What Counts as ‘Asian American Literature,’ Anyway?

In an article for UC Berkeley News, Lila Thulin discusses Long Le-Khac's 1,900-entry long database of Asian American literary canon. By gathering publications featuring the keyword “Asian American” or taking media from journals dedicated to Asian American studies, Le-Khac frames it as a chance for academics to audit what's considered the Asian American canon and see who might be missing or underrepresented.

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Legacies of War: Unhealed Wounds and the Deportation of Southeast Asian Refugees

Jonathan Lam's essay published in the Southeast Asia Digital Library examines the lasting legacy of the Vietnam War and the US Secret War in Southeast Asia, particularly the extensive bombing campaigns in Laos and Cambodia. The essay explores the devastation caused by US military intervention, the refugee and deportation crisis since the fall of Saigon, and how connections to these historical patterns of US imperialism continue to shape the lives of Southeast Asian diaspora communities today.

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A Curator Flees Bangkok After China Deems His Art Show Too Provocative

In an article by The New York Times, Francesca Regalado writes about a recent museum exhibition in Thailand that criticized authoritarian governments in China, Myanmar and other countries. The curator, an artist from Myanmar, swiftly left the country from fear of being arrested and deported back to Myanmar. Chinese authorities wanted the museum to remove the names of artists from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang, as matters in these areas were “purely China’s internal affairs.”

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