Addressing Racism Against Asian-Americans

Americans of Asian descent have had to contend with a long history of discrimination and violence in the United States. Recent racist attacks against Asian-Americans show that Anti-Asian hatred is still very much a part of contemporary society. According to the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate, 3,292 incidents were reported in 2020.

Social and Cultural Research Librarian David Michalski has assembled a list of resources that address Anti-Asian American racism as a catalyst for positive social change and conversation, to aid not only those who seek to better understand the social causes of this problem, but to help empower those who organize to confront and disrupt it. The work of Asian American Studies scholars listed on the exhibit gives voice to an equally long history of struggle in the cause of social justice and human rights. These resources acknowledge the cost of the contemporary microagressions, bigotry and violence suffered by Asian Americans today, while providing context to it within the history of white supremacist ideology and neo-colonial ambition.

The UC Davis Library, including our Archives and Special Collections, is invested in developing research level collections in Asian American culture, politics, social life and customs. The Asian American Studies Subject Guide lists important gateways to both the academic literature and some of the primary sources available.

Additional resources and support for researchers studying this topic, or related topics, can be found on the library subject guides for Sociology and History. The Library has also put together a list of videos and talks addressing racism called, Many Voices Many Stories.

As research evolves and progresses in this area, the Library will be providing access to new resources. Please feel free to recommend titles and sources as we build our collections and guides.

Please note: The UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a suite of Resources for Racial Trauma.