When public school curriculums leave gaps in the historical record, sequential art frequently steps in to supply the missing chapters. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and independent publisher Third State Books have released Fighting to Belong! Volume III, concluding a three-part graphic novel project designed to introduce younger audiences to Asian American and Pacific Islander history.
The release arrives at a time of measured educational reform. While thirteen states require Asian American studies in public classrooms, significant public blind spots remain. According to TAAF’s 2026 STAATUS Index, fifty-three per cent of American adults cannot identify a single major event in Asian American history.
Written by comic author Amy Chu (Wonder Woman, Deadpool) and Alexander Chang, alongside illustrator Louie Chin (Bodega Cat), the concluding instalment tracks a cast of middle school students through modern events spanning from 1970 to the present day.
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The story examines the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the rise of anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the public targeting of South Asian communities in the wake of September 11.
“American history cannot be told fully without AAPI history. Yet TAAF’s 2026 STAATUS Index found more than half of U.S. adults cannot name a single significant moment in Asian American history,” Norman Chen, chief executive of TAAF, said in an official statement. “Fighting to Belong! captures the experiences of our community in a way that sparks curiosity, connection, and reflection among students in the classroom and beyond. We’re honored to continue our partnership with Third State Books, The Asian American Education Project, and LAAUNCH to ensure this series finds a permanent home in schools and libraries across the country, so that future generations can see themselves in the story of our nation.”
Chronicling Injustice and Community Action
The three volumes trace community movements across centuries. The opening book documented early arrivals from the eighteenth century, beginning with Filipino sailors settling in Louisiana, while the second examined the Philippine-American War, Japanese American wartime incarceration, and early civil rights campaigns.
Volume III addresses contemporary civil rights touchstones directly. The pages profile the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit, the post-9/11 hate crime killing of Balbir Singh Sodhi in Arizona, and the 1999 shooting of postal worker Joseph Ileto in California.
The text also details the resilience of Vietnamese refugee arrivals and the frontline contributions of Filipino healthcare workers during recent global health emergencies.
Stephanie Lim, co-founder and chief executive of Third State Books, noted that visual formats offer direct entry points for younger readers encountering these subjects for the first time.
“Graphic novels are a powerful medium for reaching young people, and Amy, Alexander, and Louie have managed to turn overlooked AAPI history into an immersive story that young readers can’t put down,” Lim said. “As the first general interest publisher dedicated exclusively to uplifting AAPI voices and stories, we’re proud to release the highly anticipated finale to the Fighting to Belong! series and look forward to bringing Volume III to readers everywhere.”
Supporting Educators in the Classroom
To ensure the books function as practical educational tools, the project includes structured curriculum packages developed by The Asian American Education Project.
TAAF has also expanded its digital AAPI History Hub, an online clearing house offering primary school and secondary educators more than four hundred lesson plans, multimedia resources, and an interactive policy map tracking state-level education standards across the country.
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A foundation representative highlighted the broader purpose behind expanding classroom materials. “At a time when the histories of immigrants and other communities are increasingly threatened with erasure, preserving and sharing the full story of America has never been more essential,” the spokesperson explained, noting that the past five years have made the teaching of immigrant histories increasingly urgent.
Hardcover, paperback, and digital editions are available through major booksellers, with plans underway to collect all three instalments into a single omnibus edition over the coming year.
