Panel: Chinese Encounters with America

Thursday, 8/28/2025
2:00 - 3:30
Chinese Center Exhibit Space - 3rd Fl
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400

An engaging discussion of Chinese Encounters with America, a compelling book that tells the stories of twelve women and men whose American experiences transformed their lives and influenced China's trajectory, with a particular focus on the period after Beijing and Washington established full diplomatic relations in 1979. The book explores important themes of cultural exchange and people-to-people connections.

Featured Speakers:

Terry Lautz, co-editor of Chinese Encounters with America

Melinda Liu, contributor and author of the chapter on media entrepreneur Hung Huang

Yawei Liu, moderator and senior advisor on China at The Carter Center

This thought-provoking conversation will delve into the diverse experiences of Chinese individuals who have encountered America, offering unique insights into cross-cultural understanding and the evolving dynamics between these two nations. The people covered in the books’ chapters come from a variety of backgrounds, including diplomacy, science, sports and more.

Community & Neighborhood

Build connections with others in our local programs.

Chinese American Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Chinese American community.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.