Fighting to Belong!: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History from the 1700s Through the 1800s

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 4 to 8

This book highlights the unique experiences, challenges, and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders that are rarely taught in American schools.

"Historic contributions and stories of resilience are shared in this dynamic graphic novel. An informative and engaging read!"

—Maia and Alex Shibutani, two-time Olympic medalists and authors of Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us AllAsian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history is American history. The unique experiences, challenges, and contributions of AANHPIs are an integral part of our country’s development, but they are rarely taught in American schools.For many Americans of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander descent who grew up in the United States, there continues to be a startling lack of opportunity to learn about our own history in our country. Even today, over 70% of Americans have little knowledge about AANHPI history or confuse it with Asian history. Fighting to Belong! Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders from the 1700s Through the 1800s, written by best-selling writer Amy Chu (Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Ant-Man, Iron Man) and Alexander Chang and illustrated by Louie Chin (Bodega Cat), shares this important and dynamic part of the American experience in an accessible and engaging graphic novel format.In this book, the first volume of a three-book series, our middle school protagonists Padmini, Sammy, Joe, and Tiana and their guide, Kenji, embark on an amazing journey through time to witness key events in AANHPI history. They witness the arrival of the "Manilamen" to the United States in the eighteenth century and fly through significant moments in the next 150 years. Fighting to Belong! helps new audiences young and old, AANHPI and non-AANHPI, understand how these stories are truly interwoven within the fabric of America.

About the Author

Amy Chu is a writer for comics, graphic novels, and TV, currently working on projects for DC, Marvel and Netflix. She has written popular characters such as Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Ant-Man and Iron Man. She wrote Poison Ivy's first solo mini series, and is the first woman to write the Green Hornet series created in the 1930s. She is also the author of children's graphic novels, including Sea Sirens and the sequel Sky Island (Viking). Amy is the co-founder of the imprint Alpha Girl Comics and enjoys nonprofit work, creating comics for the New York Historical Society, Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Museum of Chinese in America. She studied Architectural Design at MIT, East Asian Studies at Wellesley College, and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. Amy is a frequent speaker at conventions around the world and lives in New Jersey. You can follow her on amychu.com, twitter @amychu and on Facebook/iwritecomics.Alexander Chang is a writer and editor for comics and graphic novels. His published credits include Rick and Morty, Red Sonja, and the Where We Live anthology. A third generation Chinese American from Princeton, New Jersey, he loves writing in his journal, growing plants, fire spinning, and Chinese lion dancing.Louie Chin is an illustrator whose work includes the children's book, Bodega Cat (POW! Kids Books), which was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection in 2020. He has created artworks for a variety of publications and projects, including the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Nike. He works in both traditional mediums such as watercolor and gouache as well as with digital art software. He was born and raised in New York City, where he still resides.