Reviews
"Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir." -- David Henry Hwang "An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society." -- Ferdinand M. de Leon, The Seattle Times "An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?" -- Somini Sengupta, The New York Times Book Review "Written with journalistic clarity Asian American Dreams offers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope." -- Roger Yim, San Francisco Chronicle "Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result-- Asian American Dreams --is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity." -- Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking "A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment." -- Dinah Eng, Gannett News " Dreams is a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties." -- John Kuo Wei Tchen, professor, New York University, author of New York Before Chinatown, Dreams is a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties., "An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society." --Ferdinand M. de Leon, The Seattle Times "An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?" --Somini Sengupta, The New York Times Book Review "Written with journalistic clarity Asian American Dreams offers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope." --Roger Yim, San Francisco Chronicle "Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result--Asian American Dreams--is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity." --Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking "A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment." --Dinah Eng, Gannett News "Dreams is a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties." --John Kuo Wei Tchen, professor, New York University, author of New York Before Chinatown "Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir." --David Henry Hwang, "Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir." --David Henry Hwang "An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society."--Ferdinand M. de Leon, The Seattle Times "An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?"-- Somini Sengupta, The New York Times Book Review "Written with journalistic clarity Asian American Dreams offers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope."-- Roger Yim, San Francisco Chronicle "Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result--Asian American Dreams--is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity."--Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking "A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment."-- Dinah Eng, Gannett News "Dreams is a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties."--John Kuo Wei Tchen, professor, New York University, author of New York Before Chinatown, A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment., Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result-- Asian American Dreams --is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity., An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?, "Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir." --David Henry Hwang "An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society."-- Ferdinand M. de Leon, The Seattle Times "An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?"-- Somini Sengupta, The New York Times Book Review "Written with journalistic clarity Asian American Dreams offers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope."-- Roger Yim, San Francisco Chronicle "Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result-- Asian American Dreams --is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity."--Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking "A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment."-- Dinah Eng, Gannett News " Dreams is a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties."--John Kuo Wei Tchen, professor, New York University, author of New York Before Chinatown, Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir., An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society., "Serves not only as an invaluable record of a movement but also as a moving and often funny personal memoir." --David Henry Hwang "An ambitious blend of personal and cultural history, a primer on Asian America that covers everything from the history of Asian immigration to the turbulence of the past three decades as the community has gone from silent majority to demanding its place in American society."--Ferdinand M. de Leon, The Seattle Times "An important book because it seeks to answer a question that few other popular works pose: What does it take for people like the author to become fully American?"-- Somini Sengupta,The New York Times Book Review "Written with journalistic clarityAsian American Dreamsoffers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope."-- Roger Yim,San Francisco Chronicle "Helen Zia has produced what many of us were waiting for--an honest, scholarly, yet intensely personal book about the transformation of Asian America. She deftly interweaves the remarkable history of a people with her own unique journey as a pioneer activist and writer. The result--Asian American Dreams--is a fresh and incisive narrative, epic in its sweep, thrilling in its verve and clarity."--Iris Chang, author ofThe Rape of Nanking "A rich chronicle of personal and national history involving Asian Americans that examines issues ranging from immigration patterns to stereotypes in entertainment."-- Dinah Eng,Gannett News "Dreamsis a wonderful, sophisticated, lively sociohistorical biography of Asian Pacific Americans fighting back to broaden the human rights of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. Herein Helen Zia emerges as the foremost activist-chronicler of the eighties and nineties."--John Kuo Wei Tchen, professor, New York University, author ofNew York Before Chinatown, Written with journalistic clarity Asian American Dreams offers a way out of the cycle of racial prejudice, discrimination and violence. Its examples of individuals and communities that have spanned cultural antipathies to fight for a cause serve as beacons of hope.