Books and Movies About Asian American & Pacific Islanders

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Join us during the month of May as we recognize and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Below is a short list of books and movies you may enjoy. Click on the titles below to find them at your library and visit WNPL’s catalog to find more.


Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month History

AAPI History

Adult

Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Sho Fled Mao’s Revolution by Helen Zia

The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee (on Hoopla)

Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia by Christina Thompson

One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle Over American Immigration, 1924-1965 by Jia Lynn Yang

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

The Bridge on the River Kwai (DVD)

Awake: The Life of Yogananda (DVD)

Youth

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, et. al

Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston 

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park


Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Stories

AAPI Stories

Adult 

Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Masood

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir by T Kira Madden

Demon. Volume 1 by Jason Shiga

The Farewell (DVD)

Minari (DVD)

The Joy Luck Club (DVD)

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Documentary)

Youth

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist written by Julie Leung

When You Trap a Tiger by Tai Keller

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey


AAPI NowAsian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Now

Adult 

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

Not Quite White: Losing and Finding Race in America by Sharmila Sen

Crazy Rich Asians (DVD)

Meet the Patels (Documentary)

Linsanity (Documentary)

Youth

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo

Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing by Phil Amara

Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj