Asian American Little Magazines 1968-1974: By Amardeep Singh

Aion 1.2 (1971)

The second and final issue of Aion was dedicated to Francis Naohiko Oka, a poet who had worked as a co-editor on the first issue of the magazine. He died in a motorcycle accident after the first issue had been printed. Several of his poems are printed in this issue. 

The issue also has poetry by Al Robles (a prominent Filipino American poet), Janice Mirikitani (the editor of Aion, who would go on to be a distinguished poet herself), Serafin Malay Syquia (another important Filipino poet), and a suite of poems by Lawson Inada. In 1971, Inada had a breakthrough when he published his book of poetry, Before the War, with a mainstream publisher (Morrow & Co.). The issue also has short stories by Toshio Mori, Jeffrey Chan (who would go on to co-edit Aiiieeeee! with Frank Chin and others), and S. Tagatec. 

The issue includes an extensive photo essay from Vietnam as well as clippings from Ho Chi Minh -- part of a general mode of intense anti-war feeling that animated the Asian American movement in the early 1970s. I haven't annotated that more directly propagandistic anti-war material, focusing instead here on the literary works, poems and short stories, that were contributing to an emerging Asian American literary scene. 

Highlights of this issue include: 

Poems
Stories

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