Orientals in American life

This publication, written by theologian and academic Albert W. Palmer (1879-1954), serves as a critical social study of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino communities living in the United States, with a dedicated chapter on their experience in Hawaii. Published in 1934, the book is a significant primary source for understanding American race relations and anxieties during the Depression era, a time marked by strict Asian exclusion laws. Palmer, who was president of The Chicago Theological Seminary, draws upon his firsthand experience in California and a seven-year ministry in Honolulu to address the challenges of assimilation, economic barriers, and religious community work among these groups. The text frames its discussion through a Christian lens, seeking to dispel prejudice—what it calls the "Oriental mask"—and advocate for "Christian Brotherhood" and a social code of "justice and sportsmanship" in race contacts. It is particularly valuable for its contemporary accounts of the transformation of San Francisco's Chinatown after the 1906 earthquake and the emerging issues facing the newest immigrant group, the Filipinos.

The book is considered valuable. It is advised that researchers use digital copy rather than physical books for preservation purposes.

APA Citation:

Palmer, A. W. (1934). Orientals in American life. Friendship Press.