"Race relations were not always conflictual， but the perception of competition gave rise to a racial politics expressed as the 'Chinese Question'。 In the nineteenth century， Americans and Europeans frequently describe a thorny social problem as a 'Question''"。Mae delivered an incredibly well researched history of the Chinese experience in the gold rush。 That it took only 10 years to collect， analyse and write such an informative history is a testament to her research skills。 She offers insights "Race relations were not always conflictual， but the perception of competition gave rise to a racial politics expressed as the 'Chinese Question'。 In the nineteenth century， Americans and Europeans frequently describe a thorny social problem as a 'Question''"。Mae delivered an incredibly well researched history of the Chinese experience in the gold rush。 That it took only 10 years to collect， analyse and write such an informative history is a testament to her research skills。 She offers insights into a specific period in time， but additionally contributes to discussions relevant today， including whether Chinese people can ever truly 'belong' in the West - a sentiment exacerbated by current affairs and debated for longer than many of us realise。The book is worth every page and I strongly encourage persistence and reflection on the ideas。Thank you NetGalley for the Arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more