Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites?: The Asian Ethnic Experience Today

by Mia Tuan

What does it mean to be an Asian-American in the United States today? Are Asian-Americans considered "honorary whites" or forever thought of as "foreigners?" Mia Tuan examines the salience and meaning of ethnicity for later generation Chinese- and Japanese-Americans, and asks how their concepts of ethnicity differ from that of white ethnic Americans. She interviewed 95 middle-class Chinese and Japanese Californians and analyzes the importance of ethnic identities and the concept of becoming a "real" American for both Asian and white ethnics. She asks her subjects about their early memories and experiences with Chinese/Japanese culture; current lifestyle and emerging cultural practices; experiences with racism and discrimination; and  attitudes toward current Asian immigration.

Genres: Nonfiction, Asian Literature, Asian American, Politics, Race, Sociology, History

216 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 1999

Reviews

[Carina]

At times, reading this book was like looking into a mirror. A really SMART mirror that figures things out for you.