At the University of Arizona, we proudly celebrate Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month by honoring the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American communities through cultural centers, student clubs and organizations, and campus events.

University Libraries resources

Asian & Asian American History in the Borderlands Collection | Special Collections: The materials in this collection are all located at University Libraries Special Collections in Tucson, Arizona. You can find congressional records, university materials, photographs, newspaper and journal articles, and scrapbooks that document Asian and Asian American life in the U.S./Mexico borderlands. 

Books That Matter: Asian American / Asian: Books That Matter is a print collection of more than 100 titles which support our commitment to social justice and antiracism. Chosen by staff and students, the collection is located on the second floor in Main Library on a "working" bookshelf. Books are rotated and cover many different identities, histories, and genres ranging from autobiographies to comic books. Stop by to browse and/or borrow.

The University of Arizona Press book recommendations

Iep Jaltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter by Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner

This is first published book of poetry written by a Mashallese author. Jetn̄il-Kijiner's writing highlights the traumas of colonialism, racism, forced migration, the legacy of American nuclear testing, and the impending threats of climate change in the Marshall Islands. Pulitzer Prize winning writer, poet and social activist Alice Walker described this poetry as "a book to be read slowly. Savored. Admired for its precision of language and emotion."

Coconut Milk by Dan Taulapapa McMullin

Also rooted in the South Pacific, Samoan writer and painter McMullin explores what it’s like to be a queer Samoan in the United States. McMullin's poems come from specific encounters, childhood memories, family history, and profound reflections. 

Navigating CHamoru Poetry by Craig Santos Perez

Perez examines contemporary native CHamoru literature from the Pacific Island of Guåhan (Guam). This book shows that CHamoru poetry has been an inspiring and empowering act of protest, resistance, and testimony in the decolonization, demilitarization, and environmental justice movements of Guåhan.

‘Āina Hānau / Birth Land by Brandy Nālani McDougall

Poet laureate of Hawai‘i McDougall explores family, community and connection to place. The experiences of birth, motherhood, miscarriage, and the power of Native Hawai'ian traditions and self-advocacy in an often dismissive medical system is powerfully narrated by the speaker of the titular poem, written for McDougall’s daughters.

The Politics of Fieldwork: Research in an American Concentration Camp by Lane Ryo Hirabayashi 

If you’re a researcher, do you consider how your politics influence your work? How are the politics of your principal investigator? Hirabayashi investigates this issue about the work and struggle of Dr. Taimie Tshuchiyama, who was hired in 1942 to conduct ethnographic fieldwork for the University of California at Berkeley's Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study.

About The University of Arizona Press

The University of Arizona Press (UA Press) is the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary works in the state of Arizona. UA Press disseminates ideas and knowledge of lasting value that enrich understanding, inspire curiosity, and enlighten readers; and advances the University of Arizona’s mission by connecting scholarship and creative expression to readers worldwide.