Vietnamese Americans have transformed the social, cultural, economic, and political life of Orange County, California. Previously, there were Vietnamese international students, international or war brides, or military personnel living in the United States, but the majority arrived as refugees and immigrants after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Although they are lumped together as "refugees," Vietnamese Americans are diverse in terms of their class, ethnic, regional, religious, linguis...

Vietnamese Stories for Language Learners—a language learning experience for beginner to intermediate students of the Vietnamese language.Nothing introduces students and cultural enthusiasts to a language and people better than stories. Intended for Vietnamese language students or heritage learners, the stories in this volume present the everyday vocabulary and grammar in use in Vietnam today. Forty folk stories have been edited and simplified for learning ...

Is a suspected child abductor laughing in the faces of the police and the victims’ families?For years, little girls have been disappearing from the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area. Their bodies have never been found. One man ties the cases together. He contacts the police. He helps search for the missing children. He offers support and love to the grieving families.Is he guilty? Or, is he the victim of his own eccentricities?Timothy James Bind...

For those who follow Chinese affairs, Han Han is as controversial as they come—an irreverent singer, sports celebrity, and satirist whose brilliant blogs and books have made him a huge celebrity with more than half a billion readers. Now, with this collection of his essays, Americans can appreciate the range of this rising literary star and get a fascinating trip through Chinese culture.This Generation gathers his essays and blogs dating from 2006 to the p...

Bridge the gap between what you learn in Japanese class and what you actually need to converse!Onomatopeoeia—words such as "glug glug," "pow," and "splash" in English—are an integral part of the Japanese language. Japanese people draw on a wealth of onomatopoeia to express subtle feelings, images, sounds, and actions. With this book you too can become pera pera—fluent—in Japanese, speaking with clarity and flair.Four hundred entries covering everyt...

Thirteen short stories spanning a quarter centuryby the most incisive Thai satirist of the times

This is a user-friendly and comprehensive beginner Indonesian book and a great way to learn Indonesian.Divided into 28 graded lessons, Basic Indonesian provides fill-in-the-blank exercises, quizzes, word puzzles and question-and-answer practices to reinforce Indonesian language learning. Extensive cultural notes are provided along with detailed tips on etiquette and appropriate cultural behavior in the world's largest Islamic society. It has been made to f...

This self-study book is a perfect choice for learning Japanese quickly. Speak Japanese Today is ideal for students, business people and travelers. It offers the option to learn beginner Japanese in a short time without compromising on quality.Beginning Japanese learners are often intimidated by the oddly shaped Japanese Characters (kanji and kana) and exotic-sounding pronunciations, but Speak Japanese Today breaks down the Japanese language and presents i...

This compelling study of a previously overlooked vice industry explores the larger structural forces that led to the growth of prostitution in Japan, the Pacific region, and the North American West at the turn of the twentieth century. Combining very personal accounts with never before examined Japanese sources, historian Kazuhiro Oharazeki traces these women’s transnational journeys from their origins in Japan to their arrival in Pacific Coast cities. He analyzes their responses to the op...

This is a concise and userfriendly introduction to the Japanese language.Japanese has too often been treated by Westerners as an exotic curiosity, but the reality is that it is a functional language spoken as a mother tongue by more than 125 million people, and ranks as the ninth most spoken language in the world. In the present global age, an age characterized by a vast range of Japanese products including electronic games and anime, more and more Westerners are ...

Los Angeles is home to the largest Thai population outside of Thailand. With a relatively recent history of immigration to the United States dating to 1965, reports estimate that 80,000 Thais make their home in Southern California. In spite of its brief history in the United States, the Thai community in Los Angeles has already left its mark on the city. While the proliferation of Thai-owned businesses and shops has converted East Hollywood and some San Fernando Valley neighborhoods to des...

This is a complete study guide to the most common Korean verbsKorean grammar is notoriously difficult for foreigners to master but is essential for those wishing to learn Korean. Easy-to-use 500 Basic Korean Verbs is the only comprehensive guide to the correct usage of Korean verbs available for English-speaking learners.Each of the 500 most important Korean verbs is presented in a convenient single-page format that gives the verb's meaning and pro...