Him Mark Lai (1925–2009)

Internationally noted scholar, writer, and “Dean of Chinese American History”. His ten books, more than 100 essays, and research in English and Chinese on all aspects of Chinese American life are published and cited in the U.S., the Americas, China, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

He graduated from Berkeley with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked at Bechtel Corp. until his retirement. Technically, his scholarship was an avocation and not his profession. Yet his scholarly achievements rival those of professional academics.

Every scholar working on Chinese American history today is indebted to his pioneering scholarship, particularly his use of Chinese language sources from Chinese immigrant communities. He also served for more than 30 years on the editorial board of Amerasia Journal, the first scholarly Asian American studies periodical.