15 books to read to learn more about Asian American history and experiences, in Seattle and elsewhere

Following the killings of eight people — including six Asian American women — in Georgia last week, Karen Maeda Allman, bookseller and author events coordinator at Elliott Bay Book Company, compiled this list of readings on Asian American history and experiences.

“This list is a starting point,” she writes. “‘Asia’ and ‘Asian American’ are, of course, contested terms so far as what counts as ‘Asian’ or ‘East Asian,’ ‘Southeast Asian,’ ‘South Asian,’ ‘West Asian’ and not to mention the umbrella term, ‘AAPIA’ (Asian American Pacific Islander American). Many more stories have been told, are being told, will be told (and should be told).”

Here is the list compiled by Allman, with some of her comments:

Laura Atkins, Stan Yogi and Yutaka Houlette
“Fred Korematsu Speaks Up” 
“Graphic novel about the Japanese American incarceration and activism for grades 5-8.”

Amy Bhatt and Nalini Iyer
“Roots & Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest“

Edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
“Go Home!“

Thi Bui
“The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir“

Jeff Chang
“We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation“
“A short book examining the consequences of racial and economic segregation. Written as a response (and a call to action) post Ferguson.”

Ron Chew
“My Unforgotten Seattle“
“So much of our local history is written about in this book.”

Doug Chin
“Seattle’s International District: the Making of a Pan-Asian American Community“

Cathy Park Hong
“Minor Feelings: an Asian American Reckoning“
“I think this book is a must read, especially the first chapter.”

Erika Lee
“The Making of Asian America: A History“

Erika Lee
“America for Americans: a History of Xenophobia in the United States“

Edited by Viet Thanh Nguyen
“The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives“

Ronald Takaki
“A Different Mirror for Young People: a History of Multicultural America” (based on his classic book, “A Different Mirror”)

Ronald Takaki
“Strangers from a Distant Shore: a History of Asian Americans“

Marie Rose Wong
“Building Tradition: Pan-Asian Seattle and Life in the Residential Hotels“

Helen Zia
“Asian American Dreams“