The Rise and Fall of the "Overseas Chinese" World in China
Event
Past eventTue., Oct. 6, 2026, 6:15–8 p.m.
Free with reservation
Rothenberg Hall
Join Charlotte Brooks, professor of history at Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate Center, for a deep-dive into topics of race, immigration, and history as they relate to the Chinese American experience.
In the first decades of the 20th century, almost half of the Chinese Americans born in the United States moved to China. Fleeing racism, they sought new opportunities in their parents’ homeland, yet most soon discovered that they were not nearly as Chinese as they had once assumed. Eventually, many retreated to Hong Kong or to semi-colonial spaces inside China, where they forged a distinct social, economic, and educational world, often with other “overseas Chinese.” But nationalism and, eventually, war and revolution, threatened and finally undermined what they had created.
This event is part of The Thirsty Scholar, a series that brings together our community of the curious for a glass, a chat, and a lecture. Come learn with us!
This is the Cheng Foundation Lecture.
Know Before You Go
Join us for a pre-lecture reception in front of the lecture hall at the Rose Hills Foundation Garden Court at 6:15 p.m. with free coffee, tea, and cookies. Wine and beer available for purchase.
Doors to the lecture hall will open at 6:30 p.m.
Top image: Photograph album of a British expatriate in China, approximately 1910s.
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