Customer Reviews

Unbound Feet: A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Judy Yung traces the social history of Chinese American women from 19th century to post World War II, how events and circumstances shape the women to be who they are today. She talks about the changing roles that these women played, from 19th century, when women played limited roles in society, how they were still influenced by traditional Chinese values to post war where they participated in the war effort, gained independence and had an active role in the society.

The main theme of this book is the discrimination they faced being Chinese and women. It is astounding to see how far they have come, from the days when Chinese school children were being called "Chinks" and were excluded from the mainstream society because of their gender and race.

This book would definitely appeal to those who come from minority communities and to those who are interested in ethnic, women or immigration history. I definitely recommend this book as it deals with issues that have so far been ignored in our textbooks, but definitely played a major role in shaping our society today.

I loved this book. I initially bought it for a research paper on Asian American history. I found it hard to start my paper because I just wanted to keep reading even after I'd found all the facts I needed! Judy Yung has a great mastery over language, ensuring that your reading experience is easy and pleasant; I found myself getting lost in the stories of the Chinese American women whose lives Yung documents. There aren't that many history books/textbooks that are page-turners, but this one is! If you are interested in putting real faces and true lives within the context of Chinese American women's history, this is the perfect book for you.

The book came in great shape. The content is a great documentary of a part of American History. The writing is factual and terse, but on the whole, it's one of the best books I've found on this topic.

The book provides good information with a huge bibliography. It's very complete, and factual. The writing is good and provides a great overview with real quotes from real women of the time.

At first the size of the book was a bit daunting, but I found myself sucked into the lives of the Chinese women as they navigated through American society. I also appreciated Ms. Yung's use of her own family to weave the history of Chinese women in America. I look forward to checking out Unbound Voices as well.