The Unimpressible Race

Victor Low writes a fascinating study of the struggle of the Chinese in San Francisco for the opportunity to attend public school since the 1950s. This book is not a diatribe against the school system’s discriminatory practice, but rather a straightforward chronicle of 100 years.

Low’s book is a classic case study of how our ethnic groups not only benefit from American democracy but contribute to it. It ells an exemplary story of how Chinese Americans move the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Government to recognize that children who speak little or no English have basic rights that must be protected and language skills that must be cultivated.