Asian American Histories of the United States (REVISIONING HISTORY)

Asians have been part of the American landscape even before the American Revolution. However, their contribution to American life has been underrepresented, and at times they have been discriminated against as the others. This book explores some of the challenges facing Asian Americans. The chapters are thematically arranged and typically go in reverse chronological order. For instance, the first chapter starts in the early days of COVID-19, and the anti-Asian hate Americans endured. It then delves back in time to themes where Asians were portrayed as disease-carrying agents. Such as the alleged diseases that Chinese immigrants were carrying when migrating to California in the late 1800s. Unlike other historical books, this uses personal stories to carry broader narratives.

Asian Americans are a diverse group who migrated to America at different times, under different circumstances, and for different reasons. Covering such a broad spectrum necessarily requires omissions. Focusing on the commonality, the disparate narratives weave together underlying themes of violence, erasure, and resistance. While the chapters cover dark periods in Asian American history, these narratives are followed by empowering stories where Asian Americans fought back to bring about lasting change. The narrative also covers mixed-race families and the adoption of Asian children – themes usually not covered as part of a broader Asian American narrative. The book is written for the general reader and would serve as an excellent primer for those interested in Asian Americans.