In the late 1960's, Asian Americans, following the example of Afro Americans, began to reassess their past experience in America and to reaffirm their ethnic identity. This anthology includes works which explore their racial and economic conflicts and analyze the impact of international politics on them. From the standpoint of various Asian American groups, each with their own distinctive identity and history, these works examine the diverse responses to the dynamic forces in society. Half of the selections appear in print for the first time. The remainder are expanded, revised, or verbatim reprints. Part I, Critical Perspectives, offers bibliographical essays and book reviews which critique the conventional approaches of past works and suggest new ones for future studies. Part II, Contemporary Issues, covers some of the major present concerns of Asian Americans. Articles are presented on education; communications and mass media; land, labor and capital, and recent immigration. In Part III, Literature, the writings exemplify the literary creativity of Asian American writers whose works communicate a vision rooted in the social realities of Asian America. The two appendices, one on statistical highlights of the 1970 census and the other on bibliographical sources, serve as aids for further study. (Author/GC)