Draws on a historical study of the immigration of nurses from the Philippines to the United States and other countries to illustrate the prevalence of stereotypes in images of Asian American history and to show how to confront stereotypes in the writing of history. (SLD)

A social historian and anthropologist whose unpublished work was used without permission in Ronald Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore" criticizes the author's lack of care in footnoting and attribution.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

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)

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)

Introduces this theme issue in which essays challenge the reader to expand preconceived notions of what Asian and Pacific Islander American histories are and can be, how they are researched and written, and why divergent historical approaches to interpreting the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans can yield insights into the past…

Discusses the position of Asian America labor history as a field of study that, as yet, does not exist within Asian American studies or labor history, but which has the potential to "decenter nationalist narratives and deflect the institutional imperative." (SLD)

The publication of Counterpoint: Perspectives on Asian America by the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, is significant because it brings together review articles which scrutinize the existing literature, and articles written from an Asian American perspective in a variety of genres. (Author/AM)

Explores the role of oral history in the study of culture and social history, focusing on the experiences of a researcher interested in the Asian American experience. Discusses the importance of recognizing oral history as a process rather than a product. (SLD)

Explores the problems inherent in studying the intellectual and cultural life of Asian Americans in the United States, a country that has understood them first and foremost as exotic "orientals." Discusses the ways "orientals" have been understood in U.S. social thought as a racial "problem" and a racial "solution." (SLD)

The history of the Hmong people of Southeast Asia is based mainly on oral traditions, and until recent decades there was no written Hmong language. With the introduction of writing, a new view of history is beginning to emerge, as demonstrated by college student term papers. (SLD)