"This book examines two large and generally overlooked diaspora communities, one Jewish and the other Slavic, which found refuge in Shanghai during the period 1900-1950. Victims of discrimination and persecution in their own lands - Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Ukraine - they chose Shanghai as their destination because no documentation was required to enter the city and settle there.

In their struggle to survive and build a life in this Chinese open port, they encountered severe political, social, economic, and cultural challenges." "The author examines at length the different experiences and responses of the two diaspora groups during World War II under the Japanese occupation of Shanghai."--BOOK JACKET.