Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Support Resources

These resources were compiled by members from the APIDA Student Center Advisory Committee and the Asian American Studies Program in order to provide support for UW–Madison’s Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American (APIDA) community members.

To suggest resources to add to this list, please email webmaster@cdo.wisc.edu, and include the title, author and URL of the resource(s) you would like to see added. Last updated April 2021.

Affinity Group for APIDA faculty & staff

UW–Madison faculty and staff have the option to join the APIDA Affinity Group, which hosts informal social gatherings monthly during the school year to help our community members build community, make connections and share resources.

Books

Reading Lists

17 Books by Queer Asian American Writers – Andrea Oh, Electric Literature
25 Amazing Books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors You Need to Read – Laura Sirikul, Mental Floss
32 Essential Asian-American Writers You Need To Be Reading – Jarry Lee, Buzzfeed
Asian American Voices in Poetry – Poetry Foundation
The Newest Wave of Asian American Writers You Should Know – Tamiko Beyer, Literary Hub

Fiction and Memoir

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The Late Homecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen (UW faculty)
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
We Ride Upon Sticks by Amy Quan Barry (UW faculty)
The Woman Warrior, China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston

Poetry, Literary Anthologies, and Graphic Narratives

100 Chinese Silences by Timothy Yu (UW faculty)
Afterland by Mai Der Vang
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
How Do I Begin?: A Hmong American Literary Anthology edited by The Hmong American Writers’ Circle
Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian American Poetry edited by Neelanjana Banerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen
Poor Anima by Khaty Xiong
Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Writing edited by Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Cheng Lok Chua
Water Puppets by Amy Quan Barry (UW faculty)
Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose edited by Barbara Tran, Monique T. D. Truong & Luu Truong Khoi

Nonfiction

A New History of Asian America by Shelley Sang-Hee Lee
The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad
Living for Change by Grace Lee Boggs
The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs
Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans by Ronald Takaki
We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future by Deepa Iyer

Social Justice and Solidarity Resources

20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now by Michelle Kim
AAPI Collective for Black Solidarity: A Discussion Guide compiled by Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
Adhikaar — A New York-based nonprofit organizing Nepali-speaking community to promote human rights and social justice
Asian American Attacks: What’s Behind the Rise in Violence? (Time)
Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit from Grassroots Asians Rising
Asian Americans Are Still Caught in the Trap of the ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype. And It Creates Inequality for All by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Bay Area Action Toolkit from Tsuru Rising!
Dear Asians Initiative
George Floyd, Tou Thao, and the Parable of Our Times by Richard J. Lee
How young people are combating anti-black racism in their immigrant communities – By Terry Nguyen
Letters for Black Lives
Resources for the Asian American Community on Anti-Blackness from Americans Advancing Justice
Stop AAPI Hate
There were 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents, mostly against women, in past year
This Is What No One Tells You About Being Asian In America In 2021 (Huff Post)
We Cannot Stay Silent about George Floyd from Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

Wellness and Mental Health

Resources for UW-Madison

Connecting Badgers podcast – A podcast by University Health Services at UW-Madison
Guided Relaxations – Meditation podcast by University Health Services at UW-Madison
Silvercloud – Online, self-guided mental health resource for UW-Madison community
UHS Remote Health – Virtual videos, workshops, and resources
You@Wisc – UW-Madison student connection portal with tools, content, and resources