In the Western world, fictional depictions of cross-cultural relations are typically limited to interactions between whites and non-whites, or interactions between Westerners and non-Westerners. "Interracial"-themed stories written by white Westerners often focus on the white hero/heroine displaying his/her open-mindedness and kindness through relationships with non-whites. Similarly, when people of color, whether living in the West or living outside the Western world, create stories about "cross-cultural exchange", their focus is on dynamics between their ethnic community and the "white" mainstream or exchanges between their countries and Western countries. However, there have been a number of writers, including people of color and whites, Westerners and non-Westerners, who have chosen to take the route less taken, giving depictions of relationships between non-whites a central place in their stories.

Our previous issue provides a glimpse at African films portraying interethnic interactions between the diverse peoples of Africa. Similarly, Issue 56 of our zine takes a look at Asian films portraying international exchanges between the peoples of the Asian continent. In a similar vein, the present issue brings attention to some books that feature people of color interacting across racial lines, both in fiction and non-fiction.