Being Asian American

This book highlights challenges Asian American children face and offers an avenue for them to explore issues around racial and cultural identity in the safe space of their home with their parent or caregiver, hopefully so that they can define who they are before others do it for them.

What does it mean to be Asian American? This is a question that many who identify as Asian American often face whether they emigrated to the United States or were natural born citizens. Defined as a model minority, discriminated in academia or the business world as over-represented, or through micro-aggressions about their physical attributes or capabilities, these characteristics often get internalized into the Asian American subconscious. In the American landscape, the diversity of cultures and experiences that form the Asian American experience are often condensed into a monolithic image that is more a caricature than representative of the rich and diverse cultures that form the Asian American diaspora. These perceptions get imprinted into the psyche of the Asian American child early in life as they grapple with issues of identity and their place in American society.