Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century: Oral Histories of First- To Fourth-Generation Americans from China, Japan, India, Korea, the Philippines,

Professor, journalist and educator Lee revisits the format of her 20-year-old oral history collection, Asian Americans, to bring 27 perspectives on the current state of the Asian American experience, ""distinct in many ways from that of Asians living either in Asia or as immigrants encountering diaspora elsewhere in the world."" Several profiles stand out: Ruby Chow, the first Asian American elected to Washington State's King County Council, pops with personality, and her story includes a close relationship with future movie star Bruce Lee. Also interesting are the stories of musicians like ukelele player Jake Shimabukuro and ""Japanese Cowboy"" Hank Sasaki. Perhaps the most relevant and compelling subject is Gita Deane, a lesbian struggling to stay in America with her partner of 20 years and their two children. As suggested in the subtitle, Lee has cast a wide net and her book suffers from overcrowding, and a subsequent shortage of compelling material, but for those interested in the current moment of everyday Asian Americans, these voices will illuminate. Photos.