Asian American Classic Novels Given New Life by Penguin Classics
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and Penguin Classics is recognizing it with four new editions of classic, canonical novels by Asian American authors. This follows their publication of six books by African American authors during 2018’s Black History Month.
The four books being published are:
- The Hanging on Union Square by H. T. Tsiang
- East Goes West by Younghill Kang
- No-No Boy by John Okada
- America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
Each new book will feature introductions from contemporary Asian American authors like Alexander Chee and Elaine Castillo.
Okada (No-No Boy), born in Seattle and sent to an internment camp during World War II while he was a college student, is often considered the first Japanese American novelist. No-No Boy was the first novel published by a U.S.-born Japanese American writer.
Tsiang immigrated to the United States from China, Kang from Korea (now a part of North Korea), and Bulosan from the Pangasinan province of the Philippines.
The new editions of these classic works of literature are much-needed refreshes to shed new light on overlooked authors of color.
