Lotus Among the Magnolias

Quan, a Chinese American, had sociology as his specialty.[1] He conducted interviews through using Cantonese.[2] Quan recalled several from memory, and he did not record them.[3] He had a total of about 1,400 subjects interviewed.[1] Quan's historical information came from James W. Loewen of the University of Vermont.[4]

Loewen wrote that the work is " an alluring and informative small book" due to the presence of photography and quotes,[5] and he praised how the book "makes a distinctive ethnographic contribution" with Quan having distance from his recordings while having them be accurate.[2] Loewen added that the photography items "are poorly reproduced".[5] Loewen criticized the lack of explanation of how extended families or other sociological dimensions and that the author "does not probe some issues deeply enough."[2]

Ronald Love of Mississippi Valley State University praised the study of the impact of particular generations, arguing that the book "takes Loewen's analysis to a new level of understanding."[6]

Gary B. Mills of the University of Alabama criticized the reliance on unrecorded and memorized interviews.[3] He stated "To the historian Lotus is disappointing."[3] He added that there was entertainment value in reading the book.[3]

Shih-shan H. Tsai of the University of Arkansas stated "As a whole, [the work] is a successful one" though he stated that because Quan he got his historical data from Loewen, which Tsai stated had been contradicted, "historians will find it disappointing."[4]

• The Mississippi Chinese

• Loewen, James W. (November 1983). "Reviewed Work: Lotus Among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese by Robert Seto Quan, Julian B. Roebuck". Contemporary Sociology. American Sociological Association. 12 (6): 711–712. doi:10.2307/2068095. JSTOR 2068095.
• Love, Ronald (1984-03-01). "Lotus Among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese.By Robert S. Quan, in collaboration with Julian B. Roebuck. University Press of Mississippi, 162 pp. $15.00". Social Forces. 62 (3): 832–833. doi:10.1093/sf/62.3.832. JSTOR 2578727.
• Mills, Gary B. (August 1983). "Reviewed Work: Lotus Among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese by Robert Seto Quan, Julian B. Roebuck, Stanford M. Lyman". The Journal of Southern History. Southern Historical Association. 49 (2): 468–469. doi:10.2307/2208130. JSTOR 2208130.
• Tsai, Shih-shan H. (1984-04-01). "Lotus among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese Robert Seto Quan Julian B. Roebuck". Journal of American Ethnic History. 3 (2): 119–120. JSTOR 27500343.

• Lotus Among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese