Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
two people reading books on couch
two people reading books on couch
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
Culture

Supporting Asian Voices Through Literature

Carly Coombe
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UWindsor chapter.

With the recent news, it is now more important than ever to be supporting the Asian community. However you choose to show your support, it is important to acknowledge the struggles that this community is experiencing and understand how you can help. With that being said, there are many Asian authors that have written some amazing books; some of my favourites! Here are just a couple of my most recent reads, spanning across Young Adult and Middle-Grade literature. 

  1. American Panda by Gloria Chao.

Mei’s parents have her whole life planned for her, with the ultimate goal being to become a doctor and marry a parent-approved spouse. Mei, on the other hand, has a different view on her life, which may be due to her lack of interest in biology, oh, and her huge crush on a boy in her class, one who her parents would never approve of as he is not Taiwanese. A common theme in all of Gloria Chao’s books is its focus on family relationships, which are beautifully written and show how different families interact with each other and with those outside of their home. All of her books are wonderfully written and will have you swooning over the main characters as they come to terms with who they are and where they are at in life. 

2. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho. 

Looking for an amazing new fantasy read? Look no further than Wicked Fox. This book encompasses the Gumiho, a mythical fox-like creature with multiple tails that must devour the energy of men to survive. While Gu Miyoung is a girl and a gumiho, her life-altering decision to save a human from death results in her losing her fox bead, and her powers. Forced to work together, Miyoung and Jihoon must work together to tackle the mythical world and find her bead. 

3. Front Desk by Kelly Yang. 

Mia Tang is hiding her family’s secret: they hide immigrants in their motel, and if the motel owner finds out, they will be doomed. Secondly, Mia wants to be a writer, but her mother believes she should only focus on math because English is not her first language. With topics of racism and the immigrant community, it presents a unique view from a child’s perspective, offering how they see what is going on in the world. While this may be a Middle-Grade level book, it is wonderfully written and perfect for readers of all ages. 

4. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. 

This is one of my more recent favourites and I highly recommend checking this out. Pitched as a 1920s Romeo and Juliet retelling, oh, with gang families? Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, former lovers turned enemies, are forced to work together when people on both sides start to contract a violent disease and die. While their families are at each other’s throats, will their feelings move past betrayal to stop this mayhem? 

While these are only 5 of the many amazing Asian Literature that can be found on the shelves of your local bookstore, you can find even more amazing books by following this link here.

Carly Coombe is currently in her last year of Teacher's College for P/J, additionally with an Honour Bachelors Degree in English and History. When she’s not busy balancing school and work, she often volunteers her time as a Girl Guide leader for a local unit or is working on her small business, which has taken off since quarantine. She will always be found with her nose in the latest book, sometimes even ones that have not been published yet. She aspires to earn her TEFL degree and become an English and History high school teacher.