Strangers from a Different Short, written by Ronald Takaki, is a nonfiction novel about the history of Asian Americans. The main goal of this book is to discuss the history of Asian Americans through a variety of methods including historical fact and personal recollections through interviews.

This book is divided into four sections. The first section describes the migration to America and the struggle many immigrants faced when arriving in the United States. The second section dives deeper into the reasons Asians wished to move to America in the first place. One reason for immigration, according to Takaki, was the poor economic condition of the Asian countries. The third portion of the book looks at how World War II affected the relationship between United States and Asian Americans. The final section of the book discusses how modern-day Asian Americans interact in America and how they perceive their own roles in United States history.

Takaki goes into great depth to explain how Asian Americans have impacted history and uses his own personal experiences to add information to his book.