Asian Culture

The last time we encountered Nick Firestone (in The People’s Treasure and In the Shadow of Her Hem - Book 4 and 5 of The Jade Owl Legacy) he was a five year old scamp, precocious and filled with the spirit of adventure. Now he’s all grow’d up, as Simone DeFleurry would say, and itching for an occupation worthy of the scratch. It’s 2025 in San Francisco (post-earthquake of 2020) and things have changed for the adventurer as he wakes up to the sparkle of a rare relic – a Chinese hat-pin called The Sapphire Astonishment. This first Nick Firestone mystery will take you on a wild ride ...

On April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four police officers charged with the beating and arrest of Rodney King and the earlier killing of teenager Latasha Harlins, the city of Los Angeles erupted in violence. Many of these events were centered on the city’s Koreatown, where tensions between the Black and Korean American communities had simmered for years, fueled by economic challenges and redlining and enflamed by sensationalized and racist media.

An alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Japan.

Find your voice, own your story, and elevate your professional life. In The Visibility Mindset: How Asian American Leaders Create Opportunities and Push Past Barriers, a team of dedicated creative professionals and educators delivers an incisive treatment addressing the importance of cultural upbringing in our lives and careers. In the book, you'll explore the varied realities and experiences of Asian Americans in the diasporic Asian community and how they have impacted the personal and professional lives of real people.

Indonesia, stretching across three time zones and situated on one of the world's great maritime trade routes, has a rich and varied culture. Culture Smart! Indonesia describes the many different cultural backgrounds that make up this rainbow nation, helping you to better understand the values that underpin its diverse society. It reveals how modern Indonesians view themselves and go about their daily lives, and gives advice on how to navigate unfamiliar situations.

A land famous for green tea and the martial art of tae kwon do, South Korea lies on a peninsula in southern Asia. Many small islands fill the waters off its coast, including the volcanic Cheju Island. Learn all about South Korea’s landscapes, the everyday life of its people, and the country’s history with North Korea.

Set in 1853 in Japan, this novel follows Yoshi, a Japanese boy who dreams of someday becoming a samurai. Unfortunately, as part of the serving class, Yoshi can never become a warrior. He is taken up by Manjiro, the protagonist of Preus' Heart of a Samurai, and becomes his servant and secret watchdog. Meanwhile, Commodore Matthew Perry and his USS Susquehanna squadron of steamships arrive in Edo Bay....

Every day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library on the street corner. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something.

Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather's life in the United States and Japan, Allen Say poignantly recounts his family's journey to America. The feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries are sensitively narrated by B.D.Wong.

Take an alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Russia! The Country ABCs series makes learning about countries and cultures as simple as A to Z.

Japan is a nation made up of many islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Over 100 million people live in this small nation of islands. Many live in the countryside, but millions live in crowded cities like Tokyo. Students will learn about the physical features of the landscape and surrounding waters as well as the cultural aspects of the Japanese from old traditions to modern everyday life.

Kai and Kishi share the same futon, the same face, and the same talent for pearl diving. But Kishi is the obedient daughter, while Kai tries to push the rules, and sometimes they fight. Still, when Kishi is stolen and killed by the legendary Ghost Whale, nothing will stop Kai from searching for her, deep in the ocean, hoping for a way to bring her back to life. But such a rescue is beyond the power of an ordinary mortal. Kai strikes a deal with the gods: she’ll steal a magic pearl in exchange for her sister’s soul.

King Ashoka was a fearsome conqueror in ancient India. After seeing the destruction and death from his battles, he decided to forgo war and institute peace and Buddhism in his kingdom. Learn about his peaceful reign and the lasting changes he created in India.

North Korea is known as the most repressive country on Earth, with a dictatorial leader, a starving population, and harsh punishment for rebellion. Perfect place for a family vacation, right? Yet that's exactly where Mia Andrews finds herself, on a tour with her aid-worker father and fractious older brother, Simon. Mia was adopted from South Korea as a baby, and the trip raises tough questions about who she really is. Then her dad is arrested for spying, just as forbidden photographs of North Korean slave-labor camps fall into Mia's hands.

Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol Martin? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end. Clothes, church, boys, no matter the topic, Marisol always felt like there was an unbridgeable gap between them that they were perpetually shouting across, one that she longed to close. But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn’t say.

In this poignant and refreshingly authentic memoir, a daughter chronicles her parents, her siblings and herself in a multicultural life that reveals America through Chinese eyes. The story is Kathleen’s, but her daughter Carolyn helps tell it for American readers. Sentimental memories haunt these sometimes harrowing stories and recollections of generosity in the midst of poverty and prejudice, eight pound irons and endless baskets of other people’s laundry, the search for worth, the struggle for acceptance, the awkwardness of growing into womanhood, and a gracious acceptance of those ...

Vietnam - Culture Smart! outlines the history, culture, and traditions of the Vietnamese. It explains certain deep-seated attitudes, describes some of the social and cultural changes now underway, and gives practical advice on what to expect and how to behave in unfamiliar situations. It aims to help you discover for yourself the warmth and vast potential of this fascinating country and its delightful people. They are open and friendly, with senses of humor and irony, and are frankly curious about the outside world.

In Romancing the Heart of the Volcano, volcanologist Elena Pinto arrives in Indonesia to decode deadly signals from Mount Merapi—but her mission is shaken by Reza Dharma, a temple guardian bound to ancient traditions. As lava stirs and tensions rise, Elena and Reza must bridge science and faith—while resisting a growing attraction neither expected. Amid secrets, eruptions, and betrayal, love may be their only chance to survive the fire threatening to consume everything they hold dear.

Pablo is homesick. He's only 12 years old, but he's lived in more countries than he can count. After his parents divorced, he and his mother have moved from place to place for years, never settling anywhere long enough to call it home. And along the way, Pablo has collected more and more fears: of dirt, of germs, and most of all, of the ocean. Now they're living in the Philippines, and his mother, a zoologist who works at a local wildlife refuge, is too busy saving animals to notice that Pablo might need saving, too.

Winnie Louie and Helen Kwong have always shared secrets, but now Helen wants to reveal them. Helen is convinced she is dying and decides to celebrate what might be her last Chinese New Year by telling all the secrets of her life, as well as Winnie Louie's and those of Winnie's daughter Pearl. There are some things, however, that Pearl would rather her mother didn't know. The result of Helen's tell-all mood is a series of comic misunderstandings and heartbreaking realizations about luck, loss, and trust.