May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the kaleidoscope of cultures, traditions, and contributions woven by AAPI individuals across the United States. What’s a better way to explore and honor this heritage than to immerse yourself in the world of graphic novels and literature. We’ve highlighted some fantastic works by AAPI authors that offer a range of stories, from historical fiction to contemporary tales, that showcase the diverse experiences within the AAPI community.
Graphic Novels for AAPI Heritage Month
This AAPI Heritage Month, we encourage you to pick up one of these graphic novels and see what stories they have to offer. Celebrate the voices and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, both in comics and in your communities. Drop by your local SJPL library branch to see if they have an AAPI book display and borrow the graphic novels that interest you! Happy reading!🌸
Iranian Love Stories by Jane Deauxard
[Adult] "A series of vignettes, in graphic novel format, that explore the lives of ten young Iranian men and women from diverse backgrounds"
Low Orbit by Kazimir Lee
[Young Adult] "Fifteen-year-old Azar feels stuck. Her mom's job forced them to move to Vermont, where Azar doesn't know anyone. Her only friends are the next-door neighbors: an aging sci-fi writer and his nonbinary teen, Tristan, fellow misfits in the small-town community. For a while, Azar can escape her troubles by disappearing into the pages of her kindly neighbor's epic novel, The Exiles of Overworld. But when her queerness throws her life out of balance, Azar realizes some secrets can't be escaped forever. Somewhere in the abandoned malls, lakes, and comic conventions that fill her new life, Azar fights to find herself. What else will she discover?"--Provided by publisher.
Gaysians by Mike Curato
[Adult] "..a heartwarming story following four gay Asians navigating love, identity, and friendship--a celebration of queer chosen family. When AJ moves to Seattle in the early aughts, he's ready to reinvent himself as a gay Asian man--but his dreams hit reality fast with no friends, no job, and an apartment so far out, "not even lesbians live there." Then a spilled drink at a bar introduces him to K, a glamorous drag queen; John, a shy gamer; and Steven, a reckless flirt. AJ's "Boy Luck Club" helps him find love, pride, and belonging--until a brutal attack tests everything they know about friendship and family. Meticulously observed and gorgeously illustrated, Gaysians is a fierce, funny, and tender story of queer resilience and self-discovery."--Publisher.
The Man in the McIntosh Suit by Rina Ayuyang
[Adult] The year is 1929 and Bobot is just another migrant worker in rural California. Or rather, a migrant worker with a law degree from the Philippines reduced to manual labor in America. Bobot, like so many other young Filipinos, finds himself bunking in the fields picking fruit by day. When his cousin writes claiming to have spotted his estranged wife in nearby San Francisco, he swipes a co-worker's favorite nightclub suit and heads to the big city to find her. A gripping, romantic and psychological exploration of a fledgling community. The Man in the McIntosh Suit is a Filipino-American take on Depression-era noir featuring mistaken identities, speakeasies, and lost love.
Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani
[Juvenile] "Aria thought her life would go back to normal when she left her nainai's boba shop--and the monster living below it--behind in San Francisco. But while Aria and Nainai may have stopped the Big One, the aftershocks from her summer adventure are far from over. Each night, the monster visits Aria's dreams, calling her back to the caves below the city. Stranger still, Aria's discovered a newfound ability to manipulate water . . . but her powers aren't quite under her control. So Aria convinces her parents she needs another visit with Nainai, and she packs her bags and heads back to San Francisco of th theboba shop, Aria and Nainai learn the monster's secret--he needs their help to return home. Can Aria learn how to harness her new powers (and a whole lot of boba) to bring the monster back to the sea, orwill it be trapped under the city forever?"--
Fighting to Belong! by Amy Chu
[Juvenile] "The second in a three-volume series that begins with the arrival of the 'Manilamen' to American shores in the eighteenth century and covers the next 150 years of AAPI history, focuses on the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, groundbreaking Asian American politicians, actors, athletes of the twentieth century, and much, much more"--
Okchundang Candy by Jung-soon Go
[Juvenile] Publisher Annotation: Growing up, Jung-soon spent every moment she could at her grandparents' house. Dressing up and watching cartoons. Dyeing each other's fingernails with crushed balsam petals. Getting the whole neighborhood together to sweep their streets. Falling asleep together...just the three of them, happy. Grandfather was Grandmother's best and only friend. On every Jesa day, during the ancestral ritual, he would gently place the okchundang candy in her mouth, a big smile spreading across her face as it melted on her tongue. But nothing ever stays the same, and as Jung-soon got older, so did her grandparents. With breathtaking colored pencil and watercolor art, she presents an achingly beautiful graphic novel about the little joys and sharp sorrows that make up a life together as a family.
Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand
[Young Adult] "All Nitasha's parents want is for her to be the perfect Indian daughter--something she is decidedly not. Everything she does seems to disappoint them, especially her mom. They just don't get that she'll never be like her doctor older brother. To make matters worse, she's never quite felt like she belongs at school either, and lately, her best friend, Ava, and her crush, Henry, seem to be more interested in the rich new girl than in her. Alcohol takes the edge off, but when that doesn't work, Nitasha turns to cutting. She can't stop asking herself: Will she ever be enough for her friends or her family? Or even for herself? This authentic and powerful teen graphic novel shines a light on how harmful the stigma of mental illness is and how lifesaving a community that is honest about mental health can be."--Provided by publisher.
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These are just a few from many AAPI stories waiting to be read. Check out our reading list for more graphic novel titles for all ages and cultures!
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