Statement in Solidarity With API Communities


A Message from City Librarian John F. Szabo

The Los Angeles Public Library condemns the continuing acts of violence against members of our Asian and Pacific Islander communities across the country. We stand in solidarity with the survivors, victims, and their families during this challenging moment, when fear accompanies even the most basic daily experiences. We all deserve to live without the threat of violence and to feel safe in our neighborhoods.

The recent assaults come on the heels of over 2,800 acts of documented anti-Asian hate incidents between March to December 2020, with chilling consequences for our community members who fear violence whenever they leave their homes. There are many additional cases that are misclassified, ignored, or unreported.

Mayor Garcetti and Councilmember Ridley-Thomas have issued statements condemning Asian and Pacific Islander hate crimes, and the City’s new Civil + Human Rights Equity Department is deeply invested in this work. The Los Angeles City Council has also introduced motions to address violence and harassment against Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Our library will be encouraging dialogue within our local communities about persistent negative stereotypes about Asians and Pacific Islanders and how to dismantle them; gathering and providing resources on interventions and responses that provide culturally and linguistically sensitive services for survivors, victims, and their families. At present, we encourage our community to refer to the Asian Pacific American Librarians’ Association’s 2021 COVID-19 anti-xenophobia and anti-racist information resources and COVID-19 Anti-Asian Racism Resources for K-12.

We stand in solidarity with our Asian and Pacific Islander communities. We urge our library community to stand with us by publicly condemning anti-API racism through visible actions, which we encourage you to share through APALA’s Stand with APALA Against Anti-AAPI Racism. We call on our partner organizations and allies to join forces with us in battling discrimination, xenophobia, and white supremacy. To our Asian and Pacific Islander communities, please know that we see you and we stand with you. We want you to feel safe and supported in your city and at the library.

In solidarity,

John Szabo signature

John F. Szabo

Adult Fiction

Children's Fiction

  • Bee-Bim Bop!

    Bee-Bim Bop!

    Park, Linda Sue

    An eager little girl helps her mama make bee-bim bop, a Korean dish with meat and vegetables mixed with rice and a spicy, sweet, savory s

  • 'Ohana Means Family

    'Ohana Means Family

    Loomis, Ilima
  • A Different Pond

    A Different Pond

    Phi, Bao

    Celebrated poet Bao Phi tells a father-son story based on his own childhood.

  • A gift for Amma : market day in India

    A gift for Amma : market day in India

    Sriram, Meera
  • A Scarf for Keiko

    A Scarf for Keiko

    Malaspina, Ann
  • A Wish in the Dark

    A Wish in the Dark

    Soontornvat, Christina
  • Alvin Ho : allergic to camping, hiking, and other natural disasters

    Alvin Ho : allergic to camping, hiking, and other natural disasters

    Look, Lenore.
  • Amina's voice

    Amina's voice

    Khan, Hena
  • Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

    Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

    Zhang, Kat
  • Bilal Cooks Daal

    Bilal Cooks Daal

    Saeed, Aisha
  • Drawn Together

    Drawn Together

    Le, Minh, 1979-

    Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.

  • Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

    Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

    Ho, Joanna
  • Festival of colors

    Festival of colors

    Sehgal, Surishtha
  • From the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea

    From the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea

    Thom, Kai Cheng
  • Front Desk

    Front Desk

    Kelly Yang

    Mia Tang helps her parents run an Anaheim motel that becomes a haven for struggling immigrants.

  • Grandfather's Journey

    Grandfather's Journey

    Say, Allen.
  • Green Lantern: Legacy

    Green Lantern: Legacy

    Lê, Minh
  • Hand over hand

    Hand over hand

    Fullerton, Alma
  • Hush! : a Thai lullaby

    Hush! : a Thai lullaby

    Ho, Minfong.
  • I Dream of Popo

    I Dream of Popo

    Blackburne, Livia
  • In the Beautiful Country

    In the Beautiful Country

    Kuo, Jane
  • Inside Out & Back Again

    Inside Out & Back Again

    Lai, Thanhha
  • Jasmine Toguchi, mochi queen

    Jasmine Toguchi, mochi queen

    Florence, Debbi Michiko
  • Key Player

    Key Player

    Yang, Kelly
  • Kira-Kira

    Kira-Kira

    Kadohata, Cynthia
  • Lalani of the Distant Sea

    Lalani of the Distant Sea

    Kelly, Erin Entrada
  • Landed

    Landed

    Lee, Milly.
  • Leila in saffron

    Leila in saffron

    Guidroz, Rukhsanna
  • Lion Island : Cuba's warrior of words

    Lion Island : Cuba's warrior of words

    Engle, Margarita
  • Maizy Chen's Last Chance

    Maizy Chen's Last Chance

    Yee, Lisa
  • Measuring up

    Measuring up

    LaMotte, Lily
  • Meet Yasmin!

    Meet Yasmin!

    Faruqi, Saadia
  • Mindy Kim and the yummy seaweed business

    Mindy Kim and the yummy seaweed business

    Lee, Lyla
  • New From Here

    New From Here

    Yang, Kelly
  • Pie in the Sky

    Pie in the Sky

    Lai, Remy

    In this funny, emotional hybrid chapter book/graphic novel, 11-year old Jingwen struggles after his father's accidental death and immigra

  • Prairie lotus

    Prairie lotus

    Park, Linda Sue
  • Rosa's Song

    Rosa's Song

    Rhee, Helena Ku
  • Save me a seat

    Save me a seat

    Weeks, Sarah
  • Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

    Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

    Jessica Kim

    11-year-old Yumi Chung keeps busy at school and helping out at her parents’ restaurant in L.A.’s Koreatown, but what she really wants is

  • Stargazing

    Stargazing

    Wang, Jen

    Can two people that are so different get along with each other?

  • Step Up To the Plate, Maria Singh

    Step Up To the Plate, Maria Singh

    Uma Krishnaswami
  • Tall story

    Tall story

    Gourlay, Candy.
  • The boy & the bindi

    The boy & the bindi

    Shraya, Vivek, 1981-
  • The House That Lou Built

    The House That Lou Built

    Respicio, Mae
  • The many colors of Harpreet Singh

    The many colors of Harpreet Singh

    Kelkar, Supriya, 1980-
  • The Most Beautiful Thing

    The Most Beautiful Thing

    Yang, Kao Kalia
  • The Name Jar

    The Name Jar

    Choi, Yangsook
  • The Paper Boat

    The Paper Boat

    Lam, Thao
  • The way to Bea

    The way to Bea

    Yeh, Kat,
  • Under my hijab

    Under my hijab

    Khan, Hena

Young Adult Fiction

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