We’ve compiled a list of resources that we’ve found to be helpful as Asian American Christians. In addition, we would like to add that this is not an exhaustive list — we hope you would use this as a jumping off point to continue your lifelong journeys of dismantling racism.
To help break down the immense number of resources available, we’ve separated our lists into three categories: 101, 201, and 301. Finally, we’ve listed ministries as well as resources in different Asian languages at the end.
As a disclaimer, the resources below include both Christian and secular writers who come from a wide spectrum of theological, political, and sociological backgrounds. Please read at your own discretion.
Antiracism 101
Books
1. Woke Church: An Urgent Call for Christians in America to Confront Racism and Injustice by Eric Mason. 192 pages.
This is a practical book that helpfully breaks down the immense issue of racism in America into four actionable steps for the church: Be Aware, Be Willing to Acknowledge, Be Accountable, Be Active.
2. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. 182 pages.
A memoir of a Black woman’s life as she navigates White, middle-class evangelicalism and discovers her Black dignity. The insights into her thought life and thinking process helps us to empathize with the internal struggle many Black people face in “diverse” spaces.
3. The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby. 276 pages.
If the history of the ancient church is muddled by hagiographies, popular tales concerning the history of the American church are not that different. Hence, Jemar Tisby’s book was a breath of fresh air to many who wanted a readable and critically honest historical account of the American church, particularly in its complicity in racism.
4. Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church edited by Doug Serven and Carl Ellis, Jr. 326 pages.
This anthology from various authors in the PCA provides a range of essays seeking to introduce believers to the church’s responsibility to pursue racial justice. Notable chapters include pieces written by Dr. Alexander Jun and Duke Kwon.
5. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller. 272 pages.
Tim Keller’s work mirrors Westminster Theological Seminary professor Harvie Conn’s work in that he puts most of his focus on expositing biblical texts to create a framework for understanding the concept of justice as Christians. This is classic Keller: gospel-centered, easily digestible, and theologically robust.
Essays
1. “Asian American Complicity in Racism” by Larry Lin. Reformed Margins.
A reflection of how Asian Americans have perpetuated racism through our desire to be White.
2. “Reflections while Attending a Protest March for George Floyd” by Gene K. Joo. SOLA.
A heartfelt testimony of self-discovery and racial awareness after the murder of George Floyd.
3. “Is the Bible Silent on Racism?” by Timothy Isaiah Cho. Faithfully Magazine.
A quick overview of major stories in the Bible in which racism takes center stage.
Film, Television, and Other Media
1. Asian Americans (2020). Partially available on PBS.
PBS released this groundbreaking history of Asian Americans earlier this year, demonstrating the diversity of ethnicities and challenges that our people have faced over the centuries. This five-hour series manages to stay engaging by mixing history with intimate personal stories.
2. Just Mercy (2019). Free to Stream for the month of June. 2h 17m.
The true story in this movie is a perfect example of systemic racism occurring now. Not during the civil rights era. Not during Jim Crow. This is still happening today. Based on the best-selling book of the same title, the movie follows the early career of Harvard-educated lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, and his work to defend wrongly incarcerated Black men in the American prison system. When Christians ask, “What does a Christian pursuit of justice look like?” Stevenson’s story is one of our first go-to examples.
3. “Location! Location! Location!” NPR’s Code Switch. 35 minutes.
This podcast episode explores the pervasiveness and consequences of housing segregation. Listen here. You can also watch the “Housing Segregation in Everything” accompanying video here. 6 minutes.
Antiracism 201
Books
1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. 320 pages.
This book is for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness and knowledge of racism to the next step of actively building a just and equitable society. Through his own stories of awakening to antiracism, Dr. Kendi helps readers to see all forms of racism, understand their destructive consequences, and work to oppose them in ourselves and in our systems.
2. The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu. 354 pages.
Dr. Wu tells the story of how Asian Americans transformed from “yellow peril” to “model minorities,” people lauded by the White majority as people other minorities should look up to and follow. In reality, this tactic was used to divide minorities and pit them against one another. The White majority never invited Asian Americans to their table; they were just put in charge of the “children’s” table along with the other minorities.
3. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. 192 Pages.
This book isn’t for the faint of heart. Dr. DiAngelo provides a brutally honest analysis of understanding White people and their approach to racism. If you’ve ever tried to talk to White people about racism and you left the conversation frustrated or disappointed, this book will help you understand why.
4. So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo. 272 pages.
Written for people of all races, Oluo writes on a range of vital topics concerning racism and how it relates to almost every facet of American society.
5. Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness and Justice by Brenda Salter McNeil. 142 pages.
As the title states, Dr. McNeil provides a roadmap for how to pursue reconciliation in your ministry and/or community. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter that makes the book suitable for small group settings.
6. Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong-Chan Rah. 224 pages.
It’s difficult to pick just one book written by the venerable Dr. Rah. However, this book seems most appropriate during this season of lament as we seek to understand and express our feelings from a biblical perspective.
Articles
1. “An Asian-American Guide to Dismantling Anti-Blackness” by Jane Kim. AACC.
A list of helpful suggestions on how to fight anti-Black racism as Asian Americans.
2. “Asian Americans, MLK, and the Model Minority Myth” by Moses Y. Lee. The Witness.
An appeal for Asian American Christians to appreciate Black Americans for the sacrifices they made to give us our civil rights.
Film, Television & Other Media
1. 13th (2016). Available on Netflix. 1h 40m.
This documentary explores the history of racism in America, with special attention given to the disproportionate incarceration of African American men. It’s short but incredibly moving and informative.
2. When They See Us (2019). Available on Netflix. Four Episodes.
This miniseries tells the story of the “Central Park Five” where five innocent teenage boys are forced to falsely confess to the sexual assault of a White woman in NYC, resulting in their incarceration. Many have remarked that this miniseries was one of the best ever produced by Netflix. If you’re seeing a pattern here, racism in the American justice system is well-documented and prevails to this day.
3. “The Problem We All Live With” (Parts 1 & 2) This American Life. Available on all podcasting apps. Approx 1 hour each.
A modern-day case study of how segregation continues to permeate and how desegregation helps minorities perform better in schools.
Antiracism 301
Books
1. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. 352 pages.
Many have remarked that this book is largely responsible for the activism of Black lives that we’ve seen over the past decade. It demonstrates the systemic racism that persists in the American criminal justice system.
2. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Christian Smith & Michael O. Emerson. 365 pages.
This book provides all of the statistical data and analysis you need to understand the problem of race in American evangelicalism. Yet, far from being dull, the authors craft a fascinating narrative that demonstrates how little White evangelicals have actually come in terms of actually achieving racial justice.
3. White Evolution: The Constant Struggle for Racial Consciousness by Christopher S. Collins and Alexander Jun (Coming June 15, 2020). 117 pages.
Though this book isn’t yet available to the public, Dr. Jun’s latest book with Dr. Collins is their best work yet. They conveniently synthesize the best content from their previous volumes while including new content that emphasizes the importance of community for dismantling Whiteness as a social construct. The book may be short, but it’s an academic volume so it’s well-researched and requires some basic understanding of racism.
4. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. 608 pages.
Winner of the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction, Stamped from the Beginning is arguably the gold standard for understanding where modern racist ideas came from and how they’ve evolved over the centuries.
5. Evangelism: Doing Justice and Preaching Grace by Harvie M. Conn. 112 pages.
The late Harvie Conn was a pioneering professor of missions at Westminster Theological Seminary. He was Tim Keller’s church planting mentor when they were on faculty together. This classic is the best biblical theological treatment for understanding evangelism as both preaching the gospel and pursuing justice. He also gives special attention to the development of evangelical theology and how its come to lose its prophetic edge in the area of justice.
Articles
1. “Taking Up #blacklivesmatter” by Jeff Liou. Journal of Reformed Theology.
This peer-reviewed journal article critically engages Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a neo-Calvinist perspective and attempts to recover some of its redemptive potential for Christian use.
2. “Greed, Revival, and Korea: Another Case for Reparations From the Pyongyang Revival of 1907” by Moses Y. Lee. Faithfully Magazine.
A case for reparations for the descendants of slaves in America, using the example of Korean Christians who paid reparations to their neighbors, across ethnic lines, to fuel the Pyongyang Revival of 1907.
Film, Television, and Other Media
1. Interconnected (2020). Available on YouTube. Three Episodes.
Hosted by the Asian American Christian Collaborative and Be the Bridge, these conversations seek to heal and bridge the racial divide that exists among the Black and Asian American communities from a Christian perspective.
2. 1619. Available on all podcasting platforms. Six episodes.
This audio series by The New York Times shows how slavery was built into the DNA of our country, and how its effects have permeated every aspect of American culture, from our economic culture, music, and healthcare.
Articles in Different Languages
1. Letters for Black Lives is an open letter project on anti-Blackness written for Asian American family members and friends whose preferred language is not English. There’s a version specifically written for South Asian Americans here.
Other languages:
- Simple Chinese version
- Traditional Chinese version
- Korean version
- Tagalog version
- Japanese version
- Thai version (2016 version, will be re-published soon)
- Indonesian version
- Hmong (White dialect) version
2. An Op-Ed About the Resemblance Between Comfort Women and Black Slavery By Rachel J. Lee (In Korean; English translation available soon)
3. A Comic Appealing to Chinese Immigrants in Chinese and English via Instagram or Facebook.
Ministries
1. Be the Bridge exists to be a credible witness to authentic racial bridge-building, racial literacy, and personal and organizational transformation.
2. And Campaign exists to educate and organize Christians for civic and cultural engagement that results in better representation, more just and compassionate policies and a healthier political culture.
3. The Jude 3 Project exists to help the Christian community know what they believe and why they believe it. Distinctive in its strong emphasis in equipping those of African descent in the United States and abroad.
4. The Witness is a black Christian collective that engages issues of religion, race, justice, and culture from a biblical perspective.
5. Truth’s Table is a ministry devoted to speaking truth on race, politics, gender, current events, and pop culture from a Christian perspective. Their podcast can be found on their website.
6. Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC) seeks to encourage, equip, and empower Asian American Christians and friends of our community to follow Christ holistically.
7. Reformed Margins exists to celebrate the glory of God and exalt the person and work of Jesus Christ among the nations. We pray that this site provides a platform for Reformed Christian thinkers from various ethnic minority backgrounds to join in the broader Reformed and Evangelical conversations.