Lin argues that the Book of Revelation has shaped how the United States is seen as the Promised Land for the Chosen People, who must also keep out 'hordes' of unhealthy heathens.
She remembers writer Junot Díaz asking, 'Is there anything more apocalyptic than immigration?' That combined with thinking about the place names of where I was living, so, Golden Gate, Golden State, Angel Island ... Chinese called San Francisco 'Gold Mountain.' There's this heavenly arrival and a promise of paradise for immigrants.
While researching for her book, she found racist 'Yellow Peril' novels of the 1880s, drowned in the Book of Revelation imagery, warning that Chinese immigrants are taking over the country.
The interpretation of the Book of Revelation has influenced popular culture, church sermons, and restrictive immigration laws throughout U.S. history.
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