Katrina Saltonstall Currier

"Kai, 12, is the fourth-generation male in his family to leave China for the U.S. He's on his way to join his father, who is an American citizen in San Francisco. But after the long journey and tense medical examination, Kai is locked up on Angel Island…The character Kai is based on a real person, whose photos, then and now, are part of the historical notes at the back of the book.