Asian Americans account for close to 7% of the entire U.S. population and are the fastest growing group, but are underrepresented in many spheres of U.S. society, including in literature, history and culture. This negatively impacts public opinion and contributes to the entrenched biases toward Asian Americans such as the perpetual foreigner stereotype and the model minority myth.
In many local communities, there is a much higher percentage of Asian Americans than the national average. There is a real and urgent unmet need to promote Asian American themed books to increase public awareness of AAPI history and contributions in the U.S., to counteract existing biases and bolster our own community’s sense of belonging and agency, to give the young people today a more complete and balanced foundation in our collective multicultural history and narrative, and nurture their growth to become citizens of a more just and harmonious society for tomorrow.
Toward this goal, AAPI Reads strives to be the resource for readers and volunteers to enrich their own readings and cultural life, to expand the presence of AAPI themed books in local communities, and to spread the message to both the AAPI community and other communities, to both adults and youths, and to both immigrant “new Americans” and people who have been here for multiple generations.
Read more about ways that you can promote AAPI booklist to your local public library and your children’s schools.
