On Becoming Chinese American:

Him Mark Lai has researched Chinese American history, has written key articles and books, and in 1969 co-taught the first college level course in America on Chinese American history. Very active in community cultural activities, he produced a weekly hour-long community-based Cantonese language radio program from 1971 to 1984. In 1991 he became a coordinator of the Chinese Culture Foundation's 'In Search of Roots' program, which organizes Chinese American youths to research their family histories and to visit their ancestral villages. Featured in the January 14, 2000 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education as 'the scholar who legitimized the study of Chinese America,' Mr. Lai collected everything about Chinese American history that he could, which has resulted in one of the richest and most extensive personal collections of its kind. Madeline Hsu teaches at San Francisco State University.