Finds that "Strangers from a Different Shore" is a balanced and successful example of sociological research in the comparative/historical manner, and recommends it highly. Notes that quantitative sociological research on Asian Americans is relatively undeveloped. (DM)

Denounces the treatment of Ronald Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore" by members of the Association of Asian American Studies who criticized it on grounds of scholarly ethics. (DM)

A social historian and anthropologist whose unpublished work was used without permission in Ronald Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore" criticizes the author's lack of care in footnoting and attribution. (DM)

Focuses on Supreme Court naturalization rulings in relation to Asian immigrants. Asserts that an ethos of racial exclusion set the stage for internment of Japanese Americans in World War II and continues to discriminate against Asian immigrants in the United States today. (GC)

Introduces seven essays on Ronald Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans." Opinion is divided as to the book's merits in terms of its content, organization, and research methodology. Two responses by Mr. Takaki are included. (DM)

Commends the book as a general introduction. Finds, however, that much of the material is secondary, with insufficient attribution. The book's coverage of the postwar period is largely anecdotal and does not record the recent emergence of ethnic and political consciousness, community organization, and artistic expression among Asian Americans. (DM)

Replies to every criticism in the foregoing essays of Ling-chi Wang, Elaine Kim, and Sucheng Chan. Endorses Chan's call for more in-depth research. Explains that the size of the book and the number of sources prevented closer annotation in the first edition. (DM)

"Strangers from a Different Shore" paints a panoramic vista, speaks with an epic voice, is easy to read, but contains many misleading statements and imprecise generalizations. The author fails to acknowledge his debt to other researchers and writers. (DM)

"Strangers from a Different Shore" makes significant use of Asian-American literature, especially autobiography, but consistently misses the women's viewpoints of themselves and their experiences. Cites interesting and pertinent material might have been included. Calls for a feminist treatment of this subject. (DM)

Ronald Takaki accounts for his having used Karen Leonard's material without permission and defends his omnibus style of footnoting. He discusses revisions made in the subsequent edition of "Strangers from a Different Shore" in response to Professor Leonard's requests. (DM)

Multiracial people of Asian descent, like most marginalized peoples, live along the borders of "passing," and not passing, for White. When Asian American multiracial people can express the full range of their humanity without boundaries of race, the debate about "passing" will become obsolete. (SLD)

Deconstructs certain naturalizing features of the concept "Asian American" in contemporary discourse, and argues the term is now obsolete and detrimental for political purposes. The author suggests an active practice of coming to terms with ever-changing social conditions, an exercise that may change what Asian American means, while…

Scholars have failed to develop theoretical and methodological tools for understanding Asian Americans. However, the issues are not totally ignored since there is a growing number of writers, historians, and poets who are producing promising works outside of the liberal tradition. Examples of authors and enriching works are presented. (VM)

Explores suggested contradictions to grasping contemporary Asian America as a socio-ideological formation. It is suggested that the emergence of Pacific Asian economies in the global economy has had a transformative effect on the Asian American self-image, causing Asian Americans to see themselves as either grounded in local communities or as…

Discusses how postmodern theories might contribute to the development of Asian American Studies as an intellectual field of inquiry and a vehicle for political and social change. The author explains how the postmodern direction toward inclusion, multiplicity, and heterogeneity is particularly well suited to an analysis of the contemporary Asian…