Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People
by Helen Zia
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Book Summary Information
Author: Helen ZiaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2001-05-15
ISBN: 0374527369
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Book Reviews of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People
Book Review: A Wonderful Book
Summary: 5 Stars
In this 356-page tome, author Helen Zia, a second generation American Chinese, Princeton gradate, and award winning journalist, details the trials and tribulations generations of Asian Americans have endured in the United States and the achievements they have accomplished in all aspects of American life, particularly in their pursuit of political representation and empowerment. Zia chronicles the history of Aisan Americans from the earliest arrivals in the 1500s through the end of the twentieth century.
The book documents such historical milestones as the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1892, the founding of American Citizens for Justice in 1983, sa-i-gu, the event in which Korean grocers became the scapegoat of the LA riot in 1992, the one-day cab drivers' strike led by an Indian American in New York in 1998, the election of Gary Locke for the Governor of Washington in 1996, and the spy allegation against scientist Wen Ho Lee in 1999. Zia draws extensively on historical research and personal experiences. Having given up her medical study and dedicated herself to being a social activist and writer, Zia courageously and unapologetically exposes the evil brought on by the stereotyping of Asian American over the centuries. She offers a compelling narrative on how Asian Americans, with remarkably diverse backgrounds, have come to this new land, toiled along with other ethnic minorities, helped build America, and fought for justice and equality. She calls for "Asian Americans to make themselves visible and politically relevant".
Being a Chinese American, I am deeply appreciative of this profound realization that my people are an integral part of this country's heritage and that only by ending silence and by speaking up can any progress in political empowerment be even imagined. I used to be and still am very apolitical, but thankfully this book is serving as a wake-up call. It is typical of many Asian Americans, including myself, to consent to whatever the situation presents them, with ready acceptance of the fate they feel too powerless to change. Asians were one of the earliest immigrants in this country, yet we have lost generations of political development as a result of "positioning ourselves outside this white dominated society as well as the discriminating governmental laws and policies."
Zia's daring accounts of racial discrimination against Asian Americans and of her own involvement in the social and political arenas are made more riveting by her revelation that she is a lesbian, an announcement that filled me with initial confusion and surprise, only to be replaced by deepening respect for her. For a member of the predominately silent ethnic group to announce publicly that she also belongs to yet another much smaller and more marginalized minority group, it takes guts.
This book should be a must read for everyone in this country. I hope it will arouse the conscience of all the peoples of America, regardless of their ethnicity, in their sincere and collaborative effort in shaping the country into a land truthful to its ideal: a land of opportunity and fairness.
Summary of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People
This groundbreaking book traces the transformation of Asian Americans from a few small, disconnected, and largely invisible ethnic groups into a self-identified racial group that is influencing every aspect of American society. It explores the events that shocked Asian Americans into motion and shaped a new consciousness. Helen Zia, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, writes as a personal witness to the dramatic changes involving Asian Americans.
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