Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
The Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (APAAL) are a set of literary awards presented annually by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). The APALA was formed in 1980 "to create an organization that would address the needs of Asian/Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian/Pacific American communities."[1] The Association was the successor to the Asian American Librarians Caucus (AALC), a discussion group within the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Library Outreach Services that focused on providing library service to minority communities and on supporting minority librarians. The APALA incorporated in 1981 (in Illinois) and became part of the ALA in 1982.[1]
The awards honor books about Asian/Pacific Americans, their history and culture. Categories have included fiction and non-fiction for adults, picture/illustrated books, and children's/young-adult literature. Writers and artists do not need to be of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry, but they must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, the books must be about Asian/Pacific American heritage, and must have been written in English and published for general release within the States.[2]
Winners
- 2014-2015
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
- Honor: The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Dubious Gastronomy: The Cultural Politics of Eating Asian in the USA by Robert Ji-Song Ku
- Honor: Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self written by Alex Tizon
- Young Adult
- Winner: Tiger Girl by May-Lee Chai
- Honor: Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang, illustration by Sonny Liew
- Children’s
- Winner: Gaijin: American Prisoner of War by Matt Faulkner
- Honor: Ting Ting by Kristie Hammond
- Picture Book
- Winner: Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki and Qin Leng
- Honor: Father’s Chinese Opera by Rich Lo
- 2013-2014
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being.
- Honorable Mention: Jennifer Cody Epstein, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment.
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Cindy I-Fen Cheng, Citizens of Asian America: Democracy and Race during the Cold War.
- Honorable Mention: Cecilia M. Tsu, Garden of the World: Asian Immigrants and the Making of Agriculture in California's Santa Clara Valley.
- Young Adult
- Winner: Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani, Jet Black and the Ninja Wind.
- Honorable Mention: Suzanne Kamata, Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible.
- Children's Literature
- Winner: Cynthia Kadohata, The Thing About Luck.
- Honorable Mention: Josanne La Valley, The Vine Basket.
- Picture Book
- Winner: Ji-li Jiang, Red Kite, Blue Kite.
- Honorable Mention: Marissa Moss, Barbed Wire Baseball. Illustrated by, Yuko Shimizu.
- 2012-2013
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Don Lee, The Collective.
- Honorable Mention: Krys Lee, Drifting House.
- Adult Non-Ficton
- Winner: Rick Baldoz, Third Asiatic Invasion: Empire and Migration in Filipino America, 1898-1946.
- Honorable Mention: Martin B. Gold, Forbidden Citizens.
- Young Adult Literature
- Winner: Keshni Kashyap, Tina's Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary.
- Honorable Mention: Ryan Inzana, Ichiro.
- Children's Literature
- Winner: Hildi Kang, Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan.
- Honorable Mention: Kikuo Johnson, Shark King.
- Picture Book
- Winner: Joan Schoettler, Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth. Illustrated by, Jessica Lanan.
- Honorable Mention: Sibley O'Brien, A Path of Stars.
- 2011-2012
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Amy Waldman, The Submission.
- Honorable Mention: R. Zamora Linmark, Leche.
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Ying-Ying Chang, The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond The Rape of Nanking.
- Honorable Mention: Shafiqur Rahman, The Bangladeshi Diaspora in the United States after 9/11: From Obscurity to High Visibility.
- Young Adult Literature
- Winner: Holly Thompson, Orchards.
- Honorable Mention: Gene Luen Yang, Level Up.
- Children's Literature
- Winner: Wendy Wan-Long Shang, The Great Wall of Lucy Wu.
- Honorable Mention: Sheela Chari, Vanished.
- Picture Book
- Winner: The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China.
- Honorable Mention: F. Zia, Hot Hot Roti for Kaka-ji. Illustrated by, Ken Min.
- 2010-2011
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Karen Tei Yamashita, I Hotel.
- Honorable Mention: Monique Truong, Bitter in the Mouth.
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Erika Lee and Judy Yung, Angel Island: Immigration Gateway to America.
- Honorable Mention: Yunte Huang, Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History.
- Honorable Mention: Neela Vaswani, You Have Given Me a Country.
- Young Adult Literature
- Winner: N. H. Senzai, Shooting Kabul.
- Honorable Mention: Barbara Bazaldua, A Boy of Heart Mountain.
- Children's Literature
- Winner: Margi Preus, Heart of a Samurai.
- Honorable Mention: Mitali Perkins, Bamboo People.
- Picture Book
- Winner: Ann Malaspina, Yasmin's Hammer. Illustrated by, Doug Chayka.
- Honorable Mention: Roseanne Thong,Fly Free. Illustrated by, Eujin Kim Neilan.
- 2009–2010
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Jamie Ford, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
- Honorable Mention: Lisa See, Shanghai Girls.
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Bonnie Tsui, American Chinatown: A People's History of Five Neighborhoods.
- Honorable Mention: Lane Ryo Hirabayashi, Japanese American Resettlement: Through the Lens.
- Picture Book
- Winner: Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, Cora Cooks Pancit. Illustrated by Kristi Valiant.
- Honorable Mention: Malathi Michelle Iyengar, Tan to Tamarind. Illustrated by Jamel Akib.
- Youth Literature
- Winner: Sung Woo, Everything Asian.
- Honorable Mention: Ching Yeung Russell, Tofu Quilt.
- 2008–2009
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth.
- Honorable Mention: Fae Myenne Ng, Steer Toward Rock.
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Jennifer 8. Lee, Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food.
- Honorable Mentions: Andrew X. Pham, Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars.
- Kao Kalia Yang, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir.
- Picture Book
- Winner: Mark Reibstein, Wabi Sabi. Art by Ed Young.
- Honorable Mention: Kashmira Sheth, Monsoon Afternoon. Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi.
- Youth Literature
- Winner: Many Ly, Roots and Wings.
- Honorable Mentions: Naomi Hirahara, 1001 Cranes.
- Paula Yoo, Good Enough.
- 2007–2008
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Winner: Jean Pfaelzer, Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans.
- Honorable Mention: Linda Furiya, Bento Box in The Heartland: My Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America.
- Illustration in Children Literature
- Winner: Ellie Crowe, Surfer of the Century. Illustrated by Richard Waldrep.
- Honorable Mention: Lynne Barasch, Hiromi's Hands.
- Young Adult Literature
- Winner: Kelly Easton, Hiroshima Dreams.
- Honorable Mention: Kashmira Sheth, Keeping Corner.
- 2006–2007
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Da Chen, Brothers.
- Honorable Mention: John Hamamura, Color of the Sea.
- Illustration in Children Literature
- Winner: Anne Sibley O'Brien, The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea.
- Honorable Mention: Yin. Brothers. Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet.
- Youth Literature
- Winner: Justina Chen Headley, Nothing But the Truth.
- Honorable Mention: Grace Lin, Year of the Dog.
- 2005–2006
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Chang-Rae Lee, Aloft.
- Honorable Mentions: Amy Tan, Saving Fish from Drowning.
- Illustration in Children Literature
- Winner: Linda Sue Park and Julie Downing (illustrator). The Firekeeper's Son.
- Honorable Mentions: Paula Yoo and Dom Lee (illustrator). Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: the Sammy Lee Story.
- Frederick Lipp and Jason Gaillard (illustrator). Bread Song.
- Text in Children and Young Adult Literature
- Winner: Cynthia Kadohata, Kira-Kira.
- Honorable Mentions:
- Andrea Cheng, Shanghai Messenger.
- Linda Sue Park, Project Mulberry: A Novel.
- Books published between 2001 and 2003.
- Adult Fiction
- Winner: Yann Martel, Life of Pi.
- Illustration in Children Literature
- Winner: Janet S. Wong and Margaret Chodos-Irvine (illustrator) . Apple Pie 4 July.
- Honorable Mentions: Tim Myer and Robert Roth (illustrator). Tanuki's Gift.
- Yin and Chris Soentpiet (illustrator). Coolies.
- Text in Children and Young Adult Literature
- Winner: An Na, A Step from Heaven.
- Honorable Mentions: Tanuja Desai Hidier, Born Confused.
- Ken Mochizuki, Beacon Hill Boys.
- Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard.
- Awards presented in 2001[3]
- Adult Fiction: T. C. Huo, Land of Smiles.
- Adult Nonfiction: Loung Ung, First They Killed My Father.
- Children and Young Adult: Janet S. Wong The Trip Back Home, illustrated by Bo Jia.
See also
- Asian American literature
- Chinese American literature
- List of Asian American writers
- List of American writers of Korean descent
- Janet M. Suzuki, co-founder of the AALC
- Asian American Literary Awards
References
- 1 2 APALA History, accessed 2 January 2011.
- ↑ Awards Guidelines, accessed 2 January 2011.
- ↑ "Librarians Arrive, Whoop It Up, Give Prizes", by David Kipen, San Francisco Chronicle June 17, 2001, accessed 8 August 2010.
External links
- APALA homepage
- APALA Literature Awards page
- "Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association - A History of APALA and Its Founders" by Kenneth A. Yamashita, Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 88-109.