Asian American Literature

Asian American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students is an invaluable resource for high school and university students curious to know more about Asian North American writers, texts, and the issues and drives that motivate their writing.

This volume collects, in one place, a breadth of information about Asian American literary and cultural history as well as the authors and texts that best define it.



A dozen contextual essays introduce fundamental elements or subcategories of Asian American literature, expanding on social and literary concerns or tensions that are familiar and relevant. Essays include the origins and development of the term "Asian American"; overviews of Asian American and Asian Canadian social and literary histories; essays on Asian American identity, gender issues, and sexuality; and discussions of Asian American rhetoric and children's literature.



More than 120 alphabetical entries round out the volume and cover important Asian North American authors. Historical information is presented in clear and engaging ways, and author entries emphasize biographical or textual details that are significant to contemporary young adults. Special attention has been given to pioneering authors from the late nineteenth century through the early 1970s and to influential or well-known contemporary authors, especially those likely to be studied in high school or university classrooms.






Provides easily accessible information on more than 120 important Asian American and Asian Canadian writers



Summarizes major texts by each author and suggests where readers may find additional information about favorite writers or texts



Provides background essays on foundational elements of Asian American and Asian Canadian history, literature, and identity