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This book examines two large and generally overlooked diaspora
communities, one Jewish and the other Slavic, which found refuge in
Shanghai during the period 1900-1950. Victims of discrimination and
persecution in their own lands-Central and Eastern Europe, Russia,
and Ukraine-they chose Shanghai as their destination because no
documentation was required to enter the city and settle there. In
their struggle to survive and build a life in this Chinese open
port, they encountered severe political, social, economic, and
cultural challenges. The Jewish diaspora community began forming in
the early 1900s and increased to more than 18,000 after the initial
triumphs of Nazism. The Slavic community eventually numbered about
30,000 people, escaping revolution and persecution from Bolshevik
and fascist forces at home and in north China. This book focuses on
how these diverse groups, adhering to various religious and
cultural traditions, formed communities, preserved their national
and cultural identities, chose their leaders, found gainful
employment, coped with the alien Chinese culture, educated and
raised their children, and established a considerable presence in
this large, cosmopolitan city. The author examines at length the
different experiences and responses of the two diaspora groups
during World War II under the Japanese occupation of Shanghai. With
the Chinese Communist takeover of the city in 1949, both groups
found themselves in a renewed struggle to find a home, adding still
another chapter to the saga of their diaspora experiences. The book
concludes with an account of how the two groups handled this new
challenge and where they finally found refuge. Apart from the
particulars of the Shanghai experience, the story of the two
communities clearly resonates with today's accounts of societies in
conflict, dislocated populations, and varied struggles to survive
and sustain life under trying conditions.
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Paperback
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R398
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