Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI) is celebrated annually in May to honor the contributions, culture and history of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and their allies.
Celebrate the month with these recommended books and films.
“Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now” by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang
“Rise” is a contemporary, comprehensive history of Asian American icons and pop culture. It includes colorful infographics, first-hand narratives, graphic essays and beautiful illustrations.
“Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me” by Lurline Wailana McGregor
This novel set contemporary Hawai'i examines a woman's relationship to her identity, her ancestors and her homeland during the aftermath of her father's passing.
“From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement” by Paula Yoo
Written for young adults, this narrative nonfiction book details a symbolic event in American history—the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin—that ignited the Asian American Movement.
“Rolling the R’s” by R. Zamora Linmark
Told from several characters’ perspectives, Rolling the R’s utilizes non-linear storytelling to immerse its reader in the story of a group of young Filipino American friends growing up in Hawaii in the 1970s. Full of pop culture and historical references, this book blends difficult topics, including the blatant discrimination condoned by the American education system, with the vibrant joy of growing up.
“Homeland Elegies” by Ayad Akhtar
A deftly written work of fiction told though a series of vignettes about a Pakistani American father and his son searching for belonging in a country fueled by capitalism and laden with xenophobia and discrimination. “Homeland Elegies” was named one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2020.
“Tales of the Tikongs” by Epeli Hau’ofa
In this short satirical novel, Hau’ofa follows several indigenous residents of the fictional Pacific island Tiko as they misadventure through life and resist absurd colonial forces.
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
In this masterfully crafted debut poetry collection, Ocean Vuong, author of "On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous," examines how love, loss, and violence affect emotion, the body and memory with fierce gentleness, queer metaphor and raw honesty.
“Because of You, I Am” (2023)
Running time: 30 minutes
PJ and Roy Hirabayashi spent over five decades using the drum as a platform to catalyze social change, build community from the ground up and champion a new category of Asian American music despite facing the unrelenting challenges of anti-Asian hate.
“Between the Lines” (2001)
Running time: 60 minutes
This film offers rare interviews with over 15 major Asian-Pacific American women poets. Organized in interwoven sections such as Immigration, Language, Family, Memory and Spirituality, it is a sophisticated merging of Asian-American history and identity with the questions of performance, voice and image.
“Breaking the Model: Stories of Asian American History and Presence” (2022)
Running time: 47 minutes
This collection of films brings together four different short documentaries exploring immigration, genealogy, gentrification and resilience within America.
“Conquest of Hawaii” (2003)
Running time: 89 minutes
This program takes a broad view of the watershed moments in Hawaiian history, from discovery to first contact with outsiders, to unification of the islands into a sovereign kingdom, to an act of war that led to Hawaii’s annexation by the United States. Hawaii’s ancient culture reemerges as a powerful sociopolitical force in the 21st century.
“Golden Gate Girls” (2014)
Running time: 90 minutes
This documentary paints a fascinating picture of how Esther Eng’s career in filmmaking broke through gender and racial boundaries in Hollywood and Hong Kong, at a time when opportunities for Chinese women in the industry were few and far between.
“Jimmy Murakami: Non Alien” (2010)
Running time: 74 minutes
Jimmy was only 90 years old when his family had to quit their small farm to be imprisoned for four years for a crime of which they had no part in. This film features six specially commissioned animation sequences based on Jimmy’s painting of life in the camp. They create a powerful recreation of Jimmy and his family losing all their worldly goods as they were cast out of the American dream.
“Somewhere Between” (2012)
Running time: 88 minutes
This film explores the emotional and cultural impact of adoption from the point of view of four teenage girls, all adopted from China.