Jan 3, 2019
Issues related to immigration have occupied a central role in
political debates, especially during the Trump presidency. Although
the current focus tends to be on on Central and Latin America,
backlash unfolded throughout American history, including among
Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Much of what took place
then has shaped the contours of immigration policy today. Joining
today's episode to discuss immigration is Beth Lew-Williams,
assistant professor of history at Princeton University.
Lew-Williams is a historian of race and migration in the United
States, specializing in Asian American history. Her book, "The
Chinese Must Go: Violence, Exclusion, and the Making of the Alien
in America," maps the tangled relationships between local racial
violence, federal immigration policy, and U.S. imperial ambitions
in Asia.