Columbia University Press Honors Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month

Columbia University Press has published in the fields of Asian humanities and social sciences for many decades. Our list had its start in the late 1950s as part of a joint effort with Columbia University’s Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations to translate and publish major works of Asian philosophy, history, and literature so that readers who didn’t know the languages would begin to learn about and better understand Asian civilization. We have continued that program to the present day, adding translations of modern and contemporary literature as well as scholarly monographs and general-interest books on Asian and Asian American politics, history, and culture.

This month, at a particularly important moment, we honor Asian American heritage. We at the Press have been shaken and appalled by the recent spate of anti-Asian violence in this country, and we are newly cognizant of its shameful legacy. We stand in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and are committed to increasing awareness of these rich and varied cultures and histories. Through our publications we encourage not only tolerance, respect, and newfound knowledge, but an embrace of the enrichment to American culture and humanity that knowledge brings.