Chronicles the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States, identifying their contributions to the nation's development, from the construction of the transcontinental railroad to scientific and technological advances. Chang is the author of the best-selling Rape of Nanking (1997), a very disturbing but well-prepared and necessary account of the sacking of that important Chinese city by the Japanese army in the late 1930s. Her writerly acumen is again in evidence in her latest book, which, in her words, tells an epic story--and, indeed, it is shown to be exactly that. Her purview is wide: the immigration of Chinese people to the U.S. from the early nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth. Chinese immigration falls naturally into three waves: those who came here to be laborers during the days of the California gold rush and the building of the transcontinental railroad, those who came to escape the 1949 Communist takeover, and those who came in the 1980s and 1990s as relations between China and the U.S. eased somewhat. The reasons why the Chinese came to the U.S. are only half the story; the other half consists of what they did here and how they were received. But this is not just a bland narration of events. Chang threads personal stories of individuals she came across in her research into her book, making it a much more human account. A final chapter looks at possible future definitions of racial identity. This is history at its most dramatic and relevant, and the book deserves all the attention it undoubtedly will receive. Brad Hooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved ...a solid addition in a far-from-exhausted field. -- Kirkus Reviews If you are hungry for the history of the American experience, The Chinese in America is a must read. -- James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers Iris Chang skillfully weaves together the broad historical panorama of Chinese migration with fascinating case studies of individual Chinese immigrants... -- Jonathan Spence, author of The Search for Modern China Iris Chang, author of Thread of the Silkworm as well as The Rape of Nanking , is the recipient of the MacArthur Foundation's Program on Peace and International Cooperation Award as well as the Woman of the Year Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans. Used Book in Good Condition