Verywell / Julie Bang
Key Takeaways
AAPI communities have experiencedmore anti-Asian racism since the start of COVID-19.
From Marie Lu’s nation of Kenettra in"The Young Elites"to F.C.
Bibliotherapyhas long had a history of promoting mental health.
Verywell / Julie Bang
Unfortunately, there hasn’t always been easy access to authentic representation in literature for AAPI communities.
We don’t get that often.
“Don’t judge a book by its genre name,” she jokes.
Authentic representation can feel empowering, according to Nasamran.
The two primary reasons why representation is important are inclusivity and perception."
“Lack of representation is harmful to many marginalized communities,” she says.
Landrum highlights, “Not seeing ourselves perpetuates the experience of feeling invisible, unwanted, and unimportant.
Misrepresentation of marginalized communities comes with even more damaging consequences.”
Landrum explains, “AAPI is not a monolith.
Our experiences, understanding, and opinions may differ from others in our community.
The more diverse our stories, the more society will see us individually.”
We often teach through metaphor and narrative.
Culture is also integral to the hero’s journey.
It informs the position, values, and beliefs of the hero."
“The idea is that characters from different times all come together in the same place.
This way narratives can span generations while being tied to a certain location,” she says.
Landrum explains how an understanding of the AAPI experience includes how trust is complicated due to expansive histories ofcolonization.
Unity needs to be worked on, especially when years ofprejudicedivide groups, according to Landrum.
Mackenzie A, Wall T, Poole S.Applied fantasy and well-being.
Springer International Publishing; 2020:16-28. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-95681-7_80
