Some of the top Asian American literary classics of all time are being republished.
The University of Washington Press launched its initiative this spring with fresh takes on these books from prominent scholars and writers.
Many of these titles are familiar to students who have had the opportunity to take Asian American Studies classes.
"No No Boy has long-been a top-selling title for the Press and is a classic of Asian American literature," said Natasha Varner of UW Press. "So, we were happy to have the opportunity to bring out a new edition of the book as part of our Classics of Asian American Literature series. Our aim in launching this initiative in Spring 2014 was to bring some of our best-known Asian American literary classics back into print for a new generation of readers. "In each of these new editions, prominent scholars and writers have contributed forewords that place the classics within their historical and literary contexts, while also linking them to current events." The titles republished this year were:
No-No Boy by John Okada (first published in 1957) Foreward by Ruth Ozeki, Introduction by Lawson Fusao Inada, Afterword by Frank Chin
No No Boy is a fictional story of a real life no no boy--those incarcerated in prison camps during World War II who refused to answer yes to two loyalty questions. It was virtually ignored when originally released, but became popular in the 70s with the emergence of a new Asian American consciousness during that time.
America Is in the Heart: A Personal History, by Carlos Bulosan(first published in 1943); new foreword by Lane Ryo Hirabayashi and Marilyn Alquizola. This classic from Filipino American poet Carlos Bulosan describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America and his struggles working the fields of America.
Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo (first published in 1946); new foreword by Christine Hong. We've published this in two formats: a classroom edition and an artist's edition. This graphic novel highlights Okubo's life in two incarceration camps, one in Utah and the other in California. The illustrations are described as "poignant" and the text both "witty" and "candid." Nisei Daughter by Monica Sone (first published in 1953); new
foreword by Marie Rose Wong. Monica Sones describes life growing up on the Seattle Waterfront in the 1930s. It's a unique personal account of her experience at that time and subsequently being uprooted to go to an incarceration camp. UW Press has plans to rerelease more Asian American classics in Spring of 2015.
