Commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with us this May, as we recognize the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans to American society and mark their service as bridges of understanding between the US and China.
In this Asian Pacific Heritage Month, USCET salutes the Asian Americans who have enriched our programs over the years, in particular through the Asian American Author Series, the Asian American in the Arts Series, and Culinary Diplomacy.
The Asian American Series launched in 2012 with award-winning Chinese American author Gish Jen. Those who followed include: Jennifer 8. Lee (2019), Shirley Lim (2018), Karen Yamashita (2018), Cheryl Tan (2018), Helen Zia (2017), Qiu Xiaolong (2017), Frank Ching (2014), filmmaker Shirely Sun (2014), and Shawn Wong (2013). In 2019, Malaysian Chinese American chef Simpson Wong went on a cooking tour across China with USCET to build understanding through food.
As US-China relations falter under the pressures of COVID-19, the trust and friendship that grew out of USCET people to people exchange endure.