Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority with Ellen Wu
I had so much fun talking with Ellen about this really fascinating topic. She fills me in on all kinds of things - the details of how Asians went from being reviled in the United States to emerging as the "model minority" post-WWII. Chinese exclusion? Japanese internment? Yup, we talk about all these things...so how is it, then, after decades of existing on the margins, did Asian Americans carve out their so-called "model" status? Welp, I guess you will have to listen to find out (hint: it's a Cold War story). We discuss:
Documentary evidence when studying Asian Americans in both the 19th and 20th centuries
Common experiences of Asian immigrants from different countries
The distinctions between Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries
Post WWII immigration of Koreans, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotians
The "Melting Pot of the Pacific"
Chinatown(s) as a curiosity
Ellen also has some great recommendations, advice for students, and we discuss an excellent book, most certainly worthy of your attention: To Save the Children of Korea: The Cold War Story of International Adoption by Arissa H. Oh. You can find Ellen on Twitter...so give her a follow and say hi :)
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Music by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/