AAPI Content List
BANNED: An Asian American Reading List of Banned Books in 2023
By Louise Liu
In the last two years alone, local and legislative efforts to implement book bans in classrooms and libraries have grown exponentially: According to PEN America, a free speech organization, there were 1,477 individual book ban cases in the fall 2022 semester alone — a 28% increase from the spring 2022 semester — and the bans don’t seem to be stopping any time soon. In 2023, 123 bills that would limit access to certain books have been proposed in state legislatures.
Many of the bills targeting K-12 schools have taken advantage of vague language, granting school boards the authority to challenge individual titles as they see fit as well as criminalize educators who fail to remove banned materials from their classrooms and libraries. These attacks not only undermine efforts to engage in proactive dialogues about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but they also pose a threat to our democratic values as a country. Advancing Justice | AAJC firmly supports an education that fosters equity and tells the histories and lived experiences of historically marginalized communities.
Efforts to ban books have largely targeted titles concerning race and/or sexual orientation, and the bans don’t seem to be stopping any time soon:
Of the 1,477 book ban cases in fall 2022, 30% featured prominent characters of color or discussions of race, and 26% featured LGBTQ+ themes or characters.
Rather than remove these books from our shelves, we choose to amplify them and ask policymakers to consider the educational and humanitarian benefits of consuming and sharing diverse stories rather than erasing them.
As we close out Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, let us celebrate the words, stories, and histories of Asian American authors that have been banned from circulation in our kids’ schools — and ensure that our narratives continue to be remembered, taught, and embraced.
(All books sourced from PEN America’s Banned in the USA reports.)
For Early Childhood (K — Grade 2):
Red Kite, Blue Kite by Jiang Ji-li
- Banned for: Mentions of the Cultural Revolution; Chinese history and culture
- States banned: PA
Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho
- Banned for: Asian culture
- States banned: FL
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; genderfluid protagonist
- States banned: PA
Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
- Banned for: Religious minorities; Islamic themes
- States banned: FL
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee
- Banned for: Activism; gender and sexism
- States banned: PA
Under My Hijab by Hena Khan
- Banned for: Religious minorities; Islamic themes
- States banned: PA
- Other banned books by Khan: Like the Moon Loves the Sky & Amina’s Voice
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
- Banned for: Chinese culture
- Banned in: PA
- Other banned books by Lin: Starry River of the Sky
For Upper Elementary (Grades 2–5):
Mindy Kim series by Lyla Lee
- Banned for: Race and racism
- States banned: PA
WeirDo series by Anh Do
- Banned for: Race and racism
- States banned: PA
Cilla Lee-Jenkins series by Susan Tan
- Banned for: Race and racism; multiracial protagonist
- States banned: PA
Front Desk series by Kelly Yang
- Banned for: Undocumented immigration; race and racism; racial solidarity
- States banned: PA, TN
- Other banned books by Yang: Parachutes
For Pre-teens (Grades 5–9):
A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
- Banned for: Religious minorities; Islamic themes; Jewish themes; racial solidarity
- States banned: NC
- Other banned books by Faruqi: Yasmin series
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; gay protagonist; violence
- States banned: FL, TN, TX
Amal Unbound by Saeed Aisha
- Banned for: Religious minorities; Islamic themes
- States banned: PA
- Other banned books by Aisha: Bilal Cooks Daal
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
- Banned for: Race and racism; public urination
- States banned: MS
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; genderqueer protagonist; gender and sexism
- States banned: FL, ID
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai
- Banned for: Activism; gender and sexism; religious minorities; gun violence
- States banned: PA
- Other banned books by Yousafzai: Malala’s Magic Pencil
For Teens (Grades 8–12):
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; lesbians; religious minorities; Islamic themes
- States banned: TN
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; lesbians; sexual content; depictions of abuse
- States banned: TX
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
- Banned for: Inter-caste romance; sexual content; mentions of Communism
- States banned: FL
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes, lesbians; race and racism; gender and sexism; mentions of Communism
- States banned: FL, SC, TN, TX, UT
- Other banned books by Lo: Ash & A Line in the Dark
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
- Banned for: LGBTQ+ themes; bisexuality
- States banned: FL
When The Emperor Was Divine by Julia Otsuka
- Banned for: Japanese American incarceration; themes of race and racism; violence
- States banned: WI
Additional Reading Lists to Check Out
Louise Liu is the Anti-Hate Communications Coordinator at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC has a mission to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. Visit our website at advancingjustice-aajc.org.
