A person of rare talent and broad appeal, Dhan Gopal Mukerji (1890-1936) holds the distinction of being the first South Asian immigrant to have a successful career in the United States as a man of letters. As the author of two dozen published volumes of poetry, drama, fiction, social commentary, philosophy, translations, and children's stories, Mukerji was a pivotal figure in the transmission and interpretation of Indian traditions to Americans in the first several decades of the twentieth century. This reissue of his classic autobiography "Caste and Outcast," with a new Introduction and Afterword, seeks to revitalize interest in Mukerji and his work and to contribute to the exploration of the South Asian experience in America.
Originally published in 1923, this book is an exercise in both cultural translation and cultural critique. In the first half of the book, Mukerji draws upon his early experiences as a Bengali Brahmin in India, hoping to convey to readers "an intimate impression of eastern life"; the second half describes Mukerji's coming to America and his experiences as a student, worker, and activist in California.
Mukerji's text, written in an engaging personal style, is the kind of ethnographic writing that seeks to render intelligible and familiar the unfamiliar and the exotic. Gordon H. Chang's substantial Introduction locates the story of "Caste and Outcast" within the larger context of Mukerji's life, tracing the author's personal history and his connections to such major figures as Jawaharlal Nehru, M. N. Roy, Van Wyck Brooks, Roger Baldwin, and Will Durant. The Afterword, by Purnima Mankekar and Akhil Gupta, examines the ways in which Mukerji stretches the limits of the autobiographical genre and provides a counternarrative to the dominant nationalist account of American society.

"Skillfully selected, translated, and annotated, this compelling compendium of voices bear witness to the diversity and depth of the Chinese American experience and, significantly, its indispensable centrality to American life and history."--Gary Y. Okihiro, author of "Common Ground: Reimagining American History
"Here at last is a wide-ranging record of Chinese American experiences from the viewpoints of the players. "Chinese American Voices is an impressive feat of scholarship, an indispensable reference, and a compelling read."--Ruthanne Lum McCunn, author of "Thousand Pieces of Gold and The Moon Pearl
"This anthology offers a virtual "Gam Saan" (Gold Mountain) of original sources. The stories burst with telling and re-affirm a vision of men and women as actors in history, who made themselves as Chinese Americans as they helped to make America itself."--Ronald Takaki, author of "Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans
"This volume of sixty-two annotated documents, many translated from Chinese for the first time, is a boon to faculty and students interested in Chinese American history, Asian American history, U.S. immigration history, and race and ethnic relations. The life stories, in particular, are appealing for students, the reading public, and scholars alike as they hear the voices of individuals long misunderstood, denigrated, and silenced. All of us owe a debt of gratitude to the three editors for their dedicated labor of love."--Sucheng Chan, author of "Chinese American Transnationalism: The Flow of People, Resources, and Ideas between China and America during the Exclusion Era
"This is a superb collection."--Roger Daniels, author of "Guardingthe Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882