Ethnic Studies:
Asian American Studies

Background Info
Taking a few minutes to read about your topic in a specialized encyclopedia, dictionary or handbook may be one of the most effective and time saving research tips in this guide. These can help you define unfamiliar terms, locate quick biographical information, verify dates and events. Encyclopedia articles are often followed by carefully selected bibliographies or lists of references to other works, useful items to have as you begin looking for additional information. The following are located on the Reference shelves behind the Reference Desk area.

If you'd like learn more about research and online resources stop by the Reference Desk, or take a class at the Library.
Understanding Asian Americans. Ref E184.O6U5 1990.
The Asian American encyclopedia. v. 1-6. Ref E184.O6 A827 1995.
Peoples of the world. Asians and Pacific Islanders. Ref GN308.3.A83M6 1993.
The Pacific Islands: an encyclopedia Ref DU 17 .P3 2000.
Korean Americans. Ref E 184 .K6 H875 1998.
Reference Library of Asian America. Ref E184.O6R45 1995.

Biographical Information
Asian American Portraits Ref E184.O6A8415 2001.
Asian American novelist : a bio-bibliographical critical sourcebook . Ref PS153.A84 A825 2000.
Distinguisted Asian Americans. Ref E184.O6 D57 1999.

Statistics and Demographics
Statistical record of Asian Americans. Ref E184.O6S73 1993.
Asian and Pacific Islander population in the United States Gov Docs C 3.186:P-20/529
The Asian Population: 2000. A U.S. Census report http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf

Finding books
Don't bother looking for the card catalog if you want to locate books at CSUS. The catalogs for finding materials in the library are computerized. These online catalogs are powerful search tools, but to take full advantage of them you may need some help getting started. Stop by the Reference Desk for one on one assistance in learning how to use these systems, or check out the workshops offered throughout the school year.

CSU Sacramento Catalog
EUREKA is CSUS's local online library system. It allows you to locate books, periodicals, government publications, music scores, films and more. EUREKA also provides status information, e.g. if the material is checked out. It does not, however, index journal contents or include the full text of articles. For help locating materials or instruction on using EUREKA or the online databases please ask at the Reference Desk.

Library of Congress Subject Headings
EUREKA along with the majority of the online databases use "Library of Congress Subject Headings" (large red books near the Reference Desk) to catalog books. These subject headings are slow to change and sometimes removed from contemporary usage; they are, however, extremely useful in locating books and articles. Subject headings:
Korean Americans -- Cultural assimilation
Vietnamese Americans
Filipino Americans -- Hawaii 		Amerasians
Asian Americans
Pacific Islander Americans -- California 		Chinese American women
Samoan Americans
Japanese-Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Ethnic groups or geographical locations can be substituted for other groups or locations.
Some names and organizations can also be used in subject searches.

Finding Articles
Try starting your search with a periodical index which arranges articles by subject. There are many indexes to choose from that are available online, however many indexes are only accessible in print. These are located in the Reference Area or in the Library Stacks. An often overlooked resource for journal articles are the bibliographies that can be found at the end of related journal articles or in books on your topic. Stop by the Reference Desk for help.

Databases relevant to African American Studies: Go to Ethnic Studies Subject Guide for links to these databases
ABI (business) Alternative Press Index America: History and Life (history)
Criminal Justice Abstracts EBSCOhost: Academic Search ERIC (education)
Ethnic Newswatch GenderWatch Infotrac: Academic Index (1980-present)
Left Index MLA (literature) PsycINFO(psychology)
Sociological Abstracts San Francisco Chronicle San Jose Mercury

Literary Criticism
Asian American literature: reviews and criticism of works by American writers of Asian descent . Ref PS153.A84 A82 1999
Asian American literature in the international context PS 153 .A84 A823 2002
An interethnic companion to Asian American literature. PS153.A84 I58 1997

Bibliographies
A bibliography is a list of books, articles and sometimes other materials such as films and recordings. They can be entire books, within books or at the end of journal articles. These are often overlooked resources that can be a treasure trove of related sources. Some are even annotated, with short descriptions of each entry. A well-organized, carefully selected and annotated bibliography can lead you to the best and most relevant sources on your topic.
Asians in the United States. Ref E184.O6A87 1992.
Asian American studies. EZ1361.O7K56 1989.
American ethnic literatures. Ref PSZ 1229 .E87 P43 1992
Samoa: American Samoa, Western Samoa, Samoans abroad. DU 813 .H84 1997

Style Manuals Guides
When you write a research paper, it's important that you credit the scholars and critics who have contributed to your ideas, whatever the format their publications may take (print, sound, film, WWW). There are guides specific to certain fields of study, or your professor or instructor may request a specific bibliographic and citation style. Some Reference Guides that provide more detail on bibliographies and specific style guides are:
ASA Citation Guide APA Citation Guide 5th edition Style Manual and Guides (includes MLA and Chicago)

Newspapers
Note: Some Asian language newspapers will not be readable due to not having the correct program to read the characters.
Asian Newspapers provides links to several Asian countries. http://www.newslink.org/nonusa.html

WWW
The Web is one facet of the Internet consisting of client and server computers handling multimedia documents. Searches on different topics can be done. WWW access is available in both enry and Science Libraries, please ask at the Reference Desk for assistance. The following is a sample of what can be found on the WWW:
Japanese Americans in Sacramento http://library.csus.edu/services/inst/indiv/japanese_americans.htm
East & Southeast Asia Resources http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/asianam.html
Asian American Health http://www3.baylor.edu/%7ECharles_Kemp/asian_health.html
Asian American 2000 Census http://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_02.cfm?newsid=53011
Asian Pacific Americans http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/aspi.htm

Created and maintained by Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, Ethnic Studies & Multicultural Librarian. Univ. Library Rm. 3032, 3rd floor. 916.278.7784. Last Modified: August 12, 2003