Description
The Chinese in American History: How Afong Moy, Mayling Soong and Bruce Lee Changed the Narrative About China
November 11, 2019
Conversations about US-China relations often revolve around tariffs, trades and recently, President Donald Trump’s tweets. So on this episode of BackStory, Nathan, Joanne and special guest host Erika Lee go beyond the standard narrative of US-China relations and learn about three Chinese and Chinese American people who worked to change American perceptions of China. Support for this podcast comes from International Education at the University of Richmond and The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding. Support for this podcast comes from International Education at the University of Richmond and The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding.
AFONG MOY It is believed that the first Chinese woman arrived in America in 1834. The woman was Afong Moy and as historian Nancy Davis tells Joanne, although Moy’s arrival caused a sensation, her story is clouded in mystery.
MAYLING SOONG Throughout the winter and spring of 1943, Americans turned on their radios to hear speeches delivered by a prominent Chinese woman with a slight southern drawl. The voice belonged to Mayling Soong, the wife of China’s Nationalist leader, General Chiang Kai-shek. And the speeches were part of her goodwill tour throughout the US. Erika speaks with Karen Leong about how Soong blended Chinese and American culture to change popular perceptions of China — and carve out a new future for Chinese people in America.
BRUCE LEE Bruce Lee is one of the most iconic Asian Americans in US history. Throughout his career, Lee starred in only a handful of Hollywood martial arts films. But his image still remains a fixture in American society. Why? Scholar Celine Parreñas Shimizu tells Nathan it might have something to do with what she calls Lee’s “ethical manhood.”
