Susie Lan Cassel is a Professor of Literature and Writing Studies at California State University, San Marcos where she also served as the inaugural Coordinator of the Ethnic Studies Program in 2001. Over her 29-year tenure at the University, she has earned numerous accolades, including the Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award (the top award for faculty), as well as two President’s awards, one for scholarship and the other for inclusive excellence. Her debut book, The Chinese in America: A History from Gold Mountain to the New Millennium, was nominated for the Association of Asian American Studies book award in history. Prof. Cassel’s scholarly contributions also include articles in notable journals, such as Journal of Asian American Studies, Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies, Reflections: On Community-Based Writing Instruction, and the MLA’s Profession. She has dedicated the last two decades to editing the rare diary of a Cantonese immigrant, Ah Quin, who arrived in San Francisco in 1870. That work has expanded into an “Ah Quin trilogy” that, in addition to a scholarly edition of the eleven-volume diary, now includes historical biographies of Ah Quin and his wife, Ah Sue, set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Era. This paper stems from her work on Ah Sue and the history of Chinese women in America. Her recent research on San Diego’s Chinese Missions features Ah Quin and can be found in the Journal of San Diego History. 69:1 (Fall/Winter 2023), 1-51.