Chinese St Louis

"Huping Ling's study of Chinese St. Louis is a breakthrough volume, the first full-scale study of the ethnic group in a midwestern American city. Only by examining the evolution of such smaller communities can the full scope of the Chinese diaspora in America be understood."-Roger Daniels, Charles Phelps Taft Emeritus Professor of History, University of Cincinnati "Chinese St. Louis provides a much needed addition to the published literature about Chinese Americans. Ling has written a superb, nuanced book about the Chinese community that is not placed in the all-too-familiar locations of California or New York. She skillfully examines the Chinese in St. Louis with an awareness of urban history and Chinese American historiography. This is a wonderful book, rich with insight and sophistication, and Ling shows that she is a resourceful and careful historian."-Franklin Ng, California State University, Fresno "The importance of her study is her contribution to the understanding of the transition of Chinatowns from a residential community (ghetto) to a cultural community or an economic-social center (which accurately describes a phenomenon that has occurred after 1970 in many smaller urban centers)."-Sue Fawn Chung, University of Nevada at Las Vegas "Chinese St. Louis is a solid work of historical study. The scope and depth of Ling's research is remarkable. This comprehensive account of the evolution of the Chinese American community in St. Louis will be a valuable addition to the literature on Chinese American history."-Renqiu Yu, Purchase College, State University of New York "The book is a literary chop-suey of local Asian and American stories and the people who made them fascinating."-The St. Louis Post-Dispatch "People who are interested in the history of St. Louis, or the history of Chinese Americans, or even those who want to read an account of the culture they came from, will find this an excellent read indeed."-West End Word "[A] rewarding read, partly for the nuanced presentation of the Chinese presence in one specific locale, but partly also as insight to varieties of immigrant issues and presences across the United States."-Missio Apostolica "Ling provides a detailed account of the Chinese-American community of a few hundred people in St. Louis in the period between the 1870s and the 1960s... Ling's remarkable research brings Hop Alley to life... Ling's model for a cultural community is well established and solidly supported... The book is an appropriate read for those in the fields of ethnic and immigration history, community and public policy studies, cultural and diasporic studies and in American and Chinese history."-American Historical Review