UC Irvine Libraries continue to grow our collections and resources on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to help document and honor the works and contributions of their communities. From scholarly texts to creative works, historical archives, and digital resources, our collections offer opportunities to explore and better understand the experiences that shape Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) identities. This guide highlights select resources available through UC Irvine Libraries that showcase AAPI voices, scholarship, and cultural production.

Unless they specify a UC Irvine login, these materials are available to the public year-round at no cost.

For research help with Asian American studies, contact Research Librarian for Asian American Studies Julia Huỳnh at juliah10@uci.edu or visit guides.lib.uci.edu for a complete list of Libraries’ research guides.

Online Resources

• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month OverDrive collection (requires UC Irvine login)
• Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month films on Kanopy (requires UC Irvine login)
• Asian American studies documentaries on Docuseek (requires UC Irvine login)
• The Pacific documentaries on Docuseek (requires UC Irvine login)
• Asian Film Online: A collection offering a view of Asian culture as seen through the lens of the independent Asian filmmaker (requires UC Irvine login)
• Celebrating One and All: AANHPI Heritage Research Guide

Special Collections and Archives

• Southeast Asian Archive digital collections and exhibits
• UC Irvine Class Project on the Southeast Asian American Experience: Students' projects reflect cultural and social issues of Southeast Asian American communities in Orange County. Materials include artifacts, photographs, sound and video recordings, newsletters, ephemera, and the students' written assessment of each project.
• Lao Stories: Laotian American Oral History Project: Consists of audio and video interviews of Laotian Americans across the United States about their life experiences. 
• Asian American studies protest video (UC Irvine): Collection consists of a video in three parts of a UC Irvine student protest in April 1993 over the absence of an Asian American studies program.
• Beginnings of Activism for the Department of Asian American Studies (BADAAS) at UC Irvine collection: Consists of 21 oral histories from the BADAAS UC Irvine project on the history of the creation of Asian American studies on campus.

Recent Additions

In addition to online resources and archival materials, recent acquisitions of books in the UC Irvine Libraries' circulating collection focus on the contributions and experiences of AAPI communities.

• Navigating Islands: Plays from the Pacific, by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, brings together three plays by distinguished playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl. All three plays scrutinize how non-Polynesians interact with Polynesians when attempting to navigate through the subtleties of island life.
• Word of Mouth: Asian American Artists Sharing Recipes, edited and illustrated by Laura Kina and Jave Yoshimoto, is an artists' cookbook featuring stories and artwork from 23 Asian American and Asian diaspora artists from across the United States. Each contribution is accompanied by an original illustration and enriched by the artist's reflections on how their cuisine has been impacted by war, migration, relocation, labor, or mixing.
• Caring for Caregivers: Filipina Migrant Workers and Community Building During Crisis, by Valerie Francisco-Menchavez, centers the perspectives of Filipino caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area, illuminating their transnational experiences and their strategies and practices to help each other navigate the crumbling US healthcare system.
• Addressing Anti-Asian Racism with Social Work Advocacy and Action, edited by Meirong Liu and Keith Chan, examines the experience and impact of racism from the perspective of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and delves into the need to seek out evidence-based solutions.
• Anger and Change in Korean American Literature, by Brian Willems, illustrates how Korean American novels and poetry use anger to enact change, foregrounding the various ways it can pinpoint injustice and suggest alternatives.

Diversity of UC Irvine Libraries’ Collections

UC Irvine Libraries collect materials in all formats to support the university’s research, teaching, and public service mission.

We believe it is crucial that our collections reflect the diversity of our students, faculty, staff, and larger Orange County community. Thus, we are making an effort to collect materials that consider the needs and perspectives of historically underrepresented, marginalized, and oppressed groups. For more information, please refer to our Diversity Statement and Plan.

For additional information about UC Irvine Libraries’ efforts to celebrate diversity in its users, staff, collections, and resources, visit the UC Irvine Libraries Diversity webpage.