Step into the dynamic world of Asian American literature and join our engaging reading community! Join us for our exclusive events featuring various AAPI authors. Prepare to be captivated by stories of culture, identity, and unforgettable experiences. Engage in meaningful and thoughtful literary discussions that explore various cultural, political, social, and personal issues related to Asian and Asian American experiences. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to connect with fellow readers and celebrate the rich diversity of Asian American voices!
Spring 2024
Click the "Upcoming/Recent Book Club Events" tab to see who's coming to the AACC!
Upcoming/Recent Book Club Events
Tuesday, February 6th, 2024
Lisa Kwong
About the Artist:
- Born and raised in Radford, Virginia
- Grew up working class under a family who owned a Chinese restaurant
- Appalachian State University:
- B.A. in English, Minor in Music
- Indiana University:
- M.F.A in Poetry
- "Searching for Wonton Soup" - Sundress Publication's 2019 Poetry Broadside Contest Winner
- Current lecturer for Asian American Studies at Indiana University
Becoming AppalAsian
A Collection of poems written by a Southern women of Asian descent detailing her parents, ancestors, ancestral land, homeland, and chosen land.
Summary: "She is AppalAsian: a Southern woman of Asian descent raised in Appalachia who lays claim to soul food, a southern drawl chicken feet, and dumplings. Her poetry offers fresh language to express the complexities of her identity".
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024
Curtis Chin
About the Artist:
A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profits’ first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in twenty countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" will be published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023.
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant
A memoir by Curtis Chin describing his experience growing up as a gay Chinese American in Detroit during the 1980s
Previous Book Club Books
Spring 2022 Book Club
Jai Chakrabarti will discuss his first novel, A Play for the End of the World. This event is a collaboration with the International and Area Studies Library and is the last event of our South Asian American Leadership Conference.
March 3, 2022 - 4pm-5pm CST
Zoom & In-Person in the AACC Lounge
Fall 2020 Book Club
For Fall 2020 of the AACC Book Club, we collaborated with Purdue University's Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center and Indiana University's Asian Culture Center! We read "Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning" by Cathy Park Hong and hosted a virtual discussion. We also hosted a virtual Meet and Greet with author, Cathy Park Hong on Friday, October 2 at 11:30am CST.
Virtual Events
- Virtual discussion on "United" and "Stand Up"
Monday, September 14 at 11:30am cst
Register here: (Past Event) - Virtual discussion on "The End of White Innocence" and "Bad English"
Monday, September 21 at 11:30am cst
Register here: (Past Event) - Virtual discussion on "An Education." "The Portrait of an Artist" and "The Indebted"
Monday, September 28 at 11:30am cst
Register here: (Past Event) - Virtual Meet and Greet with Cathy Park Hong
Date & Time: Friday, October 2 at 11:30am cst
Register here: (Past Event)
Other Past Books
2019 Big Read: The Namesake
by Jhupa Lahiri
January 27-March 10
Champaign-Urbana campus
Book Club Discussion: Asian Americans In The Media
AACC Food For Thought
Phil Yu, Founder of AngryAsianMan.com
November 13th, 12pm - 1pm
1210 W Nevada St
When the Emperor Was Divine
by Julie Otsuka
- Tues., Oct. 3, 2017, 7-9pm: "Good Luck Soup" Documentary
Screening with panel discussion at Champaign Public Library - Wed., Oct. 11, 2017, 7-8pm: Book Discussion: "Identities"
At Urbana Library - Wed., Oct. 18, 2017, 7-8pm: Book Discussion: "Immigration and Discrimination"
At Champaign Library - Mon., Oct. 23, 2017, 6-6:45pm: Origami Craft & Story Time for Families
At Urbana Library - Wed., Nov. 15, 2017, 7-8pm: Keynote Lecture with Karen Su & Yuki Llewellyn
At Champaign Library
Presented by the AACC Book Club & YWCA's Community Read.
Thank you to the following sponsors! School of Information Sciences, International Student Support Services, SharePower
This program is made possible in part by a grant from Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.
With further thanks to the School of Social Work for their support!
From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
by Alex Gilvarry
- Author Meet & Greet
Date & Time: Monday, November 7th 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Author Visit - Public Book Reading from the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 8th at 12:00pm-1:00 pm - Location: Asian American Cultural Center
1210 W. Nevada Street, Urbana 61801
Sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center, Philippine Student Association, Residence Hall Libraries, International and Area Studies Library, and the Student Cultural Programming Fee.
In the Absence of Sun
Helie Lee, Author, Speaker & Documentary Filmmaker
Helie Lee, a Korean-American author of national bestseller, will be joining us on Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th to discuss her book, In the Absence of Sun.
- Book Club Kickoff Cafe | Date: Tuesday, February 24th | Time: 4:30pm - 5:30pm
- Author Meet & Greet | Date: Monday, March 16th | Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
- Food For Thought with Helie Lee | Date: Tuesday, March 17th | Time: 12:00pm - 1:00 pm
All events are held at the Asian American Cultural Center, 1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana. Books available for $10 at the AACC Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center, Liberty in North Korea, KAOA, Korean Student Association, Residence Hall Libraries, International and Area Studies Library. Paid for in part by SCPF.
The Choke Artist - confessions of a chronic underachiever
David Yoo
"David Yoo's voice is so witty and charming." - Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn
Shattered - The Asian American Comics Anthology
Edited by Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow, & Jerry Ma
Author/Editor Keith Chow will be joining us on Tuesday, December 3rd to discuss Shattered, the second volume in the ground-breaking anthology of original Asian American graphic fiction, Secret Identities. Over 50 Asian American writers and artists have contributed stories that subvert, upend, satirize, and shatter the stereotypes that have obscured the Asian image since throughout history: the stoic BRUTE, the prodigious BRAIN, the exotic TEMPTRESS, the inscrutable ALIEN, and the MANIPULATOR.
Book Club Schedule
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
- Food For Thought, 12:00pm
Public Reading of Shattered - Meet + Greet, 5:00pm
Dinner & discussion with Keith Chow
Books available for $10 at the AACC, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center Book Club
1210 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL 61801