Asian American literature in the South has steadily grown in the last few decades of the twentieth century. Many works focus on stories of isolation—some reflecting the small populations of the initial Asian American presence, and others drawing on isolation more metaphorically.

Pacific Islander (Pasifka) literature has too often been put in with the category of Asian American literature under the Asian American and Pacific Islander category without specific attention to the many ethnicities and cultures of this group, as well as their distinct histories. As Pacific Islander communities continue to grow across the South, this literature can confidently be expected to grow as well.

This module explores the fiction and memoir of three widely lauded Asian American and Pacific Islander authors from the South. The authors, Monique Truong, Abraham Verghese, and T Kira Māhealani Madden, each write about experiences of being Asian American in the South.