Asian+Studies

Introduction:
This pathfinder will help you find pertinent information allowing you to better understand Asian Studies. In the pathfinder you will find print resources and electronic sources, all available from our school Follet Destiny automation site and all of which will help you with your school's assignments with Asian Studies. Reading literature on other cultures can help children gain a better picture of people from other countries and their ethnic backgrounds. These books may describe how people live in different parts of the world, or they may portray how children from different cultural backgrounds live together in the same country. They can be fiction, nonfiction, folk tales, fairy tales, legends, or poetry, but above all they must be accurate and portray characters in positive, non-stereotypical ways. The information presented here will help parents, teachers, and other interested adults find bibliographical lists of high quality multicultural materials for children of all ages.

Questions for Inquiry:
What are the major issues that face Asia today? What are some customs and traditions in China? How has religion in India influenced the life of people?

Keywords:
-Asia -Asia Countries -Asia-People -Asia-Culture -Asia-Sports -Asia-History

Subject Headings:
Countries Cuisine Holidays Celebration Religion Arhitecture Language

Dewey Decimal Classification(s):
You can find many resources about Asian countries in your library and in the public libraries. Most public libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification system as in our school library. The Dewey number that you might find useful is the 900's. You can look for information about individual countries by looking for the region or specific country in this section. For example, China can be found at 951. Search the catalog for the call number of the region or specific country in which you are interested. If you have trouble locating information, ask the library staff for help. For quick reference information, try looking in an encyclopedia //World Book// Encyclopedia (2000, 2004). Look for an entry on the country that you are researching. These encyclopedias are good starting points for your research. They have detailed information about many aspects of the country, and entries often include illustrations and maps. Additional Dewey numbers which may be helpful are: - 294 Religion - 305 Social Sciences - 394 Traditions - 641 Food - 796 Sports

Reference:
R 390
 * __Culturgrams : the Nations Around us. Volume II, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.__ Chicago : Ferguson Pub., c1997. ||  || R 920 ||

REF 920 MAR v.1

Marvis, Barbara J. __Contemporary American success stories : famous people of Asian ancestry.__ Childs, Md. : Mitchell Lane Publishers, c1994. Provides role models for today's youth of Americans with Asian ancestry that have made contributions to America.

REF 920 SINSinnott, Susan. __Extraordinary Asian Pacific Americans.__ Chicago : Childrens Press, c1993. Biographical sketches of notable Asian Americans and Pacific Americans, including cinematographer

Non-fiction:
304.8 TAK Steoff, Rebecca. __Spacious dreams : the first wave of Asian immigration.__ New York : Chelsea House Publishers, c1993. A history of the first wave of Asian immigration in America. 305.8 K Kuklin, Susan. __How my family lives in America.__ 1st ed. New York : Bradbury Press ;, c1992. African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic-American children describe their families' cultural traditions. 325 HOL Holland, Ruth (Robins) 1924-. __The oriental immigrants in America, : from Eastern Empire to Western World,.__ New York, : Grosset & Dunlap, [1969]. A history of Orientals in the United States describing their reasons for immigrating, their contribution to their new country, and the prejudices and rejections they endured, especially during World War II. 394.2 V Viesti, Joseph F. __Celebrate! in Southeast Asia.__ 1st ed. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, c1996. Describes a variety of holiday celebrations in Southeast Asia, including Thailand's Elephant Round-Up, Singapore's Moon Cake Festival, and the Vietnamese New Year. 709 R Rawson, Philip S. __The art of Southeast Asia : Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Java, Bali.__ London : Thames and Hudson, [1990], c1967. Discusses the art of Southeast Asia, looking at the indigenous forms and influences from India and China, along with the history, tradition, social organization, and religious beliefs that affected these artistic expressions. 726 SIT Sitwell, Sacheverell, 1897-. __Great temples of the East : the wonders of Cambodia, India, Siam, and Nepal.__ New York : I. Obolensky, [1963, c1962]. 909.2 M Macdonald, Fiona. __The world in the time of Marco Polo.__ Harback ed. Philadelphia : Chelesa House, 2001. Tells the story of medieval explorer Marco Polo, and looks at what was happening in each of seven regions of the world during the time in which he lived. Includes a time line and maps. 915 GEO Georges, D. V. __Asia____.__ Chicago : Childrens Press, c1986. Identifies the continent of Asia, divides it into seven regions, including the Middle East, Siberia, Far East, and Himalayas, and discusses their countries, cities, and geographical features. 915.04 W Worth, Richard. __The great empire of China and Marco Polo in world history.__ Berkeley Height, NJ : Enslow Publishers, c2003. Follows the twenty-four year expedition of the Polos as they traveled from Italy to the court of Kublai Khan, the powerful Mongol emperor who ruled China in the thirteenth century. 950 COB Coblence, Jean-Michel. __Asian civilizations.__ Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Silver Burdett Press, 1988. Examines in text and illustrations the spiritual, social, and cultural developments of civilization in China, Japan, India, and other parts of Asia. 950 P Porter, Malcolm. __Asia____.__ Austin [Tex.] : Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2002. Lists the land area, population, capital, highest point, official language, religion, government, and currency of each country in Asia, grouped in fifteen regions; and includes maps and general information about the people and beliefs, climate and vegetation, ecology and environment, economy, and politics and history of the continent. 958 THO Thomas, Paul, 1952-. __The Central Asian states--Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan.__ Brookfield, Conn. : Millbrook Press, 1992. Describes the history, development, current status, and possible future of the four former Soviet republics which have strong ties to neighboring Muslim states. 973 C Cao, Lan. __Everything you need to know about Asian American history.__ New York : Plume, 1996. Explores the history of the Asiatic people in America including important dates, people, traditions, and ideas. B POL Greene, Carol. __Marco Polo : voyager to the Orient.__ Chicago : Childrens Press, c1987. Presents the life and adventures of the thirteenth-century Venetian merchant who wrote a famous account of his travels and life at the court of Kublai Khan. B POLO Bandon, Alex. __The travels of Marco Polo.__ Austin, TX : Steadwell Books, c2000. A biography of the Italian traveler who became the first European to cross Asia completely and document his experiences.

Fiction:
Fic Crew, Linda. __Children of the river.__ New York : Delacorte Press, c1989. Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge army, seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and enjoying life in her Oregon high school as a "regular" American.

811 W Wong, Janet S. __A suitcase of seaweed, and other poems.__ 1st ed. New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, c1996. A collection of poems that reflect the experiences of Asian Americans, particularly their family relationships.

811 IZU Izuki, Steven, 1954-. __Believers in America : poems about Americans of Asian and Pacific islander descent.__ Chicago : Children's Press, 1994. Poems about Asian Americans such as Patsy Mink, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Wang Laboratories founder Dr. An Wang.

808.8 CHA __Charlie Chan is dead 2 : at home in the world : an anthology of contemporary Asian American fiction.__ Revised and updated ed. New York : Penguin Books, 2004. Presents an anthology of Asian American fiction, featuring selections from forty-two authors, most originally published in the 1990s and early 2000s.

SS AME __American eyes : new Asian-American short stories for young adults.__ 1st ed. New York : H. Holt, 1994. Blonde / Katherine Min -- Excerpt from Wild meat and the bully burgers / Lois-Ann Yamanaka -- Housepainting / Lan Samantha Chang -- Home now / Ryan Oba -- Summer of my Korean soldier / Marie G. Lee -- Singing apples / Cynthia Kadohata -- Knuckles / Mary F. Chen -- Fortune teller / Nguyen Duc Minh -- Excerpt from Bone / Fae Myenne Ng -- A matter of faith / Peter Bacho. These ten stories reflect the conflict Asian Americans face in balancing an ancient heritage and an unknown future.

• Print:
//Smithsonian School Library journal National Geographic//

Web Sites:
Online Sources [|American Library Association: 'Notable books for Children"] http://www.ala.org/alsc/awards.html. This sites mentions the titles of multiethnic material throughout their lists of notable children's books from various years. [|Books to use for the Chinese New Year]http://www.fairrosa.info/lists/chinesenewyear.html A list of books about the Chinese New Year is presented here. [|The New York Public Library: Celebrate...Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month!]http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/asian/asian.html Stories for Younger Readers, Folk and Fairy Tales, Stories for Older Readers, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and links to other Internet Sites on Asia-Pacific Heritage are all covered at this site. [|The New York Public Library: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!]http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/espanol/pura2.html This site lists books for children in English and in Spanish with Hispanic themes. [|South Asian Children's Books]http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/users/sawweb/sawnet/kidsbooks.html Books listed here have South Asian themes and include fiction, nonfiction, folk tales, and fairy tales. Internet Resources: Multiethnic Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Legends Reading fairy tales, folk tales, and legends from different cultures around the world can be a creative way for children to improve their vocabulary development. It can also be fun for children to see how the same story theme, like that of Cinderella, varies from one country to another. [|Cinderella Books From Around The World]http://www.fairrosa.info/lists/cinderella.html This site lists versions of the Cinderella fairy tale from different countries all over the world, including China, Russia, and Africa. [|Fairrosa Cyber Library: 1996 Aesop Accolade List]http://www.fairrosa.info/lists/aesop.html The best folk tales published in 1996 are noted here. Many of them are from different cultures around the world. [|The New York Public Library: Asian-Pacific Folk and Fairy Tales]http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/asian/asian.html#Folk This site has lists of folk and fairy tales from Asia and the Pacific. [|Tales of Wonder: Folk and Fairy Tales from Around the World]http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/ Titles of folk and fairy tales from different countries all over the world are listed here. Internet Resources: Interracial Themes These sites list titles of books that cover themes of multi-racial families. Such books may be of interest to all children. [|Children's and Young Adult Books with Interracial Family Themes] http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/newmultirace.htm [|Recommended Picture Books Featuring Interracial Families]

[|Asian American Studies Resource Guide] http://www.usc.edu/isd/archives/ethnicstudies/asian/ Part of the University of Southern California Ethnic Studies website, this page provides information and links to bibliographies, research guides, periodicals, community landmarks, audio and video recordings, and various electronic resources on Asian American Studies. [|Beginning Library Research on Asian American Studies] http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/adams/shortcu/asam.html This research guide by Stanford University Libary includes search advice, bibliographies, and electronic links. Also a good source on how to use more general indexes and bibliographies to find useful Asian American information such as published dissertations and current statistics. [|A. Magazine] http://www.aonline.com/ Popular magazine of news, reviews, interviews and articles pertaining to Asian America. Also available in print. [|Bamboo Ridge] http://www.bambooridge.com/ Bamboo Ridge publishes their twice yearly journal of Hawai'i literature and arts in print, but also makes available selections from it on their website. While featuring literature and essays of the Hawai'i islands, Bamboo Ridge is nonetheless broad in scope and embraces a variety of work from writers across the nation; it remains an important influence on contemporary Asian American Studies. The website also includes news articles, a publications catalog, and a calendar of events. General You can also look for additional information on the internet at the following indexed websites:

About.Com [|culture/asian-american] http://asianamculture.about.com/

Yahoo [|social science/ethnic studies/asian american studies] http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Ethnic_Studies/Asian_American_Studies/ [|Regional/Countries/United States/Society and Culture/Cultures and Groups/Cultures/American United States/Asian American/] http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/United_States/Society_and_Culture/Cultures_and_Groups/Cultures/American__United_States_/Asian_American/

Encyclopedias and Almanacs Other General Sites Maps Flags
 * [|Altapedia] (http://www.atlapedia.com/): This online encyclopedia provides facts, figures and statistical information about such topics as the history, people, geography, language, and religion of countries around the world. The site also offers political and physical maps of regions of the world.
 * [|Country Reports] (http://www.countryreports.org/): Geared especially to young people, this site includes general information about the nations of the world. It also allows you to listen to national anthems and look at flags of various countries.
 * [|Global Statistics] (http://www.xist.org/): This almanac gives brief factual information on nations and regions of the world. Here you can find a list of all the countries of the world and their capitals, surface area and population.
 * [|The World Factbook 1999] (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/): Developed by the C.I.A., this online version of The World Factbook 1999 Almanac is a quick reference guide for obtaining basic information about all the countries of the world. You can find out about each country's geography, population, government, economy, communications, transportation, and more. Regional and country maps are also included on this site, as is information about Internet use and access in many countries.
 * [|U.S. Department of State Background Notes] (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/): Published by the U.S. Government, this source profiles countries and regions around the world. It gives facts about a country's population, government, economy and so forth.
 * [|Library of Congress Country Studies] (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html): In addition to the basic facts about countries, this site gives a more in-depth view of the people of each country: their religion, values, and views on issues. Currently, the site offers profiles of 85 countries, so you may have to check other sources if you do not find here the country that you are researching.
 * [|World Wise Schools] (http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/): This site profiles 80 countries that are served by the Peace Corps. You can find facts as well as information about a country's culture. If you are looking for information about an undeveloped country, you might find it at this site.
 * [|Progress of Nations] (http://www.unicef.org/pon99/): Look here for information about a country's ranking according to its achievements in child health, nutrition, education, family planning and progress for women.
 * [|Governments on the WWW] (http://www.gksoft.com/govt/): From this site, you can access the embassies of foreign nations. The pages include the addresses of the embassies as well as information about the countries. If you have time, you may wish to write or e-mail the embassy of a particular country and ask for information. This is a good way to get print materials that you can often use in reports and projects.
 * [|Map Machine] (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/): This National Geographic site offers physical and political maps of the countries of the world. It also has facts and profiles of the different nations.
 * [|Maps and Geography of the World] (http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blindex.htm): Search an alphabetical index to find maps for a specific region or country. Detailed factual information is provided for each country, although much of this information comes from sources mentioned above.
 * [|World Flag Database] (http://www.flags.ndirect.co.uk/): In addition to basic information about countries, you will find flags including national and state flags, ensigns, and sub-national flags. A glossary explains common flag terms.
 * [|Flags of the World] (http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/): This site focuses on the flags of the different countries. There is very little general information about the country itself, although you will find background information about each flag, for example, the meaning behind the flag's colors and the history of the flag.

EdVideo:
//Asian Population Growth-Usa Southeast Asia Inside China The Pacific RimRunners Loosers &Sur One Village China Women Islam Japan They Don't Talk About Paper Angels- Chinese Immigration to the Pacific Basin-Taiwan, 1987 Shiite Muslims- Holy War Terror Living Rural China China, the History & the Mistery, Pt. 1 China, the History & the Mistery, Pt. 2 Islamic Art Cambodia: Year Ten Israel: the First Fourty Years Islam Today Holy Mountain of Tibet Indonesia: When Invaders Become Ceylon: The Scent of Cinnamon Birth Of Pakistan Korea: Ancient Treasure, Modern World Chinese Americans Korean Americans Japanese Americans Arab Americans Living Treasures of Japan Hong Kong: Family Portrait Introduc East Asia China and Tibet Famous Cities of the Far East Touring Korea Legacy: India Hong Kong: A family Portrait Vietnam Indonesia Korea: The Forgotten War//

Community Resources:

 * America's leading institution dedicated to educating Americans about **Asia** and fostering understanding between Americans and the peoples of **Asia** and the **...** [|www.**asia****society**.org/] [|Asia Society]

Curriculum Standards Related to This Topic:
Information Literacy Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively. Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently. Standard 3: The Student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. Independent Learning Standard 4: the Student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests. Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature an other creative expressions of information. Standard 6: the student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation. Standard 7: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literateand recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society. Standard 8: the student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and to information technology. Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Reading about people from other cultures like Asian countries can be a valuable learning experience for all children. A book does not have to stress the uniqueness of a culture for it to be beneficial, however, it just has to be accurate, sensitive, and avoid negative, stereotypical, and condescending depictions of the culture in question. Reading books about everyday events in which characters unself-consciously represent children from different cultures is also important. Above all, books can simply be fun to read!