Asian American literature dates back to the close of the 19th century, and during the years following World War II it significantly expanded in volume and diversity. Monumental in scope, this encyclopedia surveys Asian American literature from its origins through 2007. Included are more than 270 alphabetically arranged entries on writers, major works, significant historical events, and important terms and concepts. Thus the encyclopedia gives special attention to the historical, social, cultural, and legal contexts surrounding Asian American literature and central to the Asian American experience. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and cites works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected, general bibliography of essential print and electronic resources. While literature students will value this encyclopedia as a guide to writings by Asian Americans, the encyclopedia also supports the social studies curriculum by helping students use literature to learn about Asian American history and culture, as it pertains to writers from a host of Asian ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including Afghans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Iranians, Indians, Vietnamese, Hawaiians, and other Asian Pacific Islanders.

The encyclopedia supports the literature curriculum by helping students learn more about Asian American literature. In addition, it supports the social studies curriculum by helping students learn about the Asian American historical and cultural experience.

Features

• An alphabetical list of entries helps users quickly search for particular topics
• A guide to related topics groups related entries in convenient categories, thus helping users identify subjects likely to interest them
• More than 270 alphabetically arranged entries cover the full span of Asian American literature in breadth and detail
• Entries on events, terms, and special topics help students use literature to learn about Asian American political, historical, cultural, and social concerns
• Further reading sections at the end of each entry direct users to sources of more specific information
• A general bibliography identifies the most important print and electronic resources valuable to student research
• Extensive cross-references help students locate information of interest to them