Withstanding Fallout and Writing the Future: The Lives and Times of Chinese Women International Students in American Colleges, 1930-1960

Abstract

During the mid-twentieth century, there were more China-born women students in American institutions of higher education than ever before. This group of women faced a great deal of fallout from unprecedented events during their time. Among these were Imperial Japan’s invasion of China, the advent of World War II, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the subsequent transformation of diplomatic relations between China and the US, and larger reconsiderations of women’s roles in society. As such, the years between 1930 and 1960 saw significant upheavals and the women not only had to withstand the consequences of these changes but also continue with their pursuit of higher education.

How did Chinese women in the US navigate the social and political upheavals of the mid-twentieth century as students and recent graduates, both within the walls of higher educational institutions and in the larger outside world? Furthermore, how do their lives broaden our understanding of the educational exchange program as a vehicle of American and Chinese foreign and domestic policy? This project aims to answer these questions and hopes to contribute to the existing literature on this history by adding to the rich tapestries of stories of Chinese women in the US.

Drawing on the archival collections of a few historically women’s colleges, this project tries to paint a picture of the women’s experiences in colleges and, by extension, the world they inhabited. Themes of imperialism, war, diplomacy, and modernization are discussed. Overall, this project will reveal the lived experiences of this group of women, the impact of US-China relations on educational exchange programs, and the symbiotic relationship between the students and educational exchange policies. These conclusions will illustrate how, within the context of a fraught global landscape and a tense domestic situation, these women worked to further their own interests and secure their futures, all while boldly navigating challenges outside of their control.