May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which honors the community’s diverse histories, cultures, and contributions to the United States. From Asian American authors, artists, and actors to industry leaders, there are countless stories about the rich diversity and beauty of Asian America to learn from. Here are six books to get you started on a journey to encounter both the allure and complexity of life as an Asian American. 

1. I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib

This witty, beautiful graphic memoir tells the life story of Malaka Gharib, a Filipino- and Egyptian-American born and raised in California. In this coming-of-age story told through comics, Gharib describes her childhood growing up in the minority-populated suburb of Cerritos in southern California, going to Syracuse University for college, and eventually becoming an editor of the blog “Goats and Soda” at NPR. Tackling food, friendships, and family, this graphic memoir is a clever, and affectionate look at being bicultural and Asian American today.

2. Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy

If you need a no-frills primer on the history of the AAPI community in the United States, this is the book for you. A thick tome by historian Catherine Ceniza Choy, this book gives a wide-ranging and inclusive history spanning 200 years. Choy highlights important historical figures across Asian American communities and describes how the AAPI community has shaped economic, cultural, and political life in the U.S. 

3. This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

Another great read, This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura tells us the story of a 17-year-old Japanese American, CJ Katsuyama, who lives with her mother and aunt in contemporary Silicon Valley. CJ loves her family’s flower shop business and her life that revolves around it. However, a discovery about a wealthy family prompts CJ and other students to start a campaign, which causes backlash within their community and tension between CJ and her mother. This coming-of-age story discusses feminism, allyship, injustice, family, and more. 

4. Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

The Paper Menagerie by novelist Ken Liu is a selection of his award-winning short stories that range from historical fiction to science fiction and fantasy. The stories revolve around themes such as identity, tough choices, mother-son relationships, cultural heritage, family, US history, and love. My favorite, “The Paper Menagerie,” narrates the story of a biracial boy, Jack, and how he navigates his relationship with his immigrant Chinese mother, who makes magical origami animals for him. If you’re looking for a variety of stories that touch upon human and supernatural life and the choices we make, this is the book for you.

5. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese is a graphic novel that tells the intertwined stories of three characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family and is the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the monkey king, a character in one of the oldest Chinese legends; and Chin-Kee, who symbolizes negative Chinese stereotypes and lives with his cousin, Danny. All three of their lives come together in an unexpected twist as this novel explores identity and race, as well as the power of the human imagination.

6. Interpreter of Maladies, and Other Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri 

I just started to read this beautiful debut collection of short stories about the emotional lives of South Asian immigrants in the late twentieth century in the United States. A winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Lahiri’s stories bring diverse characters to life as they seek connections across racial differences and generations. In these stories about love, hope, and loss, characters fall in and out of love, discover their identities, and create their own sense of belonging as Asian Americans.