TORONTO — Princeton professor Beth Lew-Williams has won this year’s Cundill History Prize for “John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life under American Racial Law.” Lew-Williams received the US$75,000 award during a ceremony in Montreal on Friday for the book that explores the laws that constrained the lives of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century American West. In a press release Cundill jurors praise her work for being “dazzlingly innovative and hard-hitting.” Award organizers say the book examines court records, immigration files and personal accounts to show the extent of anti-Chinese discrimination and “restores individuality and humanity to lives once obscured by prejudice.” The runners-up for the prize, who each receive US$10,000, are Jonathan Cheng for “Korean Messiah: Kim II Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult” and Alexander Lee for “The First Ghetto: Venice and the Jews.” The prestigious prize is run by McGill University and recognizes history writing in English. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 23, 2026. Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press
