Book excerpt: "The years have failed to dull the sheen of this slender volume. Its thick subject matters—regionalism, racial politics, democracy—have taken on different casts over the life of the book, yet they retain their relevance and timeliness."—Gary Y. Okihiro, author of Margins and Mainstreams "The insights offered by Roger Daniels almost four decades ago remain trenchant and incisive."—Sucheng Chan, author of This Bittersweet Soil