From the early 1900s, liberal Protestants grafted social welfare work onto spiritual concerns on both sides of the Pacific. Their goal: to forge links between whites and Asians that countered anti-Asian discrimination in the United States. Their test: uprooting racial hatreds that, despite their efforts, led to the shameful incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II. Sarah M. Griffith draws on the experiences of liberal Protestants, and the Young Men's Christian Association in particular, to reveal the intellectual, social, and political forces that powered this movement. Engaging a wealth of unexplored primary and secondary sources, Griffith explores how YMCA leaders and their partners in the academy and distinct Asian American communities labored to mitigate racism. The alliance's early work, based in mainstream ideas of assimilation and integration, ran aground on the Japanese exclusion law of 1924. Yet their vision of Christian internationalism and interracial cooperation maintained through the World War II internment trauma. As Griffith shows, liberal Protestants emerged from that dark time with a reenergized campaign to reshape Asian-white relations in the postwar era.

Indigenous peoples and racial minorities have lived and thrived in Oregon for centuries. Their legacy is interwoven with the state's history and culture even as they continue to struggle with prejudice, environmental pressures, shrinking state revenues, the effects of globalization, and the changing dynamics of the state economy. Current U.S. immigration policy and the forces of globalization have played a critical role in creating a dynamic process named the 'browning of Oregon.' This anthology brings together a group of noted multidisciplinary scholars, who explore the rich and varied experiences of Oregon's native communities and racial minorities. Anchored in a 'power relations' perspective, the book has been organized around several key historical themes, including: the foundation of ethnic communities; civil rights; social justice; ethnicity and labor; and various forms of cultural traditions. As disparate as they seem in style and topic, this collection of essays highlight the distinctive experiences of Oregon's people of color and communicates the broader interlocking categories of social identity. The book is essential reading for students, teachers, and the general public interested in contemporary racial politics.