Race & Social Justice Teacher Resources: Asian American Experience

Non-fiction
Age Range: 4 -7
Lexile Measure: 490
Available in print (LS Library).
Picture book biography of Tammy Duckworth, Asian American U.S. Senator from Illinois.

Fiction
Age Range: 5-7
Lexile Measure: 500
Available in print (LS Library)
"In this collection of four stories, Yasmin takes charge of some sticky situations! At home, at school, or out and about, Yasmin faces challenges head on with creativity and quick thinking. Whether she's creating a new recipe, finding a way to rescue a stuck toy for a little friend, or calming down monkeys (and classmates!), a clever solution to any problem is just around the corner!" - Publisher information

Fiction
Age Range: 8 - 13
Accelerated Reader: 2.3
Available in print from HSPLS.
Graphic novel about Indian American Priyanka Das who tries to connect to her mother's history through a mysterious and magical pashmina.

Fiction
Available in print (LS Library).
Tri-lingual (English, Hawai'i Creole, and Uchināguchi) picture book of a feminist fairytale about the origin of Okinawan hajichi tattoos. Back matter includes historical information.

Fiction
Age Range: 11 - 13
Lexile Measure: 730
Available in print (LS Library).
In Dakota Territory in the 1880s, half-Chinese Hanna and her white father face racism and resistance to change as they try to make a home for themselves.

Fiction
Age Range: 14 - 17
Available in print (US Library).
Maybelline Chen isn't the Chinese Taiwanese American daughter her mother expects her to be. May prefers hoodies over dresses and wants to become a writer. When asked, her mom can't come up with one specific reason for why she's proud of her only daughter. May's beloved brother, Danny, on the other hand, has just been admitted to Princeton. But Danny secretly struggles with depression, and when he dies by suicide, May's world is shattered. In the aftermath, racist accusations are hurled against May's parents for putting too much "pressure" on him. May's father tells her to keep her head down. Instead, May challenges these ugly stereotypes through her writing. Yet the consequences of speaking out run much deeper than anyone could foresee. Who gets to tell our stories, and who gets silenced It's up to May to take back the narrative.

Fiction
Age Range: 14 - 18
Lexile Measure: 890
Available in print (US Library).
Daniel, a Chinese-American teen, must grapple with his plans for the future, his feelings for his best friend Harry, and his discovery of a family secret that could shatter everything.

Fiction
Age Range: 14 - 17
Lexile Measure: HL660
Available in print (US Library)
Frank Li must date a Korean girl. When he falls for the smart and beautiful Brit, there’s one problem: she’s White. Family friend Joy Song is in the same boat, so they make a pact to pretend-date. How long can it last, and what happens when Frank and Joy find they have more in common than just their strained relationship with their parents? At the same time, Frank is dealing with elite college admissions, family tragedy, and his best friend's mysterious crush.

Fiction
Age Range: 14-17
Lexile Measure: 840
Available in print (US Library).
Filipino American Jay Reguero travels to the Philippines to investigate the mysterious death of his cousin, whom he suspects was a victim of President Duterte's War on Drugs.

Non-fiction
Available in print (US Library).
Poet and essayist explores racialized consciousness in essays on the theme of “minor feelings”, the tension when “American optimism contradicts your own reality.” - Publisher information.

Fiction
Age Range: 11 - 13
Lexile Measure: 730
Available in print (LS Library).
In Dakota Territory in the 1880s, half-Chinese Hanna and her white father face racism and resistance to change as they try to make a home for themselves.

Non-Fiction
Available in print.
A history of hip-hop cites its origins in the post-civil rights Bronx and Jamaica, drawing on interviews with performers, activists, gang members, DJs, and others to document how the movement has influenced politics and culture.

Non-Fiction
Available in print.
"Race. A four-letter word. The greatest social divide in American life, a half-century ago and today. During that time, the United States has seen the most dramatic demographic and cultural shift in its history, what can be called the colorization of America. But the same nation that elected its first Black president on a wave of hope--another four-letter word--is still plunged into endless culture wars. How do Americans see race now? How has that changed--and not changed--over the past half-century? After eras framed by words like 'multicultural' and 'post-racial, ' do we see each other any more clearly? From the dream of integration to the reality of colorization, Who We Be remixes comic strips and contemporary art, campus protests and corporate marketing campaigns, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Trayvon Martin, into a powerful, unusual, and timely cultural history of the idea of racial progress. In this follow-up to the award-winning classic Can't Stop Won't Stop : A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, Jeff Chang brings fresh energy, style, and sweep to the essential American story"-- Provided by publisher