Ethnic Oasis: The Chinese in the Black Hills Liping Zhu. Rose Estep Fosha. Print-version Price: $15.95 Tweet Paper 108 pages 6 x 9 inches 13 color plates, 23 b&w photographs ISBN: 0971517177 “This small, affordable volume has much to offer anyone interested in the history and archaeology of the Chinese in the West.”—Western Historical Quarterly The discovery of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota brought thousands of people to the mining town of Deadwood, including many Chinese immigrants. Ethnic Oasis explores how these immigrants met the challenges of living and working in a land very different from their own. Seeking to surround themselves with the familiar, these new residents established their own “Chinatowns” in Deadwood and other communities throughout the West. From these enclaves, they competed to succeed in American society. Through diligence and an ability to work within the social and legal systems, many Chinese thrived and became respected members of what were once hostile communities. Ethnic Oasis presents the history and archaeology of the Chinese experience in the Black Hills and also offers descriptions of Chinese immigrant life in Wyoming and Nevada during the period as context. Color photographs of some of the artifacts recovered during recent archaeological excavations in Deadwood’s Chinatown further enhance the book. Contributors include Liping Zhu, Rose Estep Fosha, Donald L. Hardesty, and A. Dudley Gardner.