Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century

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Overview

A follow-up to the 1992 classic "Asian Americans"—with all-new interviews that brilliantly illuminate the vibrant, constantly changing communities of Asian America.
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Overview

A follow-up to the 1992 classic "Asian Americans"—with all-new interviews that brilliantly illuminate the vibrant, constantly changing communities of Asian America.
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Professor, journalist and educator Lee revisits the format of her 20-year-old oral history collection, Asian Americans, to bring 27 perspectives on the current state of the Asian American experience, "distinct in many ways from that of Asians living either in Asia or as immigrants encountering diaspora elsewhere in the world." Several profiles stand out: Ruby Chow, the first Asian American elected to Washington State's King County Council, pops with personality, and her story includes a close relationship with future movie star Bruce Lee. Also interesting are the stories of musicians like ukelele player Jake Shimabukuro and "Japanese Cowboy" Hank Sasaki. Perhaps the most relevant and compelling subject is Gita Deane, a lesbian struggling to stay in America with her partner of 20 years and their two children. As suggested in the subtitle, Lee has cast a wide net and her book suffers from overcrowding, and a subsequent shortage of compelling material, but for those interested in the current moment of everyday Asian Americans, these voices will illuminate. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Library Journal

This book provides glimpses into the distinct experiences of today's Asian Americans-specifically Asian Pacific Americans-as they struggle to find their place in the United States, where now over 12 million of them live. Lee's (communications, William Paterson Univ.) first collection of Asian American oral histories was published in 1992, so this collection constitutes a sequel of sorts, albeit with different interviewees. The first-person chapters relate the experiences of students, politicians, individuals adopted into Caucasian families, musicians, lawyers, business owners, and homosexuals, all of whom discuss their lives, arrival and assimilation, when applicable, and their coming-of-age and their social and professional experiences. The world and the Asian American experience have changed a lot since 1992. A delightful and important book that opens a window into the lives of a vital segment of American society. Highly recommended for all public and college libraries.
—Melissa Aho

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781595581525
  • Publisher: New Press, The
  • Publication date: 9/1/2008
  • Pages: 277
  • Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

I Living in America

Circle of Life

Asian Americans as a Movement: Dale Minami 11

From Toi Shan to the Olympic Peninsula

Gateway: Ark Chin 16

The Promise of America: Hoan Dang 23

Settling In

It's About More Than Hitting the Books: Susim Chen 31

No Dating, Just Get Married: Qing Shan Liang 37

Making a New Life: Frank Bai 44

II Aspects of Americanization

Answering the Call

Changing the Tide of History: Dale Minami 51

Into the Governor's Mansion: Gary Locke 59

Restaurant, Public Office, Even Bruce Lee: Ruby Chow 71

Grassroots Victories: Cheryl Chow 76

Marriage and the Green Card: Shamita Das Dasgupta 84

Building an Orphanage in China: Ark Chin 87

Passion for Music

Cowboy from Japan: Hank Sasaki 93

Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele: Jake Shimabukuro 101

The Fortune Cookies: Joann Lee 107

Growing Up

From Laos to Iowa: Steve Thao 111

Harlan, Kentucky: Albert Lee 115

Growing Up in Los Angeles: Daniel Jung 119

Portland, Oregon: Jeff Andrada 128

Growing Up in Hawaii: Jake Shimabukuro 133

Between Continents: David Tang 137

Education, Expectations, Work

Cultural Anchors: Laura Jung 142

Of Work and Family: Agnes Braga 149

An Editor of Entertainment News: Albert Lee 153

Views from Within

Chinatown, New York: Corky Lee 157

Of Japanese Towns and Cultural Communities: Dale Minami 163

Hmong Community: Steve Thao 167

Vietnamese in Maryland: Hoan Dang 178

Living Outside of Koreatown: Laura and Daniel Jung 183

Claiming Space: Shamita Das Dasgupta 186

After September 11

Very Tough Times: VeronicaLeung 191

New York's Chinatown: Getting Back on Its Feet: Corky Lee 195

Within the South Asian Community: Shamita Das Dasgupta 198

III Journeys and Passages

Passages

Reconnecting: Naomi McWatt 203

Marriage: Gita Deane 212

Being Asian, Being Gay: Albert Lee 225

Journeys

Adopted, from Seoul to New Jersey: Karl Ludwig 228

Found: Kristen Houghton 239

Three Generations

Of Personal Challenges and Triumphs: Ark Chin 247

Journeys of Self Discovery: Candace Chin 252

Hapa with Strong Chinese Roots: Susha Pratt 258

Notes 265

Index 271

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