Editor’s Preface

In 1999 I attended my first AAAS conference in Philadelphia. At the time, I was still working on my graduate coursework and attended the conference for a few days, carpooling down with a few friends from Amherst. After three days of the conference I left Philadelphia feeling invigorated and excited about Asian American Studies and its futures, trying to imagine my place in this field. I certainly did not think that 16 years later I would be given the honor and responsibility of serving as the editor of the Association’s flagship journal. As I embark on this journey, I am excited for this opportunity and look forward to seeing how JAAS can continue to be a major voice in critical ethnic studies in the upcoming years.

For the last three years, the Journal of Asian American Studies has been a space of incredibly vibrant intellectual exchange. Some of the most exciting and innovative new scholarship in the field has been published in the journal and the editorial staff of JAAS continue to work hard to maintain our commitment to publishing the best scholarship that truly represents the breadth of our interdisciplinary fields. All of this is thanks in no small part to the heroic efforts of the outgoing editor of the journal. As I step into the role of editor of this journal, it is with a heavy heart but with much gratitude that I bid farewell to the outgoing editor, Min Hyoung Song for all that he has to done for the field and the journal. Over the last three years, JAAS has continued to be an intellectual force in Asian American Studies, putting forward some of the most exciting and innovative scholarship the field has yet seen.

An equally important part of the journal, especially in a field such as Asian American Studies, has been the book reviews section. Over the last few years, Cynthia Wu has served as book reviews editor and carefully contributed wisdom and energy to this job. As a token of appreciation for all of her labor, JAAS continues the tradition of inviting the book reviews editor to special edit an issue of the journal. This issue is the collaborative work of Cynthia Wu and Kritika Agarwal and brings together a series of important new articles about debt, globalization, transnationalism and Asian America from emerging scholars in the field.

Thank you Min. Thank you Cynthia. I will miss working with both of you and remain indebted to the incredible work you have both done in creating a vibrant and intellectual space for lively and scholarly exchange within the pages of this journal. As we move forward, Rick Bonus, joins me as associate editor, Camilla Fojas will assume the role of the book reviews editor and Winona Landis takes on the all-important role of assistant editor, ably helping me with the everyday work of the journal. Along with the JAAS editorial board and JHU Press editorial team, we hope to continue to bring you the best scholarship with forums for the lively exchange of topical debate.