Society in the Delta region of Mississippi is still rigidly segregated. A vast social and economic gulf yawns between the dominant white and subordinate black. Yet one group in Mississippi, a "third race," the Chinese, has managed to leap that chasm. This book focuses on the causes of their changes in status, the processes by which it came about, and the opposition it engendered. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 argues that the concentration and economic success of the Chinese groceries indicate that something was amiss in the segregation system. In turn, the economic advance of the Chinese made possible their later social rise, though not in any simple way. Chapters 3 and 4 define their earlier, near-black status and analyze the process by which they came to be defined almost white. Chapter 5 observes that there was a great deal of opposition to the Chinese in the earlier parts of this century, and it continued to manifest itself whenever the minority attempted to break another social barrier. Parallels between anti-Chinese and anti-Negro discrimination are assessed. As the Chinese rose in status, one group was left behind: those members who had married or lived common-law with black wives and families. These families are the subject of Chapter 6. The concluding chapter projects present trends and tries to assess the future of the group. (Author/JM)