Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century: Oral Histories of First- to Fourth- Generation Americans from China, Japan, India, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos (Hardcover)

~ Joann Faung Jean Lee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From 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.

From Booklist

Published more than a decade after Lee’s Asian Americans (1992), this riveting collection of 27 new interviews shows some surprising changes across generations, especially in the wake of 9/11 (could internment happen again?) and the effects of the Internet explosion. Both in those born here and in recent immigrants, the core issues are still strong: “you don’t know how much to give up and how much to keep,” says a first-generation Hmong. A Korean dad thinks he knows more, “but he doesn’t,” say his children educated here. But then there is the woman who wore jeans when she first came here as a kid from India but now wears South Asian clothes. Many still send money home, but, for some, life in modern China may be better than here. No rambling oral history, the personal voices are lively, detailed, tightly edited. With the raging debate about immigration, they talk about contemporary mainstream issues, too, including women’s rights, gay marriage, interracial adoption, and, always, the conflicts about assimilation and the meaning of cultural identity. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: New Press; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595581529
• ISBN-13: 978-1595581525
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #667,521 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #57 in	Books > History > Asia > Laos
  #79 in	Books > History > Historical Study > Oral History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for any seeking to understand the underlying foundations of Asian-American life, February 13, 2009

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Oral histories of first- to fourth-generation Americans from throughout Asia are presented in a fine set of new interviews with students, engineers, politicians, activities and everyone in between, drawing on all levels of society to consider Asian American identities and stories. This focus on a new generation balancing heritage with modern interests makes for an involving set of insights perfect for any seeking to understand the underlying foundations of Asian-American life.