Between 1938-41 some 17,000 Jewish refugees from Germany, Austria, and Poland reached Shanghai, then under Japanese control. Ch. 7 (pp. 169-266), "Japanese Policy vis-à-vis the Jews", explains Japan's unusual behavior in opening the door to Jewish refugees. Describes the influence of the so-called "experts on Jewish affairs" in Japan and their unique approach to antisemitism - to make use of alleged Jewish wealth and influence on behalf of Japan's "New Order". This approach lasted until America's entry into the war when it became unfeasible and Nazi propaganda gained more influence. Discusses immigration restrictions imposed in August 1939, Nazi antisemitic propaganda, and the establishment of a ghetto in 1943 under German instigation. Japan's attitude towards Jews evolved from favorable to highly antagonistic, blaming the Jews for all economic and social ills and for a conspiracy to overthrow the government and dominate the media, aid the communists, and halt Japanese development.

Drawing on hundreds of richly textured interviews conducted from one end of the country to the other, veteran journalist Sanford J. Ungar documents the real-life struggles and triumphs of America's newest immigrants. He finds that the self-chosen who arrive every day, most of them legally, still enrich our national character and experience and make invaluable political, economic, social, cultural, and even gastronomic contributions. "First-class journalism, a book scholars will use decades from now to find out what it 'felt like' to be an immigrant in the 90s. I do not know of a better description and analysis of contemporary immigration." -- Roger Daniels, author of Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life "An excellent overview of contemporary immigration issues set within the context of developments in the past fifty years. Ungar makes a strong case for the contributions of recent immigrants and for maintaining a relatively open door in the face of sometimes shrill opposition." -- Thomas Dublin, editor of Immigrant Voices: New Lives in America "Exactly the right book at the right time. [Ungar] looks at the national controversy over immigration policy with a clear eye, producing a history and a convincing argument why this is no time to reverse a liberal welcome to newcomers that has always--in good times and bad--made this a better and more prosperous democracy." -- Ben H. Bagdikian, author of Double Vision

Berend's memoir offers an interesting case study, a subjective addition to the "objective" historical works on Central and Eastern European state socialism. It describes the hard choices of intellectuals in a dictatorial state: 1. remain in isolation, concentrate on scholarly works, and exclude politics in your personal life; 2. be in opposition, criticize and unveil the regime, accept discrimination and exclusion; 3. remain within the establishment and work for reforming the country using legal possibilities to criticize the regime and to achieve changes from within. Ivan T. Berend, is Distinguished Professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Director of the European Studies Program. He was one of the masterminds of regime change in Hungary. He made a career in Hungary as a university professor, Rector of the University of Economics (1973-79), and President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1985-90). He was President of the International Committee of Historical Sciences (1995-2000), and Vice-President of the International Economic History Association (1986-1994). His research interests are the complex economic, social, ideological, and cultural history of Central and Eastern Europe in the 19th-20th century; economic modernization; problems of European backwardness; transition from state socialism to capitalism. He published 26 books and more than 120 studies.--Publisher's description