Island X

"[E]ssential reading. . . Island X offers so many things at once to the Taiwanese American canon and political education, recovering what was discounted and articulating what continues to be murky, without the self-consciousness of a memoir or the distance of an outsider-observer. It is a labor of deep, lasting love from a daughter who brings honor to her radical parents’ legacy and hope to her children’s future."

"Compelling. . . Island X delves into the experiences of several Taiwanese students studying in the US during the Cold War as they attempted to valiantly maneuver between Taiwan’s authoritarian government, headed by mainland anti-communist Chinese, and Cold War America which significantly underwrote that authoritarian government while declaring itself the leader of the free world. . . Highly recommended."

"[A] fascinating new book by Wendy Cheng."

"This meticulously researched work of history relies heavily on oral history to cut through propaganda, hearsay, and supposition to get to the truth of how totalitarian governments exert control through manipulation of information and misinformation. In so doing, Cheng reveals an important portrait of a previously overlooked generation in Taiwanese and Taiwanese American history, and spins a captivating true-life tale of the difficulties many Taiwanese student migrants encountered on university campuses between the 1960s–1980s."

"Island X significantly contributes to Cold War history, migration studies, and the study of activism in the United States. By highlighting Taiwanese student migrants' unique experiences, Cheng broadens Asian American history and identity narratives. Her critical theoretical framework offers valuable insights into contemporary struggles against oppression and for social justice. Cheng's work enriches historical knowledge and sets a new example for American and Taiwanese studies."

"Using a multidisciplinary approach that includes history and critical race and ethnic studies, Cheng combines archival research, oral histories, and personal memoirs to create a rich narrative. Wendy Cheng’s book transcends conventional frameworks and limitations in Taiwanese studies. Through her deep insights into American history, culture, and ethnic relations, Cheng successfully situates the stories of Taiwanese immigrants within the broader context of American history and culture, thereby setting a new precedent for both American studies and Taiwanese studies."

"A beautifully written book that foregrounds oral histories/biographies of Taiwanese students who engaged in activism and contextualizes their lives and experiences through infrastructures of activism and surveillance."

"The stories and political intrigue that fill the book's pages are fascinating. I have been waiting for a long time for a book like Island X that covers Taiwanese American activism."

"A fascinating, lively account of the Taiwanese diaspora's surprising influence on America--and America's furtive investment in their fates, as well."

"What a beautiful book. Wendy Cheng patiently pieced together a fragile archive to reconstruct this story about Taiwanese immigrant student activism in the US, military dictatorship, espionage, and processes of identity formation. In subtle and supple prose, Island X explores little-known radicalism as it emerged and, as she argues, resonated with Black Radical and other internationalist traditions in the brutal Cold War context. Narratively intimate and theoretically daring, it will be read and taught by all curious about these complexities."

"A tour de force and powerful in its invocation of memory, human rights, and transnational justice, Wendy Cheng makes clear why we need to look at the Taiwan question within Asian/American studies as part of Cold War global history. Island X is a major contribution to Asian American studies, American studies, and Taiwan studies."