During the Civil War, Chinese Americans served in the armies and navies on both sides. Joseph Pierce fought at Gettysburg and was promoted to corporal in the Union Army. During Grant's terms as the 18th President of the U.S. from 1869 to 1877, thousands of Chinese immigrated to the U.S. to start new lives. After stepping down, he was the first president to take a world tour. Grant spent two weeks in China with his wife Julia, where they met with leading members of the royal family and government of the Qing dynasty, and were warmly welcomed by the Chinese people.
Guest speaker Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Chancellor's Professor of History at UC Irvine. He has published a dozen books, most recently Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink. He is a frequent invited speaker and contributor to newspapers, magazines, and literary reviews, and is co-editor of the China Section of the Los Angeles Review of Books. His latest book, The Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia's Struggle Against Autocracy and Beijing, will be available this June.
This is an free event, register here.
