In teaching Asian American literature on the college level, the first consideration is to try to choose works that dispel the dominant stereotypes. One of these stereotypes is the "otherness" myth that Asian American culture is very exotic, distant, mysterious, as in "the mysterious and far East." In reality, Asian Americans are here, have been here, and from, say, the perspective of San Francisco, their roots are not so very far to the west across the Pacific. Closely linked to the myth of otherness is the myth of the exotic Asian woman, like Madame Butterfly, who can be loved and left without remorse by the dominant White male. Furthermore, the Asian American culture is huge and varied. To lump together all these cultures into one category is, of course, entirely inappropriate. In fact, there are many definitional issues worthy of investigation. Students need to learn the history of the various cultures, many of which have been in conflict with each other and many of which have been treated badly in the United States. The main reason for teaching Asian American literature at Lesley College is because the instructors value voice and the power of stories to build understanding between people. In the search for authentic voices, Asian American literature is fertile ground. (Lists 24 literature selections and several useful sources.) (TB)