Nassau Community College Presents: 'Identity, Ethnicity, Alienation and Immigration: A Thriller of a Novel'

The Nassau Community College Fall 2010 Cultural Program is proud to present: "Identity, Ethnicity, Alienation and Immigration: A Thriller of a Novel" which will be presented by author Andrew Xia Fukuda in the College Center Building.

Andrew Xia Fukuda is author of the novel "Crossing," which is the story of Xing Xu, a Chinese teenager growing up in a small town in upstate New York. Xing is a loner who doesn't fit in at school, and when a rash of disappearances rattle the town, suspicion is immediately cast in his direction.

Fukuda's inspiration for "Crossing" came from his work as a lawyer when he worked with immigrant teens in Manhattan's Chinatown. In his book, Fukuda wanted to layer questions of identity and ethnicity over a thriller plotline. He believes that he was able to achieve this fusion due to his background: as an Asian American, he was able to add depth to the ethnic theme; as a criminal prosecutor, he was able to include nuances to the mystery aspect of the novel. "Publishers Weekly" said that "Crossing" "presents an arresting, compelling look into the heart and mind of a disaffected high school freshman."

Fukuda was born in Manhattan and raised in Hong Kong. He currently is a Nassau County prosecutor who lives with his wife and two sons on Long Island.