Asian American literature

[citation needed] Common themes in Asian American literature include race, culture, and finding a sense of identity.

While these topics can be subjective, some of the pinpointed ideas tie into gender, sexuality, age, establishing traditional and adaptive culture, and Western racism towards Asians.

The mindset induced as a result of this juxtaposition of cultures creates some extreme cognitive dissonance, particularly among women of Asian descent.

Throughout the 1990s there was a growing amount of Asian American queer writings[8] (Merle Woo (1941), Willyce Kim (1946), Russell Leong (1950), Kitty Tsui (1952), Dwight Okita (1958), Norman Wong (1963), Tim Liu (1965), Chay Yew (1965) and Justin Chin (1969).)

"[9] It wasn't until the late 1960s that the term "Asian American" was created in an attempt to advocate for political solidarity and cultural nationalism.

[10] When this term was coined, it allowed Asians in the United States to better identify as a subgroup with shared concerns as well as articulate their individuality.

An Anthology of Asian-American Writers (1974), edited by Frank Chin, Jeffery Paul Chan, Lawson Fusao Inada, and others.

One of the defining features of CARP's anthology touched upon stereotypes of Asians as a whole: how published work did not receive criticism because the writing did not line up with racial views.

The anthology helped in the fight against cultural assimilation, which played a large role (model minority being the biggest example) in the day-to-day life of Asian Americans.

Perhaps the most important figure in the recognition of Asian American literature as a legitimate literary field has been Maxine Hong Kingston, whose work has earned widespread notice.

Her second novel, China Men (1980), is a sequel to The Woman Warrior and also describes the hardships of Chinese settlement in American culture.

Extending the theme of visibility to other ethnic and racial issues is a defining feature of the AAAS, but its main goal is advocacy and representation for Asian Americans.

Asian American Writers Conference at The Oakland Museum March 24–29, 1975 poster.
Reading the 1st edition of "Aiiieeeee!" in 1976.
3rd edition of Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian American Writers, 2019.
Maxine Hong Kingston Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley
American author of Chinese heritage, best known for the novel The Joy Luck Club (1989), which was adapted into a 1993 film.
Celeste Ng author of "Everything I Never Told You" and "Little Fires Everywhere," Ng addresses themes of race, identity, and family dynamics in her novels.
Jhumpa Lahiri acclaimed author, explores Americans and the complexities of cultural identity.