Asian American History

Jonathan H.X. Lee holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is an associate professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University.Christen T. Sasaki earned her Ph.D. in history at the University of California, Los Angeles and is an assistant professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University.

"This comprehensive collection shows how Asian Americans have been defined by law and policy and in turn influenced the rules of membership and equality." Frank H. Wu, chancellor and dean, University of California Hastings College of the Law, and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White (2002)."'Race' is created, formed, sustained, and enforced. It is not 'natural,' biological, individual, or accidental. 'Race' is not a manifestation of psychological bias against the unknown. It is not universal. 'Race' is historically constructed under concrete, specific conditions and experiences. It is forged institutionally and enforced politically. Asian American History: Primary Documents of the Asian American Experience powerfully demonstrates these truths."Gordon H. Chang, Olive H. Palmer Professor in humanities and professor of history, Stanford University, and author of Fateful Ties: A History of America's Preoccupation with China (2015)."This important sourcebook of key cases, statutes, and treaties is an invaluable resource for scholars and students interested in American studies, Asian American studies, and American history. The materials document the way law structured the formation of Asian Americans and is an integral part of the story that is America."Robert S. Chang, professor of law and executive director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Seattle University School of Law, and author of Disoriented: Asian Americans, Law, and the Nation-State (1999).