Table of Contents

Asian Pacific Americans: An OverviewPart 1: Contact and Conflict: Asia and the Pacific: Through 1900 Part 2: Migration and Settlement: Through 1924 Part 3: Accommodation and Hostility: Through 1941 Part 4: World War II: Through 1945 Part 5: The Pacific Ocean: An American Lake? Through 1975 Part 6: Brave New World: Through 2000

Promotional Information

Ranging from the early days of the republic to the dawn of the 21st century, Franklin Odo's collection offers a treasure-trove of documentation on the often-neglected history of Asians in America. I know of nothing quite like it currently available to scholars and students. -- Eric Foner, Columbia University A far-ranging array of texts that will allow students and scholars alike ready access to the key historical documents that have shaped the lives of Asian Americans. Researchers will benefit greatly from having this book within reach. -- Henry Yu, author of Thinking Orientals: Migration, Contact and Exoticism in Modern America From the 1790 Naturalization Act that banned non white immigrants from citizenship in the United States to the Association for Asian American Studies 2000 resolution on Wen Ho Lee, this compendium of all the important documents in the Asian American experience will be widely adopted in classrooms as an indispensable companion to other texts. As an added bonus, this much-needed sourcebook and reference work for Asian American, American, and world history is also delightfully readable. For sheer discovery and enlightenment, one can pick and choose among the many selections, using Odo's historical guideline to gain maximum understanding. -- Evelyn Hu-DeHart, professor of history; Director, Center for the Study of Race & Ethnicity in America, Brown University This one-of-a-kind compilation of primary documents goes far to provide a sense of immediacy in learning about the rich history of Asians in America. Most of the original works are long and difficult to access; the careful editing and thoughtful commentaries help us understand these powerful stories. This will be an indispensable teaching and research sourcebook for classes in American history and ethnic studies, as well as a wonderful reference work for libraries. -- Don T. Nakanishi, director and professor, UCLA Asian American Studies Center

About the Author

Franklin Odo is assistant to the provost for Asian Pacific American Research and Public Programming at the Smithsonian Institution. His previous books include Hawaii No Ka Oi: The Kamiya Family Trilogy and A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawaii. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

The editor does a very impressive job of summarizing the complex themes and events in Asian American history... The range and variety of the documents are amazing. AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOKS ANNUAL An invaluable contribution to Asian American studies, US racial and ethnic studies, and US history. CHOICE [The Columbia Documentary History of the Asian American Experience] will be an invaluable resource for scholars, teachers, libraries, and general readers... charting new territory for scholars to follow. -- Erika Lee, University of Minnesota JOURNAL OF ASIAN STUDIES With so many firsts under his belt, it comes as no surprise that Odo has written the very first book to bring together the canon of documents that are of utmost importance to Asian American history... [I]ndeed, Asian Americans have long been vital participants in the making of American history, and continue to play a growing role in the future of this country. -- Terry Hong The Bloomsbury Review This book is the most comprehensive collection of historical documents covering different major Asian American communities from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. -- Yong Chen Journal of American Ethnic History This book is a must for libraries and for anyone who is teaching an Asian American course. -- Roger Daniels Pacific Northwest Quarterly Ranging from the early days of the republic to the dawn of the 21st century, Franklin Odo's collection offers a treasure-trove of documentation on the often-neglected history of Asians in America. I know of nothing quite like it currently available to scholars and students. -- Eric Foner, Columbia University