Resources
Note: While most of these resources are from reputable sources, I encourage you to read them critically and avoid taking them at face value. You may not agree with all of the ideas presented in these readings, and that is important to discuss.
Important Definitions
These definitions are included here to provide context for readings and other discussions on this website. They are not intended to be authoritative - each definition is just one example, as these terms may be defined differently by other groups, institutions, and individuals.
Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
From US Census Bureau
Asian American: The pan-ethnic term “Asian American” describes the population living in the United States who trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The term was popularized by U.S. student activists in the 1960s and was eventually adopted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It encompasses both the foreign-born and the US-born.
From Pew Research Center and UC Berkeley AAADS
Model Minority Myth: A set of stereotypes that characterize Asian Americans as a monolithic ethnic group that is hard-working, highly educated, peaceful, and law-abiding. This myth is harmful because it crudely aggregates a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds, overlooks racism against Asians, and is often used to divide minority groups.
Identity: The biological, physical, and social characteristics that define one’s sense of self (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and religion).
Diversity: Individual differences (e.g., personality, prior knowledge, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations).
Inclusion: Active, intentional, and ongoing efforts that ensure everyone is welcomed, valued, respected, and able to reach their full potential.
Equity: The absence of unfair, avoidable, or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, geographically, etc. (World Health Organization)
From Duke University Cultural Competence in Computing (3C)
Primers
These readings do not necessarily fit within a specific category. Rather, they are short and “light” resources that are good readings to start off with.
- “What it means to be Asian in America” - Pew Research Center
- “Why Silicon Valley’s Asian Americans still feel like a minority” - Bloomberg”
On Asian American Identity
Organizations
Books
- The Loneliest Americans - Jay Caspian Kang
- Minor Feelings - Cathy Park Hong
- Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? - Beverly Daniel Tatum
Articles
- “Searching for Coherence in Asian America - The New Yorker”
- “Minor Feelings and the possibilities of Asian American identity” - The New Yorker
- “English-speaking Asian Americans stand out for their technology use - Pew Research Center”
- “Asian Americans As Model Minority: Dismantling The Myth” - NPR
- “‘Model Minority’ Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks” - NPR
- “Proximity to Whiteness: Anti-Blackness, People of Color, and the Struggle for Solidarity” - Nimisha Barton
- “Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most Rapidly Among Asians”
- “Boba liberalism: How the emergence of superficial activism could cause more harm than good to the AAPI community”
Videos
On Education and EECS/CS Programs
Organizations
Books
Articles
- “Diversity in EECS” - Shomail Jain
- “Why are Asian American kids killing themselves” - George Qiao
- “Diversity in CS: Race and gender among CS majors in 2015 vs 2020” - Stanford Daily
- “Opinion | Asian American Students Face Bias, but It’s Not What You Might Think” - Jennifer Lee
- “Opinion | It’s Time for an Honest Conversation About Affirmative Action” - Jay Caspian Kang
- “Archive | Rapid rise in students of Asian origin causing problems at Berkeley campus” - Wallace Turner
- “Affirmative action divides Asian Americans, UC’s largest overrepresented student group” - LA Times
Videos
On Silicon Valley
Organizations
Books
Articles
- “We Need to Talk About What It Means to Be ‘White-Adjacent’ in Tech” - Ellen K. Pao
- “Privileged but not in Power: How Asian American Tech Workers use Racial Strategies to Deflect and Confront Race and Racism” - Tiffany Y. Chow
- “Silent Technical Privilege” - Phillip Guo