Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context

by Elaine H. Kim

Presents an introduction to the literary works of Chinese-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Filipino-Americans, and Korean-Americans. This book focuses on the self-images and social contexts of the nineteenth-century immigrants, their descendants, and the Americanized writers.

Genres: Nonfiction

241 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Elaine H. Kim is an award winning writer, editor and professor in Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kim is the co-founder and former president of the non-profit organization Asian Women United(AWU) of California. She also co-founded the Oakland Korean Community Center and the Asian Immigrant Women Advocates.

Kim received her B.A. in English and American Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education from University of California, Berkeley

Reviews

[mims ₊ ⊹]

can you tell i’m in an asian american lit course rn?

[Jonathan]

If I pass QEs, I'm going to send Elaine Kim a handwritten thank you card

[V]

Good both as a foundational text and as a cultural artifact i.e. a representation of one authoritative critical perspective on a formational time in establishing Asian American Literature as genre. Seeing the goals and concerns, as well as how certain texts were viewed (and the debates between different views on them) is invaluable. One can use it as a touchstone. Quite a lot has a changed and quite a lot more has not changed at all.

[S P]

from Preface
'What I have attempted in this book is to trace the topography and rich textures of the Asian American experience as it is expressed in Asian American literature from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Although I have used my understanding of Asian American social history to interpret the literature, I have focused on the evolution of Asian American consciousness and self-image as expressed in the literature.' (xi)