Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America
6:30 – 7:30PM
FREE with code A425
In the mid-19th century, tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants traveled to American shores in the pursuit of a better life in the “land of opportunity.” Quickly, however, their quest for the American dream became a nightmare, as racial violence and anti-Chinese sentiment became widespread, culminating in the signing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. Author Michael Luo explores the complex story of the Chinese-American community, following their perseverance in the face of bigotry from the mid-1800s through today, detailing how Chinese Americans have become an essential part of our nation’s cultural, political, and economic life.
Michael Luo is an executive editor at The New Yorker and the author of Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America. Radhika Jones (moderator) is the editor in chief of Vanity Fair magazine and the host of its politics podcast, Inside the Hive.