Some of the classes I've taken at UH have exposed me to a lot of Asian-American and local Hawaii authors. Y'all probably haven't heard of these two authors, but I'd definitely recommend them:
Lois-Ann Yamanaka & Chris McKinney
My favorite Yamanaka book is "Blu's Hanging", a novel about a 13 year old girl growing up in poverty, dealing with growing up in the darker side of Hawaii.
McKinney's "Tattoo" and "Queen of Tears" show a struggle with finding one's own identity. Hawaii's definitely a "melting pot", but McKinney illustrates some of the racial and class tensions that take place here.
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