Category Archives: History

The Most Important Video You’ll See Today

This is a video I believe every Asian American–heck, every American–should see. In it, the Honorable Ron Dellums from Oakland gave one of the most stirring speeches about the effects of the taking of Japanese Americans had on people outside … Continue reading

Posted in History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Remembering Prolific and Pioneering Asian American Studies Scholar Don Nakanishi

By Dr. Dawn Lee Tu On Monday, March 21st, the field of Asian American Studies suffered a tremendous loss. Don Nakanishi, Professor Emeritus at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, passed away at the age of 66. Nakanishi was a … Continue reading

Posted in Community, Education, History, Southern California | Leave a comment

Japanese American Internees – Then and Now Photographs

Photographer Paul Kitagaki Jr. has been tracking down Japanese American internees who were photographed in pictures like the one above by Dorothea Lange. He has constructed an exhibit called Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit, which features pictures from the … Continue reading

Posted in History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Born Free and Equal”: Ansel Adams’ Book and Manzanar Photo Series

As a public official openly endorsed interning Syrian refugees just like Japanese Americans and a musical about the internment has opened on Broadway, the Washington Post has recently put up a montage of photos from famed landscape photographer Ansel Adams.  … Continue reading

Posted in Books, History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: “Allegiance” Brings Japanese American Internment to Broadway

The story of Japanese American internment comes to Broadway in this new emotional musical about the Kimura family, starring Lea Salonga, George Takei, and Telly Leung. The tale unfolds at Heart Mountain in Wyoming, following a family ripped from their … Continue reading

Posted in Entertainment, History, Music, New York, Reviews, The Arts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: “The Making of Asian America,” by Erika Lee

Erika Lee’s The Making of Asian America is a masterful work that surveys hundreds of years of Asian American history, taking an expansive view of both Asian and America, to the benefit of all. Lee investigates histories of race relations locally, … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, Current Events, Discrimination, History | 4 Comments

Defining American Citizenship: The Story of Wong Kim Ark

As a child growing up in America, I thought of myself as not-American. In America, I was Taiwanese, I was Chinese, I was Asian. Though I pledged my allegiance to the American flag alongside my classmates of various ethnic and … Continue reading

Posted in Discrimination, History, Legal | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seattle issues gesture of regret over 1800s anti-Chinese laws

I’ve blogged about apologies in from Congress as well as the State of California regarding the Chinese exclusionary laws. On Monday, August 3rd, 2015, the city of Seattle apologized as well: “The Seattle City Council approved a resolution Monday expressing regret for … Continue reading

Posted in Discrimination, History, Local | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: “Being Japanese American, 2nd Edition,” by Gil Asakawa

Gil Asakawa’s newest edition of his JA sourcebook, Being Japanese American is chock full of information and anecdotes to guide anyone through Japanese American life, questions, issues, etc. I should say, of course, that I am not Japanese American, but … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, Education, History, Lifestyles | Leave a comment

KQED: Stanford Project Unearths Personal Histories of Chinese Railroad Workers

Recently, the local National Public Radio affiliate station KQED’s program, Forum, hosted a discussion on the history of the Chinese railroad workers as the 150th anniversary of when Chinese workers began to work on the transcontinental railroad: “The Transcontinental Railroad … Continue reading

Posted in Discrimination, History, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: “Between Mao and McCarthy,” by Charlotte Brooks

Charlotte Brooks’ new book, Between Mao and McCarthy, is an impressive scholarly tome on the evolution of Chinese American politics in the years after World War II. It looks specifically at the evolution of politics in New York and San … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, History, New York, Politics, San Francisco Bay Area | Leave a comment

AMC’s Hell On Wheels: How the Chinese Built America

The untold story of the Chinese immigrant experience during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Back in 2011, when AMC launched its new television series Hell on Wheels about the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad, there was some concern about “Do Chinese Pioneers … Continue reading

Posted in Entertainment, History, TV | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment