East to America: Korean American Life Stories

Korean Americans (KA) began immigrating to America more than 100 years ago, but it was only as LA burned in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict that the media began to focus attention on the KA community. What the media portrayed was mercilessly unbalanced: images of KA as hysterical shopkeepers & gun-toting merchants. Here are powerful & candid interviews with more than 30 individuals from NY to Chicago, San Francisco, & L.A., the book's focal point. The stories of recent immigrants flow into those of 3rd-generation KA. These men & women render a portrait of a community grappling with racial tensions, class & gender differences, & the notion of family & home. Includes an overview of Korean history that contextualizes these stories.