Exploring Belonging and Exclusion in Immigrant Narratives

What does it mean to truly belong in America? 

Michael Luo, executive editor at The New Yorker and author of Strangers in the Land, joins Redeeming Babel’s director of content, DT Slouffman, to explore the Asian American experience—from the legacy of the Chinese Exclusion Act to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from personal stories and a viral moment that sparked national conversation, Luo confronts the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype and envisions a more inclusive vision of American identity. DT and Michael unpack how race, immigration, and belonging continue to shape all of our lives.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Michael Luo’s An Open Letter to the Woman Who Told My Family to Go Back to China
• Kirkus Reviews: A Vast History Began With One Sidewalk Encounter 
• Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882
• The Burlingame-Seward Treaty, 1868
• Immigration and Nationality Act, 1965
• Pew Research: Asian American discrimination in the COVID-19 pandemic
• Pew Research: A third of Asian Americans changed daily routine due to threats

More From Michael Luo:

• Michael Luo’s Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America 
• Michael Luo’s latest articles at The New Yorker
• Follow Michael Luo on Instagram
• Follow Michael Luo on X (formerly Twitter)

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