Ronald Takaki (1939-2009) was an American historian and professor from Oahu, Hawaii. Takaki completed his bachelor’s degree at the College of Wooster in Ohio, then continued his education at the University of California Berkeley, where he earned his masters and PhD. Takaki’s main research interest was in tracing the roots of racial inequality throughout American history. When Takaki became a professor in the early 1970s, he drew on this research in his popular courses, teaching the first Black History course at UC Berkeley and pioneering the discipline of ethnic studies at that institution, where he taught for over three decades.

Takaki is most remembered for challenging Eurocentric interpretations of American history in his numerous books, which focus on Black and Asian American communities. The author continues this project in Strangers from a Different Shore, as he presents a new window into American history from Asian American perspectives. While doing so, he also argues that only multicultural histories that include all of the United States’ many communities can paint a true picture of the country.

John Bigler was the Governor of California from 1852-1856. After initially welcoming Chinese immigrants to the state, Bigler changed his mind, using cultural and economic arguments to persuade the state legislature to pass the foreign miners license tax.