Deborah Davis releases “Chinese Encounters with America”

Chinese Encounters with America: Journeys that Shaped the Future of China, co-edited by Deborah Davis and by Terry Lautz, shares the stories of twelve Chinese citizens whose time in the United States profoundly impacted their lives and helped shape China’s path, especially following the normalization of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Washington in 1979. Each chapter explores how these people perceived America and used their insights to support China’s modernization efforts.

The book features individuals from a wide range of professions, including diplomacy, business, science, sports, education, and the arts, whose stories revolve around common questions: what drew them to the United States, why they chose to return to China, and how those experiences shaped their paths. At a moment of heightened tension between the U.S. and China, the book offers a more personal perspective on U.S. and China relations, showing how individual lives, alongside national policies, can shape the course of history.

Deborah Davis is a professor emerita of sociology at Yale University, distinguished visiting professor at Fudan University, and visiting faculty member of the Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University. Her books include Wives, Husbands, and Lovers: Marriage and Sexuality in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Urban China (2014, co-edited with Sara L. Friedman).

Chinese Encounters with America is available in multiple formats through Columbia University Press. For more information, click here.