Milk Tea Alliance

Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Chancellor’s Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, where he also holds courtesy appointments in law and literary journalism. He is the author of six previous books, including Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink (Columbia Global Reports). He is on the Advisory Committee of Index on Censorship, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Committee on US-China Relations.

“Through in-depth interviews with protest leaders, Wasserstrom brings to life the motivations of the activists who powered these movements and how they inspired, engaged with, and learned from one another and the rest of the world.” —Foreign Affairs“A concise, engaging, and ultimately inspiring portrait of three young activists ... their combined stories offer a compelling testament to the power of courage, and the importance of continuing to hope against hope.” —New Statesman“By tracing the links between young activists across Asia, The Milk Tea Alliance presents an exciting new way of seeing the region and Jeff Wasserstrom is uniquely placed to contextualize these stories of persistence and resilience. The resulting web of connections forged across social, cultural and geographical boundaries is a template for hope in dark times.” —Social Movement Studies“A poignant and deeply affecting portrayal of youth activists in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Burma.... This succinct volume elevates transnational youth activism as a potent force of resistance—offering a vision for a radical reimagining of protest and kinship.” —Cha: An Asian Literary Journal“The historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom, celebrated for drawing connections across time and genre, brilliantly succeeds here in capturing the travel of moral energy, how one uprising informs another. In tracing the currents linking youth movements across Asia, he gives us a story of resilient defiance against not just local oppression but the expanding shadow of Xi Jinping’s China—a defining battle of the twenty-first century.” —Evan Osnos, National Book Award winner, author of Age of Ambition“By tracing the links between young activists across Asia, The Milk Tea Alliance presents an exciting new way of seeing the region, and Jeffrey Wasserstrom is uniquely placed to contextualize these stories of persistence and resilience. The resulting web of connections forged across social, cultural and geographical boundaries is a template for hope in dark times.” —Emma Larkin, author of Finding George Orwell in Burma“The future of democracy in several Asian countries looked promising with the rise of youth movements in the 2010s and 2020s. Authoritarian regimes responded by trying to crush their attempts at change, but we hope the world will care more about them and the future they fought for, starting with Wasserstrom’s excellent stories of these young activists.” —Thongchai Winichakul, emeritus professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison