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68 pages 2 hours read

Erika Lee

The Making of Asian America: A History

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015

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Essay Topics

1.

The US is often described as a country of immigrants, yet Asian American history has often been overlooked. Why has this been the case? How does the story of Asian American immigration compare to that of immigration from other regions?

2.

What role did sex/gender play in Asian immigration to the Americas? How did gender struggles reflect wider cultural contexts in both the ancestral lands and in the US?

3.

What is the relationship between historical Asian immigration and class?

4.

Compare immigrant experiences on Ellis Island and Angel Island on the East and West Coast of the US, respectively. How are they similar? How are they different?

5.

How have imperialism and colonialism in general, and American imperialism specifically, shaped Asian immigration to the Americas?

6.

What are “flexible citizens,” and what is their relationship to globalization? How do their experiences compare to those of prior generations of Asian American immigrants?

7.

What is the relationship between coolies, capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, and imperialism? How did the coolie concept shape perceptions of Chinese immigrants?

8.

Summarize the history of immigration law presented in this book. What were some of the most important laws to exclude or welcome Asian Americans? What legal barriers do immigrants still face?

9.

What effect did the forced removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans have on the Japanese American community specifically and on the United States in general?

10.

What are some of the greatest misconceptions about Asian Americans in the 21st century? What role does the concept of culture play in this context?

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