UMD Literature Club Highlights Asian American and Pacific Islander Stories

The club aims to rewrite people’s understanding of the Asian American experience and combat stereotypes through diverse literature.

By Maxine Poe-Jensen | The Diamondback

Tiger mom. Math whiz. Model minority.

All of these Asian stereotypes — spoon-fed to us by books and movies — have shaped the way we view Asian American culture. But in recent years, a shift from being seen as “nerdy” or “weird” to edgy and hip, has caused Asian culture to quietly fold itself into our pop culture.

The University of Maryland’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Literature and Media Club aims to keep this momentum going and rewrite people’s understanding of the Asian American experience.

Senior English and marketing major Julie Cha founded the club toward the end of her sophomore year, due to the lack of diverse representation of Asian American literature among the University of Maryland’s English department.

“There’s so much more than just immigrant experiences. There’s so much more than growing up in a tiger mom household. There’s so much more than being a model citizen,” Cha said.

She hopes to expand awareness of the diversity throughout Asian literature and highlight Asian authors who provide unique experiences to combat the perception of the stereotypical Asian American.

Read more in The Diamondback.