Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. If you would like to learn more about these cultures, please feel free to check out these great books and movies:
AC Library:
My Life: Growing up Asian in America by CAPE with an Introduction by SuChin Pak
Through a series of essays, poems, and comics, thirty creators give voice to moments that define them and shed light on the immense diversity and complexity of the Asian American identity. Edited by CAPE and with an introduction by renowned journalist SuChin Pak, My Life: Growing Up Asian in America is a celebration of community, a call to action, and a road map for a brighter future.
Classic Asian Philosophy: a guide to the essential texts by Joel Kupperman
Classic Asian Philosophy ranges from the Upanishads to the Bhagavad Gita through Confucius to Zen Buddhism, walking students through the texts, conveying the vitality and appeal of the works, and explaining their philosophical roots.
Crying in H Mart (A Memoir) by Michelle Zauner
With humor and heart, Michelle Zauner tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.
As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.
Amarillo Public Library:
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker (YA)
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (YA)
Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.
Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (YA)
Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.
With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.
Movies:
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.
Princess Ka'iulani
The true story of the life of Hawaiian princess, Princess Ka'iulani, and her attempts to maintain the independence of the island against the threat of American colonization. You may also find a companion historical documentary (Princess Ka'iulani: Crown Princess of Hawai'i - 2010) which chronicles the life of the real Princess Ka'iulani from birth to her untimely passing at the age of 23. Accompanied by restored archival photographs, readings from her private letters, and clips from the feature film, this documentary explores the Princess' relationship with her parents, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani, her many suitors, her years at boarding school in England, and her brave fight to save the monarchy of Hawai'i.
The Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai
Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai is a portrait of Hawaiian legend Rell "Kapolioka'ehukai" Sunn who died in January 1998 of breast cancer at the age of 47. Known worldwide as a pioneer of women's professional surfing, Rell Sunn achieved the stature of an icon in the Islands for her community activism.
More information about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month can be found on the following websites:
