Helen Zia provides a good overview of the Asian Pacific American (APA) experience in the United States and highlights specific examples where APAs faced gross discrimination and unfair treatment at the hands of an intolerant (and clueless) society which continues today in more overt ways.

While she provides some personal insights using her own and unique experiences, Ms. Zia doesn't reveal anything new in her book. I would recommend this book for those readers who are not familiar with, for example, the boycott of Korean grocers or the murder of Vincent Chin. But again, it would just be for background information.

I have to admit, though, that this book inspired me to ask myself several questions. For example, it's okay to have an Irish Day or Puerto Rican Day parade. (Ah, yes, it's a way of reconnecting with our roots.) But when APAs want to have an APA parade, we are accused of refusing to assimilate with American culture. I can't wait for the day when every American can celebrate their cultural heritage without being accused of stealing nuclear secrets or giving illegal campaign contributions.

This book fascinated me, a caucasian-American with several Asian American friends, because I never knew half of the history recounted by the author, or the things my friends and their families may have gone through here in the US. Of course, I had heard of the internment of Japanese Americans, Vincent Chin's murder, the boycotting of Korean grocers in NYC and LA, and some of the other historical events depicted, but this book gave me details I never got from history classes or the media, with a front-row perspective. The author's interweaving of her own family's experiences further enriches the book, sometimes even humorously. Highly recommended to all - I got more than I ever expected from this book.

This book is a must read for those who are interested in any of the following: Asian American history, Asian American contributions to the civil rights movement, relationships b/w various Asian American groups and African Americans, Asian American experiences of discrimination and or prejudice, the model minority paradigm. Ms. Zia has written a winner, full of facts and commentary balancing the perfect combination of history and anecdote. One of my favorite recent reads.

First of all, I am also Chinese American and have encountered blatant racism throughout my life in America. Like Dr. Lee, I have also worked in the defense industry so I'm familiar with guidelines pertaining to top secret security clearances.

My Country Versus Me is an important literary work. Wen Ho and Helen Zia succeed in retaining Dr. Lee's voice as they detail the abuses he endured. I'm sure many minorities in this country can relate to his experiences.

Unfortunately, after finishing the book, I didn't have much empathy for Dr. Lee. First of all, there are strict regulations that holders of top secret clearance must comply with. Although other individuals may have been breaching security at his lab, it doesn't excuse Dr. Lee's actions. Individuals cleared for security are instructed and reminded about their vulnerability. Omitting reports regarding the contact with Chinese scientists at the conference and not documenting his duplication of tapes invited trouble. Dr. Lee was so naive and careless that I'm relieved his security clearance has been revoked.

Dr. Lee described himself as someone who didn't get involved in other people's problems. As such, he was amazed at all the support he received from strangers during the crisis. But in the end, he doesn't mention any plans to give back and help others.

As a convicted felon, Dr. Lee can no longer vote. Then again, he admitted that he never voted in his 24 years as a citizen. That bothered me.

Overall, Wen Ho came across as self-centered and pompous. The repeated references to his diet of fresh fish, organic fruits and vegetables got old.

Wen Ho Lee reveals his lapses of stringent government security regulations not all at once, but in bitsize portions, saving the worst (the disposal of the computer tapes) for the end of the book. By his own admission, his behavior was questionable enough that he deserved to be diciplined and possibly fired from Los Alamos Labs. That said, there was no compelling reason to put Mr. Lee on trial for espionage, imprision him for nine months, harass his family, or besmirch his reputation as a loyal American - not unless you agree with Mr. Lee that his trial was based on the racial profiling of Asian scientists and on China bashing in general(either the PRC or Taiwan, take your pick).

This compelling personal account by Mr. Lee reveals how a national secruity investigation can be politicized to an obsurd degree where due process and justice are sacraficed to appease interests in Washington. However, this book is not about Washington but rather about the effects of a political witchhunt on a single American family of Chinese descent. In the end, you will respect Mr. Lee's strength of character, his daughters transformation into an advocate, and our country's legal system that in the end did the right thing. I found much to enjoy in this passionately read audio book.

This is an excellent book. Anyone that complains the FBI and DOE were unable to convict Dr. Lee because they botched the investigation never worked in the military defense industry. This was clearly a witch-hunt based upon the FBI's and DOE's need to scapegoat someone for leaks to Mainland China. Who better than a CHINESE American. Never mind he was from Taiwan.
Often, engineers and scientists that work in secure facilities are found to have copied secret documents or downloaded secret or confidential information for the sole purpose of trying to get their work done quickly and efficiently. Is it right? No. Is it misguided? Yes. Should they get in trouble? Yes. Does it usually result in jail time and charges of treason? No.
The Clinton administration needed to plug the security breach to the Chinese. They were embarrassed by the disclosure China had our secrets. Once they knew they had the wrong guy did they intervene? No, they couldn't. Politically they had been hurt by previous links of campaign funding from China. They couldn't be seen attempting to protect a Chinese "traitor" or even appear to go soft on him.
By allowing the witch-hunt to go on, the administration permitted an innocent man to go to jail. This is not unusual for the Clinton White House. They didn't just slaughter sacrificial lambs during their tenure; they dined on them with relish and the occasional fava bean.
What makes it worse is - I helped vote them in.
This is one situation where George Bush Senior would not have allowed the travesty to continue. As an ex-CIA man, he would have known this was bull____ at the outset and would have concentrated on finding the real source of the leaks.
Read this book and you will question governmental authority and news reporting. For this reason alone, it should be required reading in high school history curriculum.