Bury My Bones in America: The Saga of a Chinese Family in California, 1852-1996--From San Francisco to the Sierra Gold Mines [Paperback]

Lani Ah Tye Farkas (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1887694110 | ISBN-13: 978-1887694117 | Publication Date: September 1998

A unique story which offers a rare glimpse into the lives of a repressed but dynamic people as they were caught up in one of the most colorful times of our country's history. Beginning with Yee Ah Tye, the book details his travails and triumphs during the California Gold Rush and sheds light on the struggles of an early Chinese immigrant and his family determined to embrace their adopted country despite racial prejudice and harsh exclusionary laws.

The book is richly illustrated with more than 100 photographs, woodcuts, drawings, and maps that trace the Chinese through the years and document the remarkable experiences of the Ah Tye family.

160 pages, 8 ½ x 11; Bibliography, Family Tree, End Notes, Index.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The first permanent Chinese community in the U.S. did not exist until the mid-nineteenth century. It was the 1849 California gold rush that initially brought a large number of Chinese to San Francisco and the gold mining areas. Eventually they were to migrate to all parts of the nation, constituting one part of its multicultural mosaic. Although the Chinese played an important role in developing the frontier, from mining to railroad construction, they have been to a large extent overlooked by historians. When acknowledged, they have invariably been portrayed as a faceless mass, largely because of the lack of available biographical material. Farkas' extensively researched and well-illustrated book is one of the very few published histories of a Chinese American family. It should inspire other similar efforts on such a neglected subject. Fred Egloff --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

". . . extensively researched and well-illustrated . . . one of the very few published histories of a Chinese American family." -- Fred Egloff, Booklist, American Library Association

"A detailed history of three generations of Chinese Americans. One of the few Chinese American family histories published to date." -- Him Mark Lai, Asian American Studies Department, San Francisco State University

"This astonishing and detailed account sheds light on the struggles of an early immigrant determined to embrace his adopted country despite racial prejudice and harsh exclusionary laws." -- Rachelle Chong, Esquire, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Carl Mautz Pub (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887694110
• ISBN-13: 978-1887694117
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,728,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating perspective of early Asian American in Calif., January 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bury My Bones in America: The Saga of a Chinese Family in California, 1852-1996--From San Francisco to the Sierra Gold Mines (Hardcover)

If you enjoy historical books about Asian American or California history, this is a "must read." Lani Ah Tye Farkas tells the fascinating true story of her great grandfather, who arrived in California in the early 1850s and overcame racial oppression and other challenges to successfully settle in America. She then traces the fortunes of his progeny, and tells their stories through two generations. The resulting book accurately portrays the many struggles and challenges that early Chinese immigrants faced in California in the last century and a half. The book features wonderful family photographs, some tragic stories, and is fully footnoted.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating true story of a Chinese immigrant in 1850s, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bury My Bones in America: The Saga of a Chinese Family in California, 1852-1996--From San Francisco to the Sierra Gold Mines (Paperback)

If you enjoy historical books about Asian American or California history, this is a "must read." Lani Ah Tye Farkas tells the fascinating true story of her great grandfather, who arrived in California in the early 1850s and overcame racial oppression and other challenges to successfully settle in America. She then traces the fortunes of his progeny, and tells their stories through two generations. The resulting book accurately portrays the many struggles and challenges that early Chinese immigrants faced in California in the last century and a half. The book features wonderful family photographs, some tragic stories, and is fully footnoted.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful story of a Chinese immigrant and his progeny., July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bury My Bones in America: The Saga of a Chinese Family in California, 1852-1996--From San Francisco to the Sierra Gold Mines (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated and written story of a Chinese immigrant is fascinating in its scope, detail, and in putting his experience in the context of our California history. As a fourth generation Chinese, there was much here that I did not know about my ancestors' struggles and triumphs, courage and tragedies. Enjoy this wonderful story and receive an education.