"World War II was a watershed event for many of America's minorities, but its impact on Chinese Americans has been largely ignored. Utilizing extensive archival research as well as oral histories and letters from more than one hundred informants, K. Scott Wong explores how Chinese Americans carved out a newly respected and secure place for themselves in U.S. society during the war years." "Americans First pays tribute to a generation of young men and women who, torn between loyalties to their parents' traditions and their growing identification with America and tormented by the racism of mainstream America, served their country with patriotism and courage. Consciously developing their image as a "model minority," Chinese Americans created the positive image of Asian Americans that still resonates today."--BOOK JACKET.