THIS IS US

How My Chinese Uncle Became an All-American Hero

Fighting to be an American in World War II

Uncle Herb, WWII hero. All photos and images courtesy of the author.

My uncle Herb was an American war hero. Except, he was Chinese. The explanation for this seeming contradiction will sound familiar to many immigrants, but it came as a shock to me. Born and raised an American, I took my family’s right to U.S. citizenship for granted…