“A personal and impassioned look at Asian American life.”

- Kirkus Reviews

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Louder Than the Lies: Asian American Identity, Solidarity, and Self-Love by ellie Yang Camp

A primer on racism that offers an intersectional, anti-racist, coalition-building view of Asian American identity.

What does it mean to be Asian American? How does our racialization in the United States shape our lives and our worldviews? With candor and care, Ellie Yang Camp, a Taiwanese American educator, offers a set of ideas and frameworks to guide us toward a more nuanced understanding of these questions. Drawing on her experiences and observations from history, conversations with Asian American peers, and lessons derived from other people of color, Camp unpacks the confusing dynamics that underlie anti-Asian stigmas and stereotypes in the US. From the model minority myth to yellowface to anti-Blackness among Asian communities, Camp presses into hard questions and moments of discomfort, naming fears so that we might dispel them. Key stories of resistance reveal the importance of solidarity, both among the diverse people under the Asian American umbrella and with all who are exploited by white supremacy. Acknowledging that racism is a system thrust upon us to control us, Camp fuels our boldness to challenge tropes, dismantle prejudices, and embrace self-determination as an act of radical liberation.

Published by Heyday Books.

Praise for Louder Than the Lies

“Louder Than the Lies is an essential read for understanding Asian American identity. It is a testament to Ellie’s commitment to our community.” —Linda Yoon and Soo Jin Lee, coauthors of Where I Belong

"Right now there is a drastic and urgent need for more Asian American voices, and especially Asian American women's voices. Ellie has been a passionate leader in this space, and she has been instrumental in my own understanding of Asian American history and how that shapes who I am now. She is conscientious, wise, and patient in her approach and truly motivated by making the world a more just and hopeful place for everyone. I wish I had a book like hers when I was younger and am excited for the next generation of Asian Americans to have Ellie as a teacher." —Jeremy Lin, NBA Champion

“It’s vital to have a book like this out in the world. Ellie provides invaluable insights and resources to help our community better understand where anti-Asian hate comes from, how it impacts how we see ourselves, and how we can work together to overcome it.” —Dion Lim, Emmy Award–winning news anchor and author of Amplify! My Fight for Asian America

“This book offers much-needed hope and encouragement to engage in collective possibilities for a more just future.” —OiYan A. Poon, author of Asian American Is Not a Color

"As a Black activist, I didn't expect this book to speak so deeply to my own complex racial experience in America…In an extraordinarily inviting and accessible way, Louder than the Lies guides readers to explore and grapple with the multiple realities, power dynamics, and intersections within Asian American identity — and in doing so it charts a clear and liberating path for people of all races to embrace their intersectional identities in the service of a more equitable world." —Christena Cleveland, Ph.D., author of God Is a Black Woman  

"Louder than the Lies gives the Asian diaspora community the necessary language and historical context to understand our ever-evolving identity as Asian Americans. This is and will be a necessary and useful tool for generations to come." —Jenny T. Wang, author of Permission to Come Home

"A polemic against Asian American stereotypes as well as a case for how to heal and move forward. [...] Camp envisages a reality that allows Asian Americans to center—and care for—themselves." —Kirkus Reviews

"Approachable and inviting, Bay Area artist and educator Ellie Yang Camp makes her debut by unpacking the complexities of what it means to be Asian American and, importantly, why self-love matters." —San Francisco Chronicle

"Knowing that racism is often oversimplified into a clash between Black and white identities, Camp offers a way for Asian Americans to build an intersectional and anti-racist understanding of our identities through practical steps and anecdotal stories to help us become good allies. [...] Don’t let the caring tone fool you: Camp still shares many things that can be hard for people to hear. She doesn’t pull punches, even when it may paint her in a bad light or piss people off." —Mochi Magazine

"As an educator, Yang's approach invites people of Asian heritage to consider ideas about race that they had not considered before. This book makes an excellent read for Asian Americans who are just waking up to their identities as racialized beings in the American context. [...] Yang breaks down these concepts in ways that people without grounding in social justice can understand." —Portland Book Review

"For those who've always had an underlying sense of unease at the strange niche carved out for people of Asian descent in the American political and cultural landscape, Louder Than the Lies will help them process that feeling and find ways to work toward a more equitable future for all." —Washington Independent Review of Books