Speaker Highlights

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Additional Videos:

• Recorded talk with GLG (password: GLGApr2021!) - this was for GLG internal only, not to be shared beyond Dollar Tree planning team.
• Slide Deck for Chan Zuckerberg Initative

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UNASSIMILABLE by Bianca Mabute-Louie is a bold and deeply personal exploration of Asian Americans who reject assimilation and instead create their own spaces of belonging.

Part manifesto, part memoir, this book challenges the traditional idea that success means blending into mainstream American society. Mabute-Louie, a scholar and activist, unpacks the history of Asian American identity, from the 19th century to today, revealing how race, class, and citizenship shape their experiences.

She begins with the San Gabriel Valley, the first Asian-majority suburb in the U.S., where immigrants thrive by building a community on their own terms rather than conforming to whiteness. She then examines predominantly white institutions, the fight for ethnic studies, and the contradictions of immigrant churches—both places of refuge and tools of colonial influence.

In the end, she calls for a rethinking of the term “Asian American,” proposing a new identity rooted in solidarity, care, and resistance. UNASSIMILABLE is a groundbreaking book that challenges readers to reconsider what it truly means to belong.

Recommended Format for Event: Fireside Chat

Here are suggested questions for the moderated conversation:

General:

• What inspired you to write Unassimilable? Was there a particular moment or experience that made you feel this book needed to exist?
• Could you explain the title, Unassimilable? What does it signify to you, and what do you hope it signifies to readers?
• How do you define being unassimilable in the American context, and why is this concept significant for Asian American communities?
• You open Unassimilable with rich anecdotes and stories from growing up San Gabriel Valley, the first Asian ethnoburb in the nation. What was it like to grow up in a majority Asian space, and how did it shape your understanding of assimilation and influence your approach to this book?

Race and Solidarity

• In Unassimilable, you share about your experiences advocating for Asian American Studies in the state of Texas where political attacks on DEI, CRT, and diverse books have taken center stage. As we witness such attacks escalate across the nation, how does Unassimilable speak to this moment and provide a way forward?
• In Unassimilable, you delve into the racial experiences of Asian Americans in the Black/White racial landscape, arguing that Asian Americans are simultaneously “racially nowhere and everywhere." Can you explain? ‍
• Unassimilable addresses solidarity across communities of color. What are some of the most critical aspects of solidarity for Asian Americans? What are some of the most critical aspects of solidarity with Asian Americans?
• How does Unassimilable chart a path forward for solidarity across racial groups?

Closing:

• Writing about identity and race can be a deeply personal and often challenging experience. What was the most difficult part of writing Unassimilable?
• How has your community responded to Unassimilable so far, especially those with similar backgrounds or experiences?
• What do you hope young Asian Americans and future generations take away from your work? How do you hope it shapes their perspective on identity and belonging?

“Bianca is the voice that Texas needs. She hosted a workshop for our organization discussing Anti-Asian Violence and Racial Justice, and everyone LOVED it. She was an eloquent and knowledgeable speaker. Her presentation was comprehensive, insightful, and relatable. Bianca is a clear expert in this area.” - Catharine Y., Diversity & Inclusion, Asian American Bar Association of Houston