AAJA’s 2021 End of Year Top 10 Lists

By Sofia Koyama, Daniella Ignacio and Jessica Xiao

As another tremendous year comes to a close, we want to share with you some of our favorite AAPI media in 2021. In 2021, our community was touched by numerous remarkable tragedies and global unrest — the Atlanta spa shootings, tragedy in Afghanistan, a coup in Myanmar — but from this strife, stories emerged that captured the light and the depth of the AAPI experience.

These lists are not meant to be comprehensive (and they’re in no particular order). We created this brief snapshot in the spirit of celebration, in the hopes of bringing more attention to the challenging, thoughtful and inclusive work of those in our extended #AAJAFamily. We invited you to share with us your favorite works from the year and greatly appreciated all of the suggestions.

We’re continually inspired by the amazing journalism put out by both our #AAJAFamily and the AAPI community at large. Whether you are celebrating wins or rebounding after losses, we aim to be with you at every step of the way. Please consider supporting AAJA so we can continue our mission of uplifting AAPI storytellers and fighting for representation in newsrooms.

As always, please bring to our radar anything you’re working on via our member news submission form. Continue to celebrate each other and give #AAJAKudos to your favorite works from 2021 in the comments below!

10 Works Essential to 2021 by AAJA Members

1. “Atlanta Spa Shootings: What Korean-Language Media Told Us That the Mainstream Media Didn’t” by Regina Kim: The days following the Atlanta spa shootings were hazy and chaotic, as details of what had occurred slowly emerged — many of which differed between English-language and Korean-language publications. In a paramount piece that underscores the dire need for diversity in newsrooms, Regina Kim* takes a closer look at the crucial minutiae left out of the mainstream narrative and how it affected victims.
2. “White residents burned this California Chinatown to the ground. An apology came 145 years later.” by Anh Do: The Los Angeles Times’ Anh Do* recounts an essential, yet largely unknown, part of the history of the Chinese in America — and of California. Against the backdrop of rising anti-Asian hate due to COVID-19, this rarely-told story about the former Chinatown that once existed in Antioch, California proves more timely than ever.
3. “Amid Anti-Asian Hate, AAPI Candidates Aim To Smash Stereotypes And Lead Their Cities” by Daniel Lam: This year, Michelle Wu became the first AAPI mayor of Boston, a victory that reflects the growing number of AAPI candidates running for public office. Daniel Lam’s* piece for NPR looks at other AAPI-led campaigns from 2021 and others to keep an eye on. His story also stresses the important role civic engagement has in the fight against anti-Asian racism.
4. “Simu Liu is hitting new heights with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” by Phil Yu: In this exclusive front cover feature by Phil Yu* for Entertainment Weekly, Simu Liu opens up about what “Shang-Chi” means to him as an Asian male actor. He talks about reclaiming the martial arts aspects of the role, showing dimensionality in the Asian experience through this movie and the joy that this story brings to the AAPI community amidst COVID-19 and anti-Asian hate. Yu brings out Liu’s passion and drive beautifully through this interview, and captures his poignant journey from difficult moments at “Kim’s Convenience” to his readiness to speak out.
5. “K-drama Adoption Storylines Are Making Positive Strides, But There’s More Work to Do” by Jae-Ha Kim: With K-dramas getting worldwide attention, Jae-Ha Kim* reminds folks that it’s important to note how shows’ depictions of Korean overseas adoptees can be harmful and hurtful to their real-life counterparts. In this Teen Vogue article, she examines the K-drama trope that treats adoptees as an afterthought in shows such as “Her Private Life,” “Squid Game,” “Vincenzo” and more. Not only does she provide well-thought out critiques, she interviews Korean overseas adoptees to get their input on the shows and incorporates the history of South Korean adoption.
6. “Opinion: Sunisa Lee didn’t owe the U.S. gold. Her victory is a gift, especially to her Hmong community” by Phillipe Thao: Phillipe Thao’s* op-ed for The Washington Post celebrates Sunisa Lee’s historic win at the 2021 Olympics as the first Hmong American to win the gold medal for all-around gymnastics. He relates it back to the struggles with war and loss that the Hmong diaspora has faced, and uplifts the story of Lee’s family and community showing up for her. “Our love for one another is enough,” he writes. From joy and celebration, to the defiance that this win is not owed to a country that has not always helped her community, this piece takes a multilayered look at what Lee’s win means.
7. “Sikh Americans push for greater visibility, awareness against years of hate crimes, misunderstanding” by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang: This piece by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang* provides an insightful and inspiring look at the solidarity coalescing within the Sikh American community. After a year of increasing hate crimes, including a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in which four Sikh Americans were killed, the stories Wang laces together touch on resilience, hope and identity that those from any marginalized community can resonate with.
8. “Photos: Amid the debris, Gaza mourns loss of life and looks to rebuild” by Marcus Yam: Award-winning Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and photographer Marcus Yam* continued to be on the front lines of unfolding stories across Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip and more. Though covering events that were often tragic and harrowing, his photos also captured the nuance, humanity and honesty of the communities and people he covered. His work this year has been widely recognized, most recently in TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2021; here, AAJA decided to share a less graphic, more hopeful photo story to close out the year.
9. “20/20 Murder in Atlanta” featuring David Muir, Eva Pilgrim, Juju Chang, CeFaan Kim, Dion Lim and Nydia Han: In response to the Atlanta spa shootings, local Asian American reporters CeFaan Kim* (WABC), Dion Lim* (KGO) and Nydia Han* (WPVI) joined David Muir, Eva Pilgrim and Juju Chang for a live, hour-long special of ABC’s 20/20 to recap the emerging details, as well as discuss its implicit overlap with sexism and racism.
10. “A Woman of Color Cannot Save Your Workplace Culture” by S. Mitra Kalita: This impassioned op-ed for TIME explores S. Mitra Kalita* and other women of color leaders’ reaction to the sentence “The ideal candidate would be a woman of color.” From suggestions for how to improve hiring processes to actually be more inclusive and how workplaces should overhaul their culture, to firsthand experiences with being women of color in top ranks, this piece should be required reading for all workplaces.

10 Other Media (Newsletters, Podcasts, Documentaries)

1. “#StopAsianHate” by Gloria Oh and Michelle Woo: Created by blog editors Gloria Oh and Michelle Woo, this Medium publication was launched in May 2020 to chronicle the xenophobia and anti-Asian racism plaguing the country and create space for Asian joy and humanity. Select stories tagged with #StopAsianHate on Medium are published and featured.
2. “I Have Notes” by Nicole Chung: Author Nicole Chung’s* newsletter from The Atlantic is a space where she shares conversations and essays, explores books she’s reading, discusses the craft of writing and interacts with readers in an advice column focused on friendships, family relationships, creative work and goal-setting.
3. “Agnes’s Newsletter” by Agnes Constante: Birthed at the start of a four-part series for the Los Angeles Times, L.A.-based journalist Agnes Constante* launched this Substack to share updates on her yearlong fellowship project covering mental health in the Filipino American community. She invites readers to follow along on her journey as she shares published pieces, behind-the-scenes looks on her work, resources and educational tools.
4. “Foreign Bodies” by Fiza Pirani, copy edited and fact checked by Farahnaz Mohammed and Hanaa’ Tameez, illustrations by Marissa Evans: In this newsletter, Fiza Pirani* has created a needed online community that centers on de-stigmatizing mental illness in immigrant and refugee experiences. It was born from Pirani’s reporting fellowship with The Carter Center Mental Health Program. Every Monday Matter roundup features personal essays, reader recommended books, news coverage on immigrant mental health, and community updates. The monthly newsletter features individual stories of immigration experiences that relate to mental health. For members seeking media that intersects with our mental wellness work, Foreign Bodies’ stories are compelling and enlightening.
5. “Blood on Gold Mountain” hosted by Hao Huang, Micah Huang and Emma Gies: This nine-episode podcast is hosted by Hao Huang, Micah Huang and Emma Gies, featuring original music by Micah Huang and The Flower Pistils. It recounts the story of the 1871 L.A. Massacre, centered on the refugees, migrants and troublemakers who lived on Calle De Los Negros in Chinatown. Marian Liu* interviewed the hosts here.
6. “Viewers Like Us — Restoring the public in public television” hosted by Grace Lee: Grace Lee, Joaquin Alvarado and Ken Ikeda co-executive produce this podcast. It documents the growing disconnect between PBS’s founding mission and the increasingly diverse public it was created to serve. Lee, who called PBS out on over relying on Ken Burns in fall 2020, is the host.
7. “Fifth and Mission”/ SF Chronicle hosted by Cecilia Lei: Cecilia Lei*, AAJA-SF/Bay Area president, hosts and produces this flagship news podcast for the San Francisco Chronicle. She covers the biggest news of the day in the Bay Area with Chronicle journalists and newsmakers. Some highlights include a reflection on what Vincent Chin’s death taught the Asian and Black community in the Bay Area and the Oakland Chinatown community’s reactions to the increased violence of the past year.
8. “Axios Today” hosted by Niala Boodhoo: This daily news podcast is hosted by Niala Boodhoo* with the Axios news team, with clear and concise reporting that helps readers digest long-term, big picture topics. Some highlights include national coverage of the Atlanta shootings (with a story by Shawna Chen*), quick-turn yet emotional and accurate coverage as Trump mobs overran the U.S. Capitol and commentary on why Shang-Chi’s release matters (by Hope King*, filling in for Boodhoo as host for this episode).
9. “Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres” by Suzanne Joe Kai: Directed, produced and written by Suzanne Joe Kai*, the legendary first music editor of Rolling Stone, Ben Fong-Torres, receives the spotlight in this documentary. From growing up in Chinatown to defining American culture through his words, follow the story of his life — an epic sweep through the world of rock and roll.
10. “We Need To Talk About Anti-Asian Hate” by Eugene Lee Yang: Produced and hosted by Eugene Lee Yang and edited by YB Chang of the Try Guys, this documentary examines the rise and history of anti-Asian hate and attacks, from the origins of yellow peril and the model minority to how these issues manifest today. Yang talks to a wide variety of scholars, politicians and activists to discuss anti-Asian hate in a way that doesn’t portray the AAPI community as just one monolith.

4 New Books (Fiction/Non-Fiction) by AAJA Members

1. Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow: In her latest memoir, Kat Chow recounts her and her family’s grief and sense of loss when her mother died unexpectedly from cancer. The book explores three generations of her Chinese American family, following their journey in China, Hong Kong, Cuba and America. Her writing paints a vivid picture of what it means to reclaim your family’s story, striking an emotional and powerful chord with readers.
2. We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration by Frank Abe, Tamiko Nimura, Ross Ishikawa and Matt Sasaki: Frank Abe*, Tamiko Nimura, Ross Ishikawa and Matt Sasaki collaborated on this graphic novel that explores those who refused to submit to imprisonment in the Japanese internment camps without a fight. Based upon painstaking research, it presents an original vision of America’s past with disturbing links to the American present. Abe, who used his training as a journalist to write the script, wrote the ending to speak directly to the current moment, as the nation comes to a reckoning with a recurrence of anti-Asian and anti-immigrant violence that is rooted in a history of systemic exclusion and racism.
3. Enough About Me by Richard Lui: From MSNBC/NBC journalist Richard Lui* comes an “anti-self self-help” book that takes a look at the Asian American experience through the personal lens of caretaking for loved ones. Lui deftly intertwines a reflection on the career that led to him becoming the first Asian American male news anchor of a daily cable program with a personal look on the surge of anti-Asian hate sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich with the wisdom of a weathered journalist yet lighthearted and humorous, Lui’s book is deeply vulnerable and identifies similar sentiments felt throughout the Asian American community.
4. Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang: In this literary memoir written during subway commutes to the law firm where she worked, Qian Julie Wang’s first book follows her experiences growing up in Brooklyn, where her family ended up after moving from Shijiazhuang, China when she was seven years old. With moving lyricism, Wang crafts a powerful narrative on both the Asian American and undocumented immigrant experience.

Find last year’s End of Year Top 10 Lists here.