A love letter to and for Asian Americans offers a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions and memories from an era in which our culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped our community into who we are today. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)

"RISE is a love letter to and for Asian Americans--a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions, and memories from an era in which our culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped our community into who we are today"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

One of Barnes and Noble's Best History Books of 2022 * Finalist for the CALIBA Golden Poppy Award * A Goodreads Readers Choice Nominee

"Hip, entertaining...imaginative."—Kirkus, starred review * "Essential." —Min Jin Lee * "A Herculean effort."—Lisa Ling * "A must-read."—Ijeoma Oluo * "Get two copies."—Shea Serrano * "A bo2ok we've needed for ages." —Celeste Ng * "Accessible, informative, and fun." —Cathy Park Hong * "This book has serious substance...Also, I'm in it."—Ronny Chieng

RISE is a love letter to and for Asian Americans--a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions, and memories from an era in which our culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped our community into who we are today.

When the Hart-Celler Act passed in 1965, opening up US immigration to non-Europeans, it ushered in a whole new era. But even to the first generation of Asian Americans born in the US after that milestone, it would have been impossible to imagine that sushi and boba would one day be beloved by all, that a Korean boy band named BTS would be the biggest musical act in the world, that one of the most acclaimed and popular movies of 2018 would be Crazy Rich Asians, or that we would have an Asian American Vice President. And that’s not even mentioning the creators, performers, entrepreneurs, execs and influencers who've been making all this happen, behind the scenes and on the screen; or the activists and representatives continuing to fight for equity, building coalitions and defiantly holding space for our voices and concerns. And still: Asian America is just getting started.

The timing could not be better for this intimate, eye-opening, and frequently hilarious guided tour through the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and beyond. Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang chronicle how we’ve arrived at today’s unprecedented diversity of Asian American cultural representation through engaging, interactive infographics (including a step-by-step guide to a night out in K-Town, an atlas that unearths historic Asian American landmarks, a handy “Appreciation or Appropriation?” flowchart, and visual celebrations of both our "founding fathers and mothers" and the nostalgia-inducing personalities of each decade), plus illustrations and graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons, and more, anchored by extended insider narratives of each decade by the three co-authors. Rise is an informative, lively, and inclusive celebration of both shared experiences and singular moments, and all the different ways in which we have chosen to come together.

RISE is a love letter to and for Asian Americans--a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions, and memories from an era in which our culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped our community into who we are today.

JEFF YANG has been observing, exploring, and writing about the Asian American community for over thirty years. He launched one of the first Asian American national magazines, A. Magazine, in the late '90s and early 2000s, and now writes frequently for CNN, Quartz, Slate and elsewhere.  He has written/edited three books—Jackie Chan’s New York Times-best-selling memoir I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action; Once Upon a Time in China, a history of the cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Mainland; and Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

PHIL YU is the founder and editor of the popular Asian American news and culture blog, Angry Asian Man, which has had a devoted following since 2001. His commentary has been featured and quoted in Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

PHILIP WANG is the co-founder of the hugely influential production company Wong Fu Productions. Since the mid 2000s, his creative work has garnered over 3 million subscribers and half a billion views online, as well as recognition from NPR and CNN for its impact on Asian American representation. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Booklist Reviews

Compiled by journalists Yang and Phil Yu and producer Philip Wang, with illustrations by Julia Kuo, Rise documents the history and major shifts in pop culture from the 1980s to the present as experienced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Guided by engaging essays, honest dialogue, and graphics, readers will absorb and understand the struggles and successes of AAPIs in the U.S., particularly in the entertainment industry. Additional, thoughtfully explored issues include yellowface in Hollywood; cultural appropriation; relations between Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; violence against South Asian Americans, particularly those of Muslim or Sikh faith after 9/11; and anti-Asian hate crime during COVID-19. Several invited contributors share their reflections on the roles of AAPIs impacting social media, food, and sports. An informative, smart, and refreshing book for readers of pop culture, American studies, ethnic studies, Asian Pacific American studies, and American cultural and social history, Rise offers invaluable firsthand accounts and experiences of AAPI writers, artists, and personalities on major milestones and achievements in pop culture. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A fun and informative book about the explosion of Asian American culture in recent decades. In the past 30 years, there has been a wave of successful Asian-background artists, writers, actors, bloggers, and entrepreneurs who were born in America or arrived here when young. Until 1965, write Yang, Yu, and Wang, there were limits on the number of (legal) immigrants from Asia; for years after that, most arrivals were fleeing poverty or persecution. They focused mainly on building lives for their families, but the next generation showed an energetic, outward-looking diversity. This book—a collection of essays, interviews, illustrations, and even some comic-book pages—reflects that broad range. There are maps showing where Asian communities have developed and timelines indicating the key steps in overcoming social barriers. There is no question that there has been painful discrimination in the past, and it still exists, but great progress has been made. The authors examine the concept of "yellowface," where White actors played Asians, mainly as caricatures, and several essays look at the roots of racism. In the 1990s and 2000s, Asian countries were beginning to export culture: anime, movies, fashion, and music. That did much to break down anti-Asian sentiment, and the internet provided another springboard for Asian Americans to dive into the cultural currents. There is a difficult duality in the position of coming from one culture and growing into another, although it provides a heightened sense of observation of both sides. The image of the divided self often finds expression in comedy, and the comments from Asian American stand-up comics are hilarious, made more so by the thread of poignancy in the mix. Finding the balance between the future and the past is a continuing journey, and, as for most travelers, the crucial question is what you choose to take with you and what you leave behind. A hip, entertaining book, as imaginative in its presentation and stories as the generation it portrays. Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Reviews

Starting in the 1990s, the first generation of Asian Americans born since the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965 liberalized immigration policies have reshaped America, not just as activists, politicians, and executives but in the pop culture realm as singers, rappers, dance crews, and social media pioneers. Cultural critic Yang, who started one of the first Asian American national magazines, A. Magazine, covers the 1990s, while Angry Asian Man blogger Phil Yu and Wong Fu Productions cofounder Philip Wang handle the 2000s and 2010s, respectively. Interactive graphics, original graphic essays from notable Asian American artists, nine fold-out images, eight Asian American "spaces," and an Asian American U.S. atlas—all in full color. With a 40,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal Reviews

The history of Asians in America is a complicated matter. As journalist Yang, blogger Phil Yu, and producer Philip Wang point out in their new book, it's possible to trace this history back to at least the 1760s, but the umbrella term of Asian American didn't exist until 1968. Instead of focusing on the long history of exploitation and exclusion, Yang, Yu, and Wang turn to look at the last three decades with a focus on the advances that have been made in entertainment and politics. The result is a remarkable collection of stories from Asian Americans: a mix of essays, interviews, comics, playlists, and more. The book focuses on major moments in pop culture—including Margaret Cho's All-American Girl and I'm the One That I Want, Disney's 1998 Mulan, Boba tea, Better Luck Tomorrow, and Fresh Off the Boat. To provide additional nuance, the authors also invite contributors to discuss the problems of gathering so many cultures under one name, be it "Asian American" or "AAPI." VERDICT This rich, balanced collection provides a dazzling history of late 20th and early 21st century pop culture in the United States, and the lasting impact of Asian Americans. With a visually stunning layout, the book is an essential read.—John Rodzvilla

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Cultural critic Yang, Angry Asian Man blogger Yu, and filmmaker Wang take readers on a riveting tour through pop cultural milestones of the 1990s to the 2010s, when the children of the wave of Asian immigrants who came to America after the passage of 1965's Hart-Celler Act were confronted with "the job of trying to fill in the blank of what it meant to be Asian American." In graphic essays and conversations with artists, the authors reflect on how, for decades, finding success as an Asian American "meant making sure you could appeal to white audiences... compromising who you were." From the racially motivated murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982 to more recent reflections on the racial implications and random violence toward Asians perpetrated by those who falsely believe that Covid-19 is a "Chinese disease," they illustrate the obstacles Asian Americans have come up against and brilliantly juxtapose them with stories of how those barriers have been thwarted (Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve fans will appreciate behind-the-scenes details of how Sandra Oh landed her roles on those shows). Interspersed throughout are amusing memes featuring K-pop sensation BTS and quirky depictions of Asian grocery stores and boba shops. This celebration of Asian American culture is as revelatory as it is entertaining. (Jan.)