"Historic contributions and stories of resilience are shared in this dynamic graphic novel. An informative and engaging read!"
—Maia and Alex Shibutani, two-time Olympic medalists and authors of Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history is American history. The unique experiences, challenges, and contributions of AANHPIs are an integral part of our country’s development, but they are rarely taught in American schools.

Even today, over 70% of Americans have little knowledge about AANHPI history or confuse it with Asian history. Yet, according to The Asian American Foundation, better education about AANHPI history in K–12 schools is one of the best ways to combat racism.

Fighting to Belong! Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History, 1970–Present, written by bestselling writer Amy Chu (Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Ant-Man, Iron Man), Alexander Chang, and The Asian American Education Project and illustrated by Louie Chin (Bodega Cat), shares this important and dynamic part of the American experience in an accessible and engaging graphic novel format. In this book, the third volume of a three-book series, our middle school protagonists Padmini, Sammy, Joe, Tiana, their guide, Kenji, and his grandfather, Frankie, embark on an amazing journey through time to witness key events in AANHPI history, from the Civil Rights movement to the the surge of anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fighting to Belong! Volume III helps new audiences young and old, AANHPI and non-AANHPI, understand how these stories are truly interwoven within the fabric of America.

Dani Tsai grew up with Parker Tran. He was the quintessential boy next door: charming, popular, and destined to be a football star. Their childhood in middle-of-nowhere Silverpine, Oregon made them inseparable, and it was meant to stay that way—until they left for college and their friendship came to an unexpected end.

In the seven years since, Dani moved on to pursue a writing career in New York City, where she’s determined to keep her distance from the boy she once called her best friend, even if it means staying away from her hometown.

Years later, a chance encounter brings her face-to-face with Parker again, who is now a hotshot sports marketing director on a temporary assignment in New York. He’s traded his jersey and cleats for designer suits and an Aston Martin, and even more puzzling is that he seems to think they can be friends again. Try as she might, Dani can’t resist his pull. Sparks fly, and an impulsive kiss leads to heated nights in his hotel suite. They make a tentative agreement: Until Parker leaves New York, they’ll keep things casual—just sex, no strings attached.

In this second-chance, open-door romance, the lines begin to blur between lust and something deeper. As walls begin to crumble, Dani and Parker find themselves far too close for casual.

"I have watched every Dumbfoundead battle so many times that I have most of the insults memorized."
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker 

“Jonnie ‘Dumbfoundead’ Park's story is the definition of winning life on hard mode: Start as an undocumented Korean immigrant from Argentina and become a once-in-a-generation battle rapper and artist in Los Angeles.”
—Ronny Chieng, Comedian

SPIT is the raw and electrifying memoir of Jonnie Park—better known by his rap moniker, Dumbfoundead—whose rise from an unruly childhood in Los Angeles’s iconic Koreatown to international rap stardom is as unlikely as it is exhilarating.

Born in Argentina to Korean parents and smuggled by a coyote across the US-Mexico border at age three, Park grew up in L.A. amid cultural dislocation, his father’s violent alcoholism, and the turbulent protests and riots of the early 1990s. 

Searching for belonging, he found salvation in the highly competitive underground world of battle rap, where he was among the only successful Asian American battle rappers. He honed his freestyle superpowers at Project Blowed, the legendary South Central L.A. open-mic venue, amid a motley crew of characters who took him in as one of their own. 

Told through the lens of his life’s greatest battles—his father’s rage, racist stereotypes, the “model minority” myth, the pressures of fame, and his own addictions—Park tells his story with his trademark humor, lyrical style, and unflinching honesty.

Like Eminem’s 8 Mile, SPIT charts the author’s course from high-school dropout to cultural pioneer, one verse at a time. Featuring a dozen vivid graphic novel–style illustrations that bring his journey to life, SPIT visualizes the inner demons and outer adversaries Park faced along the way. From open-mics in South Central to freestyle cyphers in Seoul to music festivals across the globe, Park’s memoir is a testament to creativity, grit, and the power of speaking your truth—even when the world isn’t ready to hear it.

More than just a chronicle of an artist’s path to success, SPIT is a groundbreaking story of identity, resilience, and reinvention. It is also the story of an American outsider who turned life’s challenges into his stage and battled his way to triumph.

Dani Tsai grew up with Parker Tran. He was the quintessential boy next door: charming, popular, and destined to be a football star. Their childhood in middle-of-nowhere Silverpine, Oregon made them inseparable, and it was meant to stay that way—until they left for college and their friendship came to an unexpected end.

In the seven years since, Dani moved on to pursue a writing career in New York City, where she’s determined to keep her distance from the boy she once called her best friend, even if it means staying away from her hometown.

Years later, a chance encounter brings her face-to-face with Parker again, who is now a hotshot sports marketing director on a temporary assignment in New York. He’s traded his jersey and cleats for designer suits and an Aston Martin, and even more puzzling is that he seems to think they can be friends again. Try as she might, Dani can’t resist his pull. Sparks fly, and an impulsive kiss leads to heated nights in his hotel suite. They make a tentative agreement: Until Parker leaves New York, they’ll keep things casual—just sex, no strings attached.

In this second-chance, open-door romance, the lines begin to blur between lust and something deeper. As walls begin to crumble, Dani and Parker find themselves far too close for casual.

"I have watched every Dumbfoundead battle so many times that I have most of the insults memorized."
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker 

“Jonnie ‘Dumbfoundead’ Park's story is the definition of winning life on hard mode: Start as an undocumented Korean immigrant from Argentina and become a once-in-a-generation battle rapper and artist in Los Angeles.”
—Ronny Chieng, Comedian

SPIT is the raw and electrifying memoir of Jonnie Park—better known by his rap moniker, Dumbfoundead—whose rise from an unruly childhood in Los Angeles’s iconic Koreatown to international rap stardom is as unlikely as it is exhilarating.

Born in Argentina to Korean parents and smuggled by a coyote across the US-Mexico border at age three, Park grew up in L.A. amid cultural dislocation, his father’s violent alcoholism, and the turbulent protests and riots of the early 1990s. 

Searching for belonging, he found salvation in the highly competitive underground world of battle rap, where he was among the only successful Asian American battle rappers. He honed his freestyle superpowers at Project Blowed, the legendary South Central L.A. open-mic venue, amid a motley crew of characters who took him in as one of their own. 

Told through the lens of his life’s greatest battles—his father’s rage, racist stereotypes, the “model minority” myth, the pressures of fame, and his own addictions—Park tells his story with his trademark humor, lyrical style, and unflinching honesty.

Like Eminem’s 8 Mile, SPIT charts the author’s course from high-school dropout to cultural pioneer, one verse at a time. Featuring a dozen vivid graphic novel–style illustrations that bring his journey to life, SPIT visualizes the inner demons and outer adversaries Park faced along the way. From open-mics in South Central to freestyle cyphers in Seoul to music festivals across the globe, Park’s memoir is a testament to creativity, grit, and the power of speaking your truth—even when the world isn’t ready to hear it.

More than just a chronicle of an artist’s path to success, SPIT is a groundbreaking story of identity, resilience, and reinvention. It is also the story of an American outsider who turned life’s challenges into his stage and battled his way to triumph.