Asian America

Book Review

Asian Americans have been part of American history dating as far back as the 17th century with more large-scale migrations starting in the 19th century. Today, there are more than 24 million Asian Americans in the United States, encompassing some 19 ethnicities, about 15 different languages and religious beliefs that range from Christian Evangelicals to Hindus. For a group of people with this much diversity, what does it mean to be “American American?” Authors Pawan Dhingra and Robyn Magalit Rodriguez tackle this complex question of identity in their book Asian America, published by Polity Press. With chapters that discuss race, sexuality, class, and work lives, the book takes a panoramic view of the Asian American experience and some of the tensions that come along with it. Read More

Yangzhou – A Perfect Portal into China’s History, Culture and Cuisine

Asia, Asia Pacific, Culture, History, Travel

Travelers wishing to truly understand China’s rich history must venture beyond the opulent gateways into the real China, a land shaped by wealth and war, to the city of Yangzhou. Located just north of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou offers modern comfort, exotic beauty, distinctive cuisine and historic sites that reflect the grandeur of the past and the promise of the present. Yangzhou is a city of 6,000,000 that sits in the middle of China’s richest province. The city is famous for feminine beauty, imaginative gardens and artistic handicrafts that include lacquer and stoneware, bamboo carving, cutlery and block printing. Knives and cleavers made in the city are so finely honed that cooks can slice a 1-cm-thick bean curd into 30 paper-thin shreds without breaking a single one.

Because of its fertile soil, abundant water and temperate climate, Jiangsu Province is known as China’s “Land of Fish and Rice.” In Yangzhou, the ancient Southern capital, the riches of Jiangsu are expressed in the design, construction and careful maintenance of magnificent urban gardens…

Yangzhou’s Gardens of Delight

Asia, Asia Pacific, Culture, History, Travel

Because of its fertile soil, abundant water and temperate climate, Jiangsu Province is known as China’s “Land of Fish and Rice.” In Yangzhou, the ancient Southern capital, the riches of Jiangsu are expressed in the design, construction and careful maintenance of magnificent urban gardens built by rich merchants centuries ago. Yangzhou gardens are designed to inspire, painting, poetry and calligraphy as well as friendly conversation and reflective thought…