Asian-American Books

This is one of the most fascinating stories I have ever read. Politically correct academics have succeeded in erasing Longfellow from the American canon, replacing him and his contemporaries with names you've never heard and will never know how to pronounce. Perhaps this bit of exotica if not to say erotica will give life back to this former pillar of American culture. It is the son, not the sage of Cambridge whom Professor Guth has chosen as her subject. But what a character he is. Longfellow Jr. had very little going for himself besides boredom and a nearly limitless bank account, so he went on an extended grand tour of the Orient, setting himself up in a Japanese harem, stocked like a koi pond which nubile Japanese maidens. Besides an addiction to Asian flesh, young Longfellow seems to have keyed into that great American pastime known as shopping with the result that he brought a warehouse full of souvenires back to fill Boston's museums and the mansions of his father's aristocratic friends. Any way you look at it, this story has legs. It's a miracle Hollywood hasn't grabbed hold of it. Stay tuned.

Charles Longfellow was the son of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Charles visited Japan in the 1870s intending a brief visit, and stayed for two years, returning to Boston with photos and elaborate tattoos he had 'collected' on his body. But Christine M.E. Guth's Longfellow's Tattoos: Tourism, Collecting, And Japan is not so much a survey of collectible items nor even tattoo history, as a cultural expose of Japan in the 19th century travel world. Chapters survey the state and nature of Japanese culture in the world of the times, using art and curios as a focal point.

I saw this book while I was doing inner city missions during Summer 2000. Later that year, I bought a copy of it for myself. It is perhaps the best Bible Study guide for Asian Americans I've ever found.
This book has 12 Bible studies that are designed for Asian Americans who struggle with their cross-cultural identity. Some of the topics covered are grace, the Asian work ethic, filael piety, marriage, and other things that Asian Americans go through. It also provides a Biblical framework, so that when Asians ask, "How do I overcome this?", they have a ready reference. This Bible study guide is also very helpful for those Asians who don't feel totally Asian nor totally American, either (this is what Asians commonly refer to as "Bamboo").
Incidently, I'm not Asian. I'm a Caucasian Pastor out of Chicago who God has called to worship with and minister to Asian Americans, mostly ages 18-30. Anyone out there who has full time contact with Asians like I do should go through all of the 12 Bible studies in this book. It will better equip you for ministering to and worshiping with Asian Americans. I'm sure it will be a blessing to you as it has been to me.
I'd like to personally thank Tom Lin for seeing the vision to do this and also to InterVarsity Press for putting it out. Praise God!

If you haven't seen any of my other book reviews, let me first tell you about myself. I'm a white guy who worships with, pastors, and mentors Asian Americans, mostly 18-30. I was first called by God to be a cross cultural pastor to Asian Americans back in 1996. I've read many cross cultural books that have helped me, this being one of them.
As for this book, I'd call this a must read for anyone who is Asian American, from the 1.5's, 2nd generation, and beyond. You'll understand so much more about yourself, your ethnic heritage, and your Asian culture in light of the Bible. This Bible study guide addresses such issues as grace, the Asian work ethic, God's will vs. Parent's will, and other simular topics that Asian American Christians struggle with.
So many Asian-Americans struggle with their cross-cultrual identity while living here in America. While this book may not be the "end all" for all Asian American Christians and their struggles, this will certainly get the ball rolling in terms of the healing process. It will also help them come to terms with their cross cultural identity by showing what the Bible says and what they should live out.
In short, this book opened my eyes to many of the struggles that Asian American Christians go through. Again, I'm not Asian, nor do I pretend to be. However, this book has made me better prepared for the ministry that God has called me to.

I don't care to duplicate the academic praise seen in the above reviews. But I can tell you simply that Dennis Dalton was my professor in a class on Non-Violence at Columbia Univ. and it changed my life. At a period of time when I was an atheist, believing that all religion was just a set of rules to control people, D. Dalton demonstrated through the example of Ghandi that the Love and Truth force can be a powerful vehicle for change. This completely changed my view point from victim to activist. One could actually have spirituality from within, instead of imposed upon him or her from without. A tool, not a punishment. The 'truth' one has seems to be irrelevant; it is one's passion and belief and willingness to stand behind that Truth that triumphs. If it is True in the archetypal sense, others will join (not follow) you. And by direct action at the heart level, you can touch and change nations. This is not about passive resistance; this is about direct non-violent confrontation. It is about appealing to the best, the highest nature, of that which you confront. He showed me that one can change the world with one's heart; that truth can win. And now I just wait for Dennis to write the definative book on Emma Goldman... Truly a great teacher and initiator of the inner spark of one's own truth force. And with Ghandi as his guiding archetype, this book should be on the reading list of every activist.

What a brilliant analysis of Gandhi's philosophy! This is an insightful collection of essays that illuminates the essential relationship between Gandhi's theory of non-violence and his practice of the same. Dennis Dalton uses two powerful examples: the Salt March of 1930 and the fast to end Partition-related violence in 1947. There is a fascinating conclusion between Gandhi's ideas and those of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, illustrating the relevance of Gandhi's thought to present day issues.

I bought a copy of "Making Waves" by the same authors. It was a powerful book, to say the least. I really admired the honesty by all of the Asian American ladies that contributed to the book.
This book, which is the follow-up, is also a powerful book, too. You see, even though I'm a Caucasian male, I'm a Christian and an ordained minister. Most of the ministry and worship I do is with Asian Americans(most of the are college age and young adult). Since I didn't grow up Asian, this book and its predecessor were a valuable resource to me.
After seeing this book, I'm more sympathetic to the struggles that Asian Americans go through, and especially the females. Too often Hollywood and the Far Eastern Movie companies have portrayed Asian Females as the sultry and sexy "Gesha Girl" stereotype. This book lets the ladies speak and takes the reader into their hearts and minds. It lets the reader know what they've actually been through, what they struggle with(and still do), and what they do to surivive. I'm glad they've shared what they did. I think it's long overdue that their voices were heard.
I would reccommend this book to anyone doing ministry to Asian American females as I do or to any male dating or married to an Asian American female. Praise God for Elaine Kim and the Asian Women United!

i suppose you expect a formal review of some sort, but i'm just writing something freshly thought out:

i LOVE this book! it's pretty rare to discover asian american works of writing published in today's world. It iincludes stories, essays, poems, photography, and pictures of artwork done as well.

Anyone who is interested in heritage, asian american literature, or just would like a good collection of writing to read, i highly reccomend this book.

Why is this book not in print!!!!

Just a note to let people know that this long out-of-print book was also published in the Philippines. That publisher, Popular Books, still has copies of their edition, which as far as I can tell, is exactly the same as the US edition.

Popular Book Store
MIT Building, Doroteo Jose St.
Sta. Cruz, Manila

telephone 711-5184
811-5189

popular@philonline.com

This book transformed my opinion of Mark Twain -- from the classic, if somewhat shopworn, American humorist we're all forced to read in junior high, into a passionate defender of American ideals. Today, as words like 'war,' 'treason,' and 'patriotism' are once again in the headlines, flags are flying, and nationalist feeling runs high, these essays by Twain, and commentary by Jim Zwick, are as important and timely as they were nearly a hundred years ago.

Back then, at the birth of the American Empire, Samuel Clemens ('Mark Twain') risked his reputation, his career, and his fortune taking an uncompromising public stand against the war in the Philippines. No pacifist, Twain nevertheless refused to allow jingoists, imperialists, and flag-wavers to define America's proper role in the world. 'I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land,' he wrote.

Twain's anti-war essays had never been collected in one place before this book, and many of the writings here were never published at all. Twain takes the reader's breath away with his bold and uncompromising resistance to empire. 'The War Prayer' (1905) should be required reading in Congress and on talk radio, while 'Roosevelt, the American Gentleman' (1906) should be engraved on TR's tombstone.

And then there's 'patriotism.' In 'Monarchical and Republican Patriotism' (1908), Twain defines the former as the government telling the people what is and is not 'respectable' patriotism. 'In the other, neither the government nor the entire nation is privileged to dictate to any individual what the form of his patriotism shall be.'

He continues: 'We have adopted [monarchical patriotism] with all its servility, with an unimportant change in wording: "Our country, right or wrong!" We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had: the individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he (just *he*, by himself) believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it, all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.'

Powerful, bracing stuff -- especially today. Very highly recommended.

Dr. Shao puts the reader in his mind and on his back as he carries you through a war torn China and across the ocean in a steamship to America, over obstacles worthy of an epic Hollywood film. His unique experience, perspective, and love for both countries and cultures is effectively communicated through his concise, from the heart presentation of his "Memories in Two Nations" that makes you feel not like you're reading a story, but sitting in a comfortable chair and listening to the words coming directly from the mouth of the author himself. A truly remarkable journey. Thank you for the ride.

Dr. Shao candidly shares his remarkable and awe inspiring life stories in his autobiography. It's hard to believe that one man could endure and rise above such a wide range of harrowing experiences. You will be inspired to follow your dreams by Dr. Shao's courage.

Minor Heresies, Major Departures is best summarized by Robertson Davies' back cover quote describing how Espy makes "high comedy about Presbyterian missionaries without any way jeering at their sense of dedication." These episodes from his childhood are a delight to read. He combines the truth of a child's eyes with the sarcasm of an adult as he describes events such as the battle with his sister for the longest prayer or his failure at "cementing the international bonds of love and law" during play with the cook's nephew.

This book is recommended not just to those interested in missionary work, but to anyone who enjoys travel or cross-cultural memoirs. If you are looking for an inspirational tale of missionary good deeds, however, it might not be your cup of tea.

John Espey's memoirs of his Shanghai boyhood are a finely done portrait of a moment in history. He expresses, with a wry humor, his "view of things" as a child, a view which contrasts with those of the adults around him. His disagreement with the Western perspective and Protestant missionary outlook that formed the backdrop to his life in Shanghai before WW II is recorded in civil tones; he gives people credit for good intentions and does not denigrate their sometimes misguided efforts. Espey's memories are a delightful entry into cross-cultural psychology--by one who knows what that term really means.

This book is the definitive text on the connection between the United States and Japan. Readable not just for the historian, but the layman as well, the writing is superb. Snippets of information in side boxes offer amusing and informative anecdotes. One major strength of this work is that fact that the reader comes away with an idea of the Japanese perspective on the West, specifically the United States. Often either demonized or put on a pedestal by Westerners, this book provides insight into both the strengths and weaknesses of Japan as well as the West. The only drawback is that this book ends in the early 1990s, before the onset of deep recession in Japan. It would be of great value to get Dr. Boyle's perspective on the decade of the 90s and how the Japanese recession has affected Japan-US relations, as well as Japanese attitudes towards Japan itself.

The book is written in a way that will keep your eyes glued to the page. It is simply a pleasure to read. The little information tidbits in the grey boxes are an added bonus.

Detailed and exhaustive book by/about Ichihashi who came to the US from Japan in 1984 at the age of 16 to study. He graduated from Stanford, got a Ph.D. from Harvard, became a professor at Stanford. He and his wife and son "relocated" to Santa Anita and then Tule Lake and then Granada (Amache) during WWII. He became embittered and an elitist during the war years, which is told in a very dramatic albiet exhaustive fashion in the book via his letters. Following relocation he and his wife returned to a very different Stanford University and environs, which he found very difficult to cope with. Very enjoyable book, personal as well as historical.

Though long and at times cumbersome to read, this is a valuable addition to the literature in Asian American and World War II internment history. Yamato Ichihashi is an all but forgotten figure who has left a written record of his internment experience as he lived it, making this book a rare and important piece that all students of the internment should read. At the same time, this book belongs to the body of literature in Asian American social history. Who knew that in the early 1900s, Stanford University had a Japanese American professor among its faculty? What kind of life did he lead considering his anomalous position as an academic compared to other Japanese in America and the intense anti-Asian atmosphere of those times in the West? How does knowledge of this man's life enrich our understanding of Asian American history and American history at large? All of those questions are satisfyingly answered. Ichihashi's writings take center stage in the book, but Chang provides lucidly written annotations and a bibliographic essay that make the volume quite readable and enjoyable. Chang allows Ichihashi's words to speak for themselves which allows the reader to get a very vivid picture of life in the internment camps. In addition, reading his thoughts about his circumstances as an academic, a professor at Stanford, and an internee offer rare and revealing insights.

'It remains hard to imagine a short-term bearable future for the people of China,' wrote John Willis, who teaches history at Southern Cal, in 1994.
He also said that a continuing theme of Chinese society has been 'optimism about what man can be and can accomplish.'
It is certainly a portentous question, how a country with a thoughtful and ancient social philosophy of optimism can have attained the sorry state it is in now. Wills attempts to answer the question by looking at the lives of about 20 great Chinese, to understand what they thought they were doing and, also, what later Chinese thought about them.
'This book . . . is intended for people who never have paid much attention to China and now want a quick and graspable introduction to some main themes in its stirring history.' The development of Chinese political theory is far easier to grasp than the equally significant development of Chinese religion.
Portraits of famous men (and one woman, the scandalous Empress Wu) are an appropriate way to enter Chinese mentality, says Wills, because the Chinese have been 'more inclined than most peoples to cast their moral and political principles and arguments in terms of individuals who are idolized or reviled.'
Whether they really are more inclined to personalize their own history than other people is doubtful, but Wills makes a good case that the Chinese have placed more value on theory than on good practice. 'The drama was heightened, the selflesslness more perfect when nothing else was accomplished except to demonstrate one's firmness in principle in the face of futility, humiliation and death,' he writes.
Many other societies have preferred to honor leaders who got things changed. Robin Hood, for example. but the great Chinese outlaw story, 'Water Margin,' does not have the happy ending (for the common folk) of the Robin Hood story, or William Tell or many another hero outside China.
From earliest times -- that is, from the third emperor, Yu, the first subject of 'Mountain of Fame' -- the Chinese have systematized government, in sharp contrast to the helterskelter turmoil of, say, Europe following the German invasions. The result, says Wills, has been paradoxical.
'From Wang Mang to Deng Xiaoping, Chinese policymakers all too often have lacked Su's suspicion of uniformity and have made trouble for themselves and their people by trying to impose on all Chinese policies that make sense for some important part of it.'
Su is Su Dongpo, a poet and politician of the 11th century, the earliest hero in 'Mountain of Fame' who is more history than myth. A mass of Su's essays, poems and state papers have survived.
This is surprisingly late. For Europe, Sumeria, Egypt and India, we have much earlier famous men that we can think we understand. Whether we can understand the early Chinese luminaries or not, though, Wills believes we can understand what their myths mean today.
The reason 'Mountain of Fame' is important is that China has too many people to ignore and, as Wills observes, has been impervious to outside suasion. If China is to be governed, the Chinese will have to do it, and, given their deep consciousness of the past (even Mao the revolutionary was enthralled to it), it will have to happen in the context of the Wus, the Sus and the other towering figures of Chinese history.

Professor Willis has, in this fine book, made a substantial contribution to the knowledge of Chinese history for those who read in English. Mountain of Fame is an exciting overview of famous persons from China's prehistoric heroes to today's names in the news. The book consists of twenty chapters, most of them dedicated to an individual who embodies some essential aspect of their milieu much in the same tradition as Plutarch's Lives describes the historic noble Greeks and Romans.

The penultimate and last chapters are dedicated to multiple persons and the flurry of events that has propelled China into a leading position in today's world news. This makes them of special interest to those seeking a broad overview on recent events in China.

Wills' historical description at the beginning of each chapter offers a necessary context for understand the person he has chosen to discuss. I have used this book for enjoyment and as reference repeatedly since adding it to my collection.

This book may not be the best place to start learning Chinese history. However, I think that if the reader has some interest in the subject and a little exposure to Chinese philosophy, language or history this book makes an invaluable addition to any ones library.