Menu Close

2022 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Winners

Contact:

Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
Dora Ho
dorah2005@gmail.com

Release Date:
January 24, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2022 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Winners 

CHICAGO – The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), announced 2022 winners of its Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature today at 8 a.m. CT, during the ALA LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, held Jan. 21-24. 

The Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature celebrate Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage. Winner and Honor books were chosen from titles by or about Asian Pacific Americans published between September 2020 to August 2021. The awards are based on literary and artistic merit for five categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature, Youth Literature, Adult Fiction and Adult Non-Fiction.  

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Picture Book winner is Watercress, written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin, and published by Neal Porter Books.

Gathering watercress by the side of the road sparks a conversation among a family about their family history, heritage, and memories. Award-winning author Andrea Wang draws upon her childhood, growing up in a small, mostly white, rural town in Ohio as a child of Chinese immigrants in this autobiographical account illustrated by celebrated author and artist Jason Chin, who incorporates painting styles and techniques from both western and Chinese cultures.

The committee selected one Picture Book Honor title is A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi, written by James Yang, published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature winner is Amina’s Song, written by Hena Khan, and published by Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Amina’s Song celebrates the strength of identity, family and friendship, and culture. Having spent part of her summer vacation in Lahore, Pakistan, meeting and forming strong family connections with her cousin and uncle, and exploring the sights, sounds, and smells of Pakistan, Amina returns at the end of summer vacation to Wisconsin and seventh grade.  The struggles that Amina faces as she balances her Pakistani identity and self-discovery is something that has touched many of us.  The character of Amina is someone that many can identify with and her strength is inspiring.  

The committee selected one Children’s Literature Honor title Finding Junie Kim written by Ellen Oh, and published by HarperCollins

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Youth Literature winner is Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo, and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House. 

In San Francisco’s Chinatown during the 1950s, seventeen-year-old Lily Hu explores her identity as a gay Chinese American teen through a joyful interracial relationship with white classmate Kathleen. Their growing relationship is set against the backdrop of the underground gay scene in San Francisco during the Red Scare, where government paranoia of Communists during the Cold War runs rampant. Malinda Lo deftly presents her characters and storyline with historical accuracy, graceful use of Chinese language and dialect, and a deep cultural awareness. Lo also highlights an often overlooked and underappreciated lesbian culture, tying it into the history of Chinese America. Young people will see their own internal and external struggles reflected in Lily and her journey of self-awakening.

The committee selected one Youth Literature Honor is We Are Not Free written by Traci Chee, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Adult Fiction winner is Shadow Life written by Hiromi Goto; illustrated by Ann Xu, published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. 

In a precarious time when anti-Asian hate crimes target senior citizens, Hiromi Goto gives voice to their lived experiences.  Combining heartwarming artwork from Ann Xu, Shadow Life crosses the realms of the extraordinary and supernatural.  This graphic novel features a Japanese Canadian character who embodies multiple facets of intersectionality, challenging stereotypes of the elderly and highlighting them as agents of change while tackling themes of perseverance, resilience, friendship, and familial solidarity in the face of imminent danger.

The committee selected one Adult Fiction Honor is Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award for Adult Non-Fiction winner is Tastes Like War: A Memoir by Grace M. Cho, published by Feminist Press.

Feminist theory, food politics and biopsychological stress on immigration is explored in this thought-provoking memoir about a Korean American woman’s search for her mother, before and after the onset of schizophrenia. Residual trauma, a toxic environment and xenophobia are carefully considered as social external factors beyond epigenetics and the root cause. Cho uses food as a common denominator and a springboard to family stories from powdered milk, kimchi, blackberries to cheeseburgers—each acting as emotional triggers and placeholders in time. Powerful, strong and impactful, for the Asian American community, it’s an important work that will spur on cultural conversations and advance the research of a disorder that continues to elude us.

The committee selected one Adult Non-Fiction Honor is Forced Out: A Nikkei Woman’s Search for a Home in America by Judy Y. Kawamoto, published by University Press of Colorado

Each award will be named and given the award seal during the annual APALA Literature Award Ceremony taking place during the 2022 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C.    

For a complete list of Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature including adult fiction and nonfiction titles please visit http://www.apalaweb.org/awards/literature-awards/

The 2022 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature committee members include:

Jury Co- Chairs Buenaventura “Ven” Basco, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida; Dora Ho, Los Angeles Public Library, retired; and Helen Look, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Picture Book Award Committee:
Chair Dora Ho, Los Angeles Public Library, retired, CA; Kristen Kwisnek, Severn School, Arnold, MD; and Becky Leathersich, The State University of New York, Geneseo, NY. 

Children’s Literature Award Committee: 
Co-Chair Florence Tang, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA; Co-Chair Jamie Kurumaji, Fresno County Public Library, Fresno, CA; Arya Hackney, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM; Katie Hom, Alameda County Library, Fremont, CA; and Yun Ji (Angie) So, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA.  

Youth Literature Award Committee:
Chair Crystal Chen, The New York Public Library, NY; Danilo Baylen, College of Education, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA; Anna Coats, Newark Public Library, Newark, NJ; Tamiko Welch, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, CA; and Jen Woo, San Francisco Public Library, CA. 

Adult Fiction Award Committee: 

Chair Sandy Wee, San Mateo County Libraries, San Mateo, CA, Jerry Dear, San Francisco Public Library, CA, Anjali Goyal, ArtsPool, Brooklyn, NY, Michelle Lee, New York Public Library, NY, Elaine Tai, Berkeley Public Library, Berkeley, CA. 

Adult Non-Fiction Award Committee: 

Chair Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA, Paul Drake, Pacific Islands University, Mangilao, Guam.

APALA’s Literature Award Committee is currently accepting submissions published between September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2022 for consideration for the 2023 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. More information may be found on APALA’s Literature Award Guidelines & Nomination page (https://www.apalaweb.org/awards/literature-awards/literature-award-guidelines/) or by contacting LitAwards@apalaweb.org.

###

The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) was founded in 1980 by librarians of diverse Asian/Pacific ancestries committed to working together toward a common goal: to create an organization that would address the needs of Asian/Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian/Pacific American communities.