The Politics of Prejudice: The Anti-Japanese Movement in California and the Struggle for Japanese Exclusion [Paperback]

Roger Daniels (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520219503 | ISBN-13: 978-0520219502 | Publication Date: March 2, 1999 | Edition: 1

This classic study offers a history of anti-Japanese prejudice in California, extending from the late nineteenth century to 1924, when an immigration act excluded Japanese from entering the United States. The Politics of Prejudice details the political climate that helped to set the stage for the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and reveals the racism present among middle-class American progressives, labor leaders, and other presumably liberal groups.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The years have failed to dull the sheen of this slender volume. Its thick subject matters--regionalism, racial politics, democracy--have taken on different casts over the life of the book, yet they retain their relevance and timeliness."--Gary Y. Okihiro, author of Margins and Mainstreams

"The insights offered by Roger Daniels almost four decades ago remain trenchant and incisive."--Sucheng Chan, author of This Bittersweet Soil

About the Author

Roger Daniels is Charles Phelps Taft Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati. His many works include Asian America: Chinese and Japanese in the United States since 1850 (1990), Prisoners without Trial: Japanese Americans in World War II (1993), and Not Like Us: Immigrants and Minorities in America, 1890-1924 (1997).

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520219503
• ISBN-13: 978-0520219502
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,327,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time Warp, August 12, 2007

By 

John Nava (Chula Vista, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Politics of Prejudice: The Anti-Japanese Movement in California and the Struggle for Japanese Exclusion (Paperback)

Roger Daniels's 1962 book The Politics of Prejudice: The Anti-Japanese Movement in California and the Struggle for Japanese Exclusion is a must for all voting-age citizens. Why a must? Because at first glance this book seems like obscure, dark history of a time almost now forgotten and because of the little attention devoted to pre-Pearl Harbor treatment of Japanese immigrants (Issei)and Japanese-Americans (Nessei). More importantly, it is a book that speaks of our national character and grows timeless in its treatment of immigration which of course is hardly a new phenomenon.

It is almost like walking into a timewarp! Substitute "Japan" for "Mexico" or "Latin America" and substitute "Japanese" for "Mexican" or "illegal alien" and you'd think Professor Daniels had written this book last night! The Tancreados, the Jim Gilchrists--even the more wishy washy Schwarzenegger-types of the period are all there! (Even Fabian socialist and Lenin-admirer H.G. Wells bought into the "Yellow Peril" paranoia.) Exclusionist groups like FAIR, the Minute Men and legislation like the Sensenbrenner bill, were all present a hundred years ago! The book also covers key propagandists like the Rupert Murdoch of a century ago: William Randolph Hearst. Nothing new under the sun, eh?

This is a slight book, crammed with information. The only problems are the tiny print (for my myopic eyes) and the lengthy footnotes. Also, once in a while, Professor Daniels slips into obscure early 20th century California politics, but that said, I would purchase used copies and mail them to choice legislators. Would that work?

Trotsky was mistaken. History DOES repeat itself (for those who didn't learn from it the first time, anyway, as the ancient Greek philospher said.)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book!, December 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Politics of Prejudice: The Anti-Japanese Movement in California and the Struggle for Japanese Exclusion (Library Reprint) (Paperback)

Nice and short (not "long and boring" like many history books!) -- a very thorough examination of the causes of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Professor Daniel's book is beautifully written and should be read by anyone who is interested in the topic!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro for New and Old Historians-prejudice in politics, March 28, 2000

By 

Tina Bartholoma (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Politics of Prejudice: The Anti-Japanese Movement in California and the Struggle for Japanese Exclusion (Paperback)

The best part of this book is its organization. As a reader,having no background in subjects of politics nor Japanese American History, I was able to clearly understand the point of view of those people who were against Japanese immigration and how their actions effected the decisions to use internment camps for the Japanese American people during WWII.