Racial Politics in an Era of Transnational Citizenship: The 1996 'Asian Donorgate' Controversy in Perspective

(Paperback)

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Following 1996's Asian Donorgate campaign finance controversy, Chinese Americans, and by proxy all Asian Americans, were depicted in U.S. public discourse as foreigners subversively attempting to buy influence with U.S. politicians. Racial Politics in an Era of Transnational Citizenship asks, Will the perception of the Asian American as the perpetual foreigner continue to reproduce itself uncritically, heightening during times of media-supported nationalism Scholar Michael Chang's incisive work contributes greatly to current debates on civil rights and on the meaning of citizenship and belonging among a transnational community and in a globalized world.

Reviews

As Asians Americans increase their level of political activity, scholarly analyses of how they play the game are essential. Chang provides a refreshing set of observations on a timely topic. This book simply has no match. -- Wendy Tam Cho, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This is a key text for understanding the importance of racial exclusion in the construction of citizenship in the United States. With lively writing and insightful analysis, Chang explains how images of Asian Americans are manipulated in this process, resulting in the marginalization of Asian Americans. -- Leland Saito, University of Southern California
Chang provides a compelling analysis using race, nation, class, and capitalism to explain the contemporary predicament of Asians in the United States, and that predicament to illuminate the world now being refashioned by globalization. No one is safe. -- Ian Haney Lpez, School of Law, University of California--Berkeley; author of White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race
The 1996 campaign finance controversy, centering on the political donations of Asian nationals and Asian immigrants as well as Asian Americans, led to the most recent reforms to our electoral process. This book presents a comprehensive discussion of the scandal, ranging from the facts of the various cases against the fundraisers involved to the racial stereotypes of even native-born Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners. Anyone interested in the influence of money on our diverse democracy, along with the complications created by ethnic prejudices, would benefit from the information provided here. In this work, detailed investigation forms the basis for astute analysis. It is highly recommended. -- Frank H. Wu, Howard University School of Law; author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White
In the 1996 'Asian Donorgate' scandal, Asian Americans found themselves viewed and treated as Asian rather than American. Michael Chang deftly illuminates how and why we again became 'perpetual foreigners.' -- Ronald Takaki, author of Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans

Author Bio

Michael Chang received his Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from the University of CaliforniaBerkeley and is currently completing his J.D. at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles.