Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of When Friends Come From Afar: The Remarkable Story of Bernie Wong and Chicago’s Chinese American Service League, answers questions on her new book.

Q: Why did you decide to write this book?  

I’ve been involved with the Chinese American Service League (CASL) for twenty years, first when my son took Mandarin classes there as an elementary school student (he’s now 26) and later when I started volunteering there with senior citizens. I was so intrigued by CASL’s connection to Hong Kong, the city where I came of age more than thirty years ago. I also got to know Bernie Wong before she passed away in 2021 and felt that her story would inspire people who are searching for ways to repair the world as well those who think that one person cannot make a difference.  

Q: What is the most interesting discovery you made while researching and writing your book?  

When I started researching the book, I didn’t know that CASL’s history was so closely linked with Chicago’s history. Chicago would not be what it is without CASL and vice versa. So what started as a Chinatown story turned into a Chicago story and so much more. As I write in the book, CASL’s story is as American as apple pie! 

Q: What myths do you hope your book will dispel or what do you hope your book will help readers unlearn? 

I hope my book will help do away with the demonization of immigrants and immigration.  

Q: Which part of the publishing process did you find the most interesting?  

I’ve published several other books, but this was my first time going through an external review. I really enjoyed this process because it helped me gauge which parts of my proposal needed to be fleshed out more. It also helped my editor and me come up with a subtitle that includes both Bernie Wong and CASL! The biggest question during this process was whether this book is meant to be a biography of Bernie or a history of CASL. I saw that it’s impossible to separate one from the other.  

Q: What is your advice to scholars/authors who want to take on a similar project? 

I think it’s key to write an engaging proposal about a subject that is both fascinating to readers and connected to current events or issues. No subject is too niche if you can show it has universal lessons. It’s also important to aim high and not to give up when you’re faced with rejection, which will happen in publishing more often than not!  

Q: What do you like to read/watch/or listen to for fun? 

I don’t listen to many podcasts because I always feel behind in my reading, but I am a huge fan of Zibby Owens’ author podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. It’s for anyone who enjoys fiction, memoir, and narrative non-fiction. You don’t have to be a mom or even an adult to listen and learn a ton about writing, publishing, and engaging books!

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