This systematic study of residents in San Francisco's Chinatown - funded by the National Institute of Mental Health - takes an empirical and psychological approach. Examining the physical health, mental health and general welfare of Chinese Americans, the combination of in-depth surveys and interviews with residents results in a clear picture of the social and psychological problems of this ethnic minority community.

The author also examines various stereotypes and myths about Chinese Americans, Asian Americans and immigrants found in academic literature, and her study dispells most of them.