The first empirical and comprehensive study on a Midwest Asian American community, it reconstructs
the history of Chinese Americans in St. Louis from the mid-19th century to the present. Drawn upon
evidence from archival manuscripts, census data, media reports, oral interviews, and mortuary records,
it portrays the saga of a Chinese American community from a Chinatown centered around “Hop Alley”
to a “cultural community,” a community without physical boundaries but identifiable through active
community organizations and cultural activities, as defined by the author.
