The Columbia Guide to Asian American History

Offering a rich and insightful road map of Asian American history as it has evolved over more than 200 years, this book marks the first systematic attempt to take stock of this field of study.

Offering a rich and insightful road map of Asian American history as it has evolved over more than 200 years, this book marks the first systematic attempt to take stock of this field of study. It examines, comments, and questions the changing assumptions and contexts underlying the experiences and contributions of an incredibly diverse population of Americans. Arriving and settling in this nation as early as the 1790s, with American-born generations stretching back more than a century, Asian Americans have become an integral part of the American experience; this cleverly organized book marks the trajectory of that journey, offering researchers invaluable information and interpretation.

• Part 1 offers a synoptic narrative history, a chronology, and a set of periodizations that reflect different ways of constructing the Asian American past.

• Part 2 presents lucid discussions of historical debates—such as interpreting the anti-Chinese movement of the late 1800s and the underlying causes of Japanese American internment during World War II—and such emerging themes as transnationalism and women and gender issues.

• Part 3 contains a historiographical essay and a wide-ranging compilation of book, film, and electronic resources for further study of core themes and groups, including Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and others.

Gary Y. Okihiro is director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. The recipient of the American Studies Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies, he is the author of many books, including Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture (Outstanding Book, Gustavus Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America).

David Capie:
Okihiro's seminal Columbia Guide to Asian American History provides an unparalleled collection of narrative and historiographical essays and a sweeping bibliography... this volume will be a treasure trove for scholars seeking to probe changing notions of what it means to be 'American' or understand interactions between East Asia and the United States over the past two hundred years.

A choice, concise guide... The Columbia Guide to Asian American History is a recommended pick.

Asian American Studies guru captures 200 years of APA history

Examines attitudes toward resident Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States over the past 200 years. Specific focuses include Hawaii before European contact, the anti-Chinese movement in 19th-century California and the World War II internment camps for Japanese-Americans. An extensive historiography and resource guide make this an excellent research tool.

Bradley Winterton:
This book is exactly what the title says it is, a guide—something with which to orient yourself.... What it is emphatically not is dogmatic, one-sided or campaigning. As such it's likely to prove useful as a general introduction, and particularly as a work of reference.

Benson Tong:
The publication of this work reminds us that the field of Asian American history has come a long way since the days of those who wrote in the vein of Orientalism.... Gary Y. Okihiro's book surveys this voluminous literature, offering the reader a thorough introduction to the origins, development, and debates in this field of inquiry.... Okihiro's book is a useful reference work, which scholars, students, and maybe even the general public would rely on to discover the parameters of this field. The volume invites all readers to reflect on Okihiro's subtext that Asian American history is 'an account of America's past.'

A compelling survey of 200 years of Asian-American experience and of its scholarly treatment.

This work is a mine of valuable information particularly for teachers and students but also for anyone interested in the burgeoning field of Asian American studies.... Among the many strengths of the book are a concise narrative history, an excellent summary of historical debates covering contentious topics such as the reasons for migration to the United States, the anti-Chinese movement during the nineteenth century, and America's concentration camps during the Second World War.

The field of Asian American studies has grown rapidly, with a corresponding increase in the number of publications on Asian American history. Respected pioneer in Asian American studies Okihiro is well suited for his task of offering a convenient introduction to the bourgeoning literature.... This is a stimulating and helpful guide to contemporary scholarship in Asian American history.