This reading list was compiled in collaboration with the artists & curators of Phantom Limb and the Asia Art Activism network. Through an open call we have compiled pivotal and important Asian diaspora related readings that have informed our art practices, research and personal politics. We see this list as open ended and just a small selection of readings that are available. Last updated November 2018.
Ang, Ien. On Not Speaking Chinese: Living Between Asia and the West. 2001. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, language, 'Chineseness', global identity
Boggs, Grace Lee. Living for Change. 1998. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, autobiography, activism, Asian-American
Brah, Avtar. Diaspora, border and transnational identities. 1996. p178-208.
Tags: Asian diaspora, global identity
Cha, Theresa Hak Kyung. Dictee. 1982. [link]
Tags: Korean American, autobiography, poetry, art
Chee, Alexander. Edinburgh. 2018. [link]
Tags: Korean American, fiction, Asian American, coming of age
Cheng, Anne Anlin. The Melancholy of Race: Psychoanalysis, Assimilation and Hidden Grief. 2001. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, race, generational trauma, affect
Cheng, Anne Anlin. Ornamentalism: A Feminist Theory for the Yellow Woman. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, race, embodiment
Cho, Grace M. Haunting the Korean Diaspora. 2008. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, feminisms, historical, Korean War, affect, memoir
Chun, Allen. Fuck Chineseness: On the Ambiguities of Ethnicity as Culture as Identity. 1996. p111-138. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, global identity, 'Chineseness'
Eng, David L. The Feeling of Kinship: Queer Liberalism and the Racialization of Intimacy. 2010. [link] Tags: Asian diaspora, gender, queer, psychoanalysis, race, intimacy, affect
Lee, Jaeah J. The Forgotten Zine of 1960s Asian-American Radicals. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, activism, Asian-American, zines, historical
Lee, Min Jin. Pachinko. 2017. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, fiction, Japan, historical, family
Lee, Rachel C. The Exquisite Corpse of Asian America. 2014. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, queer, biopolitics, Asian-American, affect
Lowe, Lisa. The Intimacies of Four Continents. 2015. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, interdisciplinary, race
Min, Anchee. Red Azalea. 2012. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, autobiography, Shanghai
Minh-Ha, Trinh T. Framer Framed: Film Scripts and Interviews. 1992. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, film, script writing, Vietnam
Minh-Ha, Trinh T. Women, Native, Other. 2009. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, queer, writing, postcoloniality
Sakai, Naoki. “You Asians”: On the Historical Role of the West and Asia Binary. 2000. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, essay, global identity, Japan
Takaki, Ronald. A Different Mirror for Young People. 1993. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, young people, Asian-American, non-fiction, history
Voices that Shake. Resources for non-Black Asians on Anti-Blackness. Ongoing. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, race, anti-blackness, living resource
Zhang, Jenny. Sour Heart. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, fiction, Asian-American, short stories
Tags: Asian diaspora, language, 'Chineseness', global identity
Boggs, Grace Lee. Living for Change. 1998. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, autobiography, activism, Asian-American
Brah, Avtar. Diaspora, border and transnational identities. 1996. p178-208.
Tags: Asian diaspora, global identity
Cha, Theresa Hak Kyung. Dictee. 1982. [link]
Tags: Korean American, autobiography, poetry, art
Chee, Alexander. Edinburgh. 2018. [link]
Tags: Korean American, fiction, Asian American, coming of age
Cheng, Anne Anlin. The Melancholy of Race: Psychoanalysis, Assimilation and Hidden Grief. 2001. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, race, generational trauma, affect
Cheng, Anne Anlin. Ornamentalism: A Feminist Theory for the Yellow Woman. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, race, embodiment
Cho, Grace M. Haunting the Korean Diaspora. 2008. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, feminisms, historical, Korean War, affect, memoir
Chun, Allen. Fuck Chineseness: On the Ambiguities of Ethnicity as Culture as Identity. 1996. p111-138. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, global identity, 'Chineseness'
Eng, David L. The Feeling of Kinship: Queer Liberalism and the Racialization of Intimacy. 2010. [link] Tags: Asian diaspora, gender, queer, psychoanalysis, race, intimacy, affect
Lee, Jaeah J. The Forgotten Zine of 1960s Asian-American Radicals. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, activism, Asian-American, zines, historical
Lee, Min Jin. Pachinko. 2017. [link]
Tags: Korean diaspora, fiction, Japan, historical, family
Lee, Rachel C. The Exquisite Corpse of Asian America. 2014. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, queer, biopolitics, Asian-American, affect
Lowe, Lisa. The Intimacies of Four Continents. 2015. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, interdisciplinary, race
Min, Anchee. Red Azalea. 2012. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, autobiography, Shanghai
Minh-Ha, Trinh T. Framer Framed: Film Scripts and Interviews. 1992. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, film, script writing, Vietnam
Minh-Ha, Trinh T. Women, Native, Other. 2009. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, feminisms, gender, queer, writing, postcoloniality
Sakai, Naoki. “You Asians”: On the Historical Role of the West and Asia Binary. 2000. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, essay, global identity, Japan
Takaki, Ronald. A Different Mirror for Young People. 1993. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, young people, Asian-American, non-fiction, history
Voices that Shake. Resources for non-Black Asians on Anti-Blackness. Ongoing. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, race, anti-blackness, living resource
Zhang, Jenny. Sour Heart. 2018. [link]
Tags: Asian diaspora, fiction, Asian-American, short stories