Synopses & Reviews
Asian Americans have quite recently emerged as an increasingly important force in American politics. In 1996, more than 300 Asian and Pacific Americans were elected to federal, state, and local offices; today, more than 2,000 hold appointive positions in government. Asian American voices have been prominent in policy debates over such matters as education, race relations, and immigration reform. On a more discordant note, a national controversy with racial overtones erupted in 1996-97 over alleged illegal Asian and Asian American campaign contributions and illicit foreign influences on American politics, and in 1999 another controversy arose over allegations that a Chinese American physicist had passed nuclear secrets to the Chinese government.
Yet little scholarly attention has been devoted to understanding the engagement of Asian Americans with American politics. This volume of fifteen essays is the first to take a broad-ranging look at the phenomenon. Its contributors are drawn from a variety of disciplines—history, political science, sociology, and urban studies—and from the practical political realm. They discuss such topics as the historical relationship of Asians to American politics, the position of Asian Americans in Americas legal and racial landscape, recent Asian American voting behavior and political opinion, politics and the evolving demographics of the Asian American population, current national controversies involving Asian Americans, conclusions drawn from regional and local case studies, and the future of Asian Americans in American politics.
Review
"The collection presents valuable insights into the growing political maturity of Asian American communities."California History
Synopsis
This volume is the first to take a broad-ranging look at the engagement of Asian Americans with American politics. Its contributors come from a variety of disciplineshistory, political science, sociology, and urban studiesand from the practical political realm.
Synopsis
“The collection presents valuable insights into the growing political maturity of Asian American communities.”California History
“This is an extraordinarily good collection of essays, one of the finest of its kind that I have encountered. . . . [The essays] are topically varied, theoretically and ideologically diverse, and comprehensive.”—Journal of American Ethnic History
Synopsis
Asian Americans have quite recently emerged as visible participants in American politics. In 1996, there were more than 300 Asian Pacific Americans holding elected office and more than 2,000 holding appointed office. This multidisciplinary volume is the first book to take a broad-ranging look at the phenomenon. It addresses such questions as: what historically has been the position of Asians in the political life of the country? How have Asian Americans emerged as an important political force? The book offers partial and varied answers to these and related questions.
Synopsis
Asian Americans have quite recently emerged as visible participants in American politics. In 1996, there were more than 300 Asian Pacific Americans holding elected office and more than 2,000 holding appointed office. Asian American voices have been prominent in policy debates over such matters as education, race relations, and immigration reform. This multidisciplinary volume is the first book to take a broad-ranging look at the phenomenon. It addresses such questions as: What historically has been the position of Asians in the political life of the country? How have Asian Americans emerged as an important political force? What distinctive forms of political behavior, activity, interests, and issues can be associated with Asian Americans? As is appropriate to a pioneering study of an emerging phenomenon, the book offers partial and varied answers to these and related questions.
About the Author
Gordon H. Chang is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Asian American Studies Program at Stanford University. He is the author of Morning Glory, Evening Shadow: Yamato Ichihashi and His Internment Writings, 1942-1945 (Stanford, 1997), and Friends and Enemies: The United States, China, and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972 (Stanford, 1990).