Reviews
Using historical censuses and archival material, Xu details the evolution of San Francisco's Chinatown and the importance of the 1906 earthquake in shaping its transformation. The historical racism experienced by Chinese San Franciscans—and their resistance—hold important relevance to today's immigration debates, making this book valuable for scholars and students alike.
Xu's Chinatown is a brilliant analysis of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the rebuilding of the city's Chinatown, and the ambivalent relationship that American society has always had with non-white immigrants. This book is a must-read for those wishing to better understand the paradoxes of America's immigration climate.
Book Details
Preface
Introduction
Part I. Chinatown at America's Crossroads
Chapter 1. From the Gold Rush to the Earthquake
Chapter 2. The Ladder of Americanization
Part II. The People and the Place
Chapter 3. Gender
Preface
Introduction
Part I. Chinatown at America's Crossroads
Chapter 1. From the Gold Rush to the Earthquake
Chapter 2. The Ladder of Americanization
Part II. The People and the Place
Chapter 3. Gender, Marriage, and Family
Chapter 4. Language
Chapter 5. Residential Segregation
Chapter 6. Identity
Chapter 7. Occupations
Part III. The Old New Neighborhood
Chapter 8. Decomposing the American Dream
Chapter 9. Chinatown Beyond San Francisco
Conclusion: Revisiting the Old New Neighborhood
Appendix: Ethnic-Specific Occupation-Based Earnings
Notes
Index