As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander this month of May, we would like to share resources from SOLA over the years to highlight some excellent books, reflections, and interviews. We are grateful for this community and opportunity to minister to the local church through the efforts of our many contributors!
Books for Gen-Z (and sometimes by Gen-Z!)
The Jesus I Wished I Knew in High School: Asian American Edition
What good is the Gospel to the Asian American high schooler? In The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School: Asian American Edition, Kevin Yi and Rooted Ministry apply the good news to the unique challenges and pressures that come with being an Asian American teenager.
You’ll find many names familiar to SOLA, with chapter contributions from Editorial Intern Ashley Kim, Young Writer’s Cohort Lead Soojin Park, and the host of our most recent parenting podcast series, Danny Kwon among others.
Finding You: 8-Week Teen Bible Study Guide
Izzy Koo wrote this bible study for teens like herself in mind and, “provides a pragmatic way for youth to gather together with a purpose”. This study can be done individually, but is best experienced with a group!
A Letter to the Asian American Church
Will you join us in embracing the call for the Asian American Church? For years, the church has said indirectly and directly to the Asian American faith community that they must find a place in a multicultural church or even the majority culture church disguised as a multicultural church. The collective voices in this book argue that there is underappreciated beauty, diversity, joy, benefit, and place for the Asian American church. Asian American leaders need to joyfully embrace the call to serve the Asian American church, not only for the emerging generation but for the broader church.
Identity
Immigrant Indian Women, Vocation and Faith
As an Indian immigrant woman, I have spent most of my years working from home, or as I call myself, as the CEO of our home. Today, in my forties, I look back at my life and see that ambition never played a huge role. I even wonder if my lack of ambition impacted me negatively. However, the choice between working from home or outside the house has always been challenging for women, especially immigrant women.
3 Reasons The Church Needs Asian American And Other Minority Voices
Yet above the enjoyment of all the things I’ve listed, there is another reason I thank God for making me who I am. I’m convinced one of the most important purposes God has for making me bicultural is to equip me for service in his kingdom. If you’re a minority and a Christian, I believe the same is true for you — those who learn to live biblically in the tension of being between two cultures can be a gift to the church.
Show & Movie Reviews
The Generational Healing of “Turning Red”: An AAPI Christian Perspective
My wife and I have been fans of Domee Shi’s work ever since we first saw her short film, Bao, before the premiere of Incredibles 2. To this day, my wife has no recollection of the first half of Incredibles 2 because of the impact Bao had on her that evening. When we heard Shi was directing her first feature film, Turning Red, we knew we were in for a treat. Little did we know just how profound of an impact her story would have on our own stories, the depth to which we would reflect on our own coming of age experiences, and the generational trauma that we would revisit as fellow East Asian immigrants.
An Asian American Christian Reflection on “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
On Sunday, the film Everything Everywhere All at Once won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Most of the cast and one writer/director are of Asian descent. Reflecting on the film’s success and recognition, (not on the film itself), I have a range of emotions.
When Representation Becomes More: A Reflection on the Film “Minari”
“I have never felt this seen before in my life,” I texted my boyfriend last September after watching the trailer for Minari; the slip into cliché underlined the extent of my excitement. The dialogue and details in the scenes carried a certain poignance that emanated even through a two-minute teaser, and I anticipated the movie not only for its promises of “representation” but also because it felt personal.
“I’m a bad person.” – BEEF Episode 8, “The drama of original choice”
Amy Lau, portrayed by Ali Wong, sees this as her life-defining narrative. Lau’s self-assessment is one of many personal reflections in BEEF, showrunner Lee Sung Jin’s latest project streaming on Netflix. Throughout 10 episodes, Lee’s characters wade through an identity-crisis marinade shaped by their Asian American experiences and seasoned with cultural nuances that are more easily seen by those who have lived them. The show offers observations of humanity served on a platter, giving viewers an opportunity to chew on and, hopefully, digest the beef.
Church & Worship
Asian American Ministry Pioneers
As immigration from Asia boomed starting from the 1960s, the immigrant church and the Asian American church grew as well. Many churches and ministries that grow and thrive today have been impacted by the work of ministry pioneers, who sought to frame and define Asian American Christians so that they could be taught and ministered to in their unique cultural context.
Through their insightful work, they put language to what was happening within local Asian American bodies and helped catalyze a generation towards Christ. Here are five early pioneers who helped frame discussion on ministry to Asian-Americans.
A Brief History of Asian American Worship Music
In this article, I will highlight worship songs, composers, and publications representing various Asian American contexts from the 1970s till today. Many of the following examples attempt to contextualize worship for Asian Americans by incorporating Asian cultural references, traditional Asian music, and/or the lived experiences of Asian Americans. Additionally, this list focuses on songs or projects that have some notoriety or institutional backing, especially from publishing houses, which I believe are helpful to preserve history and pass down songs from one generation to the next.
6 Special Challenges for Asian American Worship Teams
We know that God has given church leaders the authority and responsibility to shepherd our sheep. For those of us in Asian American contexts, we must think critically about how our cultural history and practices affect what we do and why we do them. For worship leaders in Asian American churches, that means being knowledgeable about the musicians on our teams and the congregation we lead in praise.
Here are 6 challenges that I have observed leading music in an Asian American church, and I hope it will help you to lead your people well.
Stewarding Your Cultural Heritage for the Gospel
In this Opening Session of the Asian American Youth Worker Training Day held in March 2025, Hanley Liu (FCBC Walnut) emphasized the importance and privilege of stewarding our cultural heritage for the gospel. He shared about his journey from junior high counselor to youth pastor, highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities in ministering to Asian American youth. Reflecting on 1 Peter 2:9 and Heb 13:17, he illustrates the need for cultural contextualization in ministry.
Interviews
Theology of the Internet, Teen Vogue, K-Pop, and Substack: An Interview with Yi Ning Chiu
In this interview with cultural critic and writer Yi Ning Chiu, Aaron Lee discusses several of Chiu’s articles and the stories behind them. Though brief, they cover much ground considering how we use or are used by en vogue thoughts and technology, and impact of K-Pop domestically and globally at the individual level, and how each story that goes to print is part of a richer and often more complex narrative.
Doing Asian American Theology: An Interview with Daniel D. Lee
How can Asian Americans think about how their identity intersects with their faith? What are some paradigms and vocabulary we should be using? In Doing American Theology, Daniel D. Lee just does that. He has written a book that helps Asian Americans to understand themselves so “we can actually bring all of ourselves to Christ.”
We are honored to host an interview with Daniel D. Lee. He talks to Aaron Lee, SOLA’s Editorial Curator, who also reviewed his book. We hope their conversation will be encouraging and edifying.
Reflections on the White House Listening Session with Asian American Christian Leaders
On May 4, 2023 the Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC), which is a national organization that focuses on education/equipping, advocacy, and community building to represent the voices, issues, and histories of Asian Americans, congregated Asian American Christian leaders from all over the United States for an unprecedented Listening Session with the White House. An impressive group of people comprised this delegation, including non-profit leaders, foundation leaders, and local church pastors.
We (Peter Lim, Jason Min, and Kevin Yi) were privileged to be included in this assembly, and this is our reflection on this monumental event. We chose to express our experience in an interview format, reflecting three perspectives regarding this singular event.
You can always refer to our ongoing list of book reviews here.