Beyond Headlines: The Human Story of Americans in China An Official Book Launch and Conversation with Author William Brown

Behind the headlines and geopolitics lies a rarely heard story, the lives of ordinary Americans who became part of China’s history.

For decades, Professor William Brown traveled more than 200,000 kilometers across China and the United States to uncover letters, photographs, and memories of Americans who lived in China across generations — teachers, doctors, diplomats, pilots, and families whose ties endured long after they returned home. Their experiences reveal friendships and shared struggles that shaped mutual understanding far more deeply than official policy ever could.

These Americans helped establish early hospitals and schools, advanced education for women and students with disabilities, opposed the opium trade, and supported China’s sovereignty during an era of imperial competition. During World War II, the American volunteer pilots known as the Flying Tigers fought alongside Chinese forces against Japan, a legacy still commemorated in China today.

Through vivid journeys across deserts, villages, and modern cities, the book shows history as lived experience: people meeting, learning, and sometimes staying for a lifetime.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of China Institute, founded to promote U.S.–China exchange through education and human connection. We invite you to join this conversation with the author, hear these remarkable stories firsthand, and explore how personal encounters continue to shape understanding between the two nations today.