Under
the Dragon
California's New Culture
by Lonny Shavelson and Fred Setterberg
Photography by Lonny Shavelson
Foreword by Andrew Lam
Heyday Books: September 2007
in collaboration with the Oakland Museum of
California
It's
happening right before your eyes—the new American mix
When
photographer Lonny Shavelson was viewing a Saint Patrick's Day parade in San Francisco, he was surprised to see a
Chinese dragon. He was even more surprised when he lifted the flaps and
found that it was being carried by an African-American man.
The old paradigm of the melting pot and phrases like
"ethnic diversity" can no longer
describe the freedom with which more and more Americans are modifying and
assimilating cultural elements across ethnic lines. Under the Dragon is a
fascinating look at the way individuals are building their own identities from
an increasingly diverse pool, whether they are African American Buddhists,
Latino Muslims, or a group of Mien students who invented their own cultural
dance in order to celebrate an ethnic "heritage."
The book accompanies an exhibit at the Oakland Museum
from January to April 2008 that focuses on this cultural shift. Pay attention to
the stories behind the photographs—they
will inspire you to look a little closer.
“Part historical, part anthropological, Under the Dragon is…a kind of tour guide to what the authors call ‘an unfamiliar country.’ The photos and accompanying stories capture much of the dynamic of the new millennium, where the experiment of pluralism is at full tilt…Diversity has gone into hyperspace in a region where multiculturalism is already considered passé.” —Andrew Lam, author of Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora
“Under the Dragon documents the decreasing relevance of ‘race’ and the growing importance of community as we continue to mix, mingle, marry, and migrate.” —Kip Fulbeck, author of Part Asian, 100% Hapa
“Ambitious and marvelously vibrant, Under the Dragon provides a captivating and astutely documented take on California’s changing cultural and ethnic intersections. It offers, by arresting photographic example, a fresh lesson in the things that divide and unite us all.” —Chandra Prasad, editor of Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience
“Under the Dragon is a joyful celebration of diversity and a compelling case for stretching beyond our own assumptions about our differences.” —Janice Mirikitani, San Francisco Poet Laureate 2000.
Ordering information: Under the Dragon is available through bookstores, major book distributors including Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and other distribution centers, or by contacting Heyday Books directly at (510) 549-3564, ext. 304, via fax at (510) 549-1889, by email at orders@heydaybooks.com, or by visiting www.heydaybooks.com.
For interviews and review copy requests, please email detailed information about your publication or organization to wendy@heydaybooks.com, or call (510) 549-3564, ext. 309.
To sponsor a reading or event with Shavelson and Setterberg, please email your reques to events@heydaybooks.com, or call (510) 549-3564, ext. 316.
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