Why does American history still exclude so many? My latest guest Mae Ngai is Lung Professor of Asian American Studies and History at Columbia University and has written award-winning books on immigration and the Chinese diaspora sharing stories of immigrants during the Gold Rush and other pivotal historical events. Before becoming a historian, Mae was a labor union organizer and educator in New York City where she met another influential documenter of Asian America: photographer Corky Lee who sadly passed away from Covid-19 in early 2021. Mae has edited a brand new book “Corky Lee’s Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice” which collects the activist photographer’s iconic images into a beautiful and moving book.

Join me as Professor Ngai gives us a glimpse into Asian American history and Corky’s important contribution, and please share the episode with a friend who might enjoy this chat!

SHOWNOTES for Ep. 93:

Buy the new book: “Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice”

Professor Ngai’s other books: The Chinese Question: The Gold Rushes, Chinese Migration, and Global Politics, The Lucky Ones: One Family and the Extraordinary Invention of Chinese America

The NYT on Corky Lee

Other books we discussed on the show:

Orphan Bachelors: A Memoir by Fae Myenne Ng

Questions? Comments? Get in touch @theindianeditpodcast on Instagram !

Want to talk gardens? Follow me @readyourgarden

Special thanks to Sudipta Biswas, Aman Moroney and the team @ Boon Castle / Flying Carpet Productions for audio post-production engineering!

Ep. 93: Widening the lens: a look at Corky Lee's Asian America with historian Mae Ngai

Powered by Wave AI