Description
This is a fantastic book, overflowing with groundbreaking empirical research and rich with historical detail. The author has gathered an enormous range of newspaper and archival material, as well as prints and illustrations, and her detective work is amazing in its depth. She is particularly strong in detailing the historical fascination and obsessions with interracial sexual relationships, using the murder case of Elsie Sigel to narrate white American conceptions of Chinatown and Chinese men as a threat to white women. -- Henry Yu, University of California, Los Angeles Mary Ting Yi Lui creatively employs a forgotten but important crime as a narrative vehicle to show that New York's Chinatown was not a neighborhood of racial exclusion and ethnic isolation. Rather, the author convincingly argues that Chinatown's borders were not fixed or impenetrable as suggested by past journalist and scholarly studies. She offers a nuanced and accurate interpretation of the Chinese-American experience, challenging one of the most enduring racial stereotypes in American historical literature. -- Timothy J. Gilfoyle, Loyola University
About the Author
Mary Ting Yi Lui is Assistant Professor of American Studies and History at Yale University. She is a former curator of the Museum of Chinese in the Americas in New York City.
Reviews
Winner of the 2005 History Award, The Association for Asian American Studies "Lui has created a solid historical narrative through her combined use of empirical data and Chinese-language sources... [Her] work deserves to be recognized as an important contribution to American history."--Krystyn Moon, American Historical Review "This is an outstandingly well researched and elegantly executed book, rich in detail, theoretical insight, and contemporary illustration drawn from the archives, and at times great fun... [I]t sets a new high standard for writing about the Asian American experience."--Gregor Benton, Ethnic and Racial Studies "[A] magnificent social history... [T]he book's graceful style, along with its vivid, engaging narratives and insightful analyses, is certain to be appreciated and enjoyed beyond the scholarly community."--Renqiu Yu, Journal of American History "Mary Ting Yi Lui's book, The Chinatown Trunk Mystery, is the perfect blend of a thrilling mystery bestseller and a detailed cultural history."--Shilpa Dave, Journal of Asian American Studies "Lui, in this provocative and compelling study, demonstrates how America's racial and gender formations were mapped onto the dynamic and urban landscape of New York's Chinatown. This book is highly recommended."--Karen J. Leong, The Historian
Awards
Joint winner of Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS): History Award 2007.
Book Information
ISBN 9780691130484
Author Mary Ting Yi Lui
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publisher Princeton University Press
Weight(grams) 482g