian American Therapy Group in Williamsburg (Link will be updated in the fall) 

  • Eating disorders 

    • Interventions: 

      • Health center

      • Support groups: 

        • yellow chair collective (specific for Asian ED)

        • sage and spoon

        • renfrew BIPOC support group

      • Meal support: 

        • attune Psychotherapy

        • Sunrise nutrition 

Sexual Health 

• • AASI Reproductive Rights Resources

  • Student Health Center provides free STI testing 

Reading List Recommendation 

• • For Beginners:

    • The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee 

    • Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture by Gary Okihiro

    • Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture by Robert Lee

    • At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration During the Exclusion Era by Erika Lee

    • White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race by Ian Haney-Lopez

    • Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae Ngai

    • Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki

    • Asian American Studies: A Reader by Elaine Kim

    • A New History of Asian America by Shelley Sang-Hee Lee

    • A History of the Philippines from Indios Bravos to Filipinos by Luis H. Francia

  • Novels and NonFiction:

    • America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

    • No-No Boy by John Okada

    • In the Country by Mia Alvar

    • Dear Twin by Addie Tsai

  • Pedagogy and Paradigm:

    • Forever Foreigners or Honory Whites by Mia Tuan

    • Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities by Yen Le Espiritu

    • Chains of Babylon: The Rise of Asian America by Daryl J. Maeada

    • Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson

    • Black Skin, White Masks by Franz Fanon

    • Can the Subaltern Speak by G. Spivak

  • Related Texts:

    • The Chinese in America by Iris Chang

    • Pau Hana: Plantation Life and Labor in Hawaii by Ronald Takaki

    • The Revolutionary Life of Yuri Kochiyama by Diane Fujino

    • Personal Names in Asia by Francis Alvarez Gealogo

    • Asian America by Pawan Dhingra and Robyn Magalit Rodriguez

Voting 

• • APIA voting trends (vote more!, pew research center) 

  • APIA vote 

William & Mary Organizations 

• • Center for Student Diversity (CSD) 

  • Student Rights Initiative at W&M 

  • Heart Fund 

  • APIM Research Project