Transpacific Articulations: Student Migration and the Remaking of Asian America

226 Pages·2013·3.17 MB·English

by  Chih-ming Wang

TRANSPACIFIC
ARTICULATIONS
Student Migration and the
Remaking of Asian America
CHIH-MING WANG
Transpacific Articulations

Transpacific
Articulations
Student Migration and the
Remaking of Asian America
Chih-ming Wang
University of Hawai‘i Press
Honolulu
© 2013 University of Hawai‘i Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
18 17 16 15 14 13 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wang, Chih-ming, author.
Transpacific articulations : student migration and the
remaking of Asian America / Chih-ming Wang.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8248-3642-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Chinese students—Political activity—United States.
2. College students—Political activity—United States.
3. College students’ writings, Chinese—United States.
4. College students’ writings, American. I. Title.
LB2376.5.C6W36 2013
371.829'951073—dc23 2012042323
University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free
paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and
durability of the Council on Library Resources.
Designed by Integrated Composition Systems, Spokane, WA
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc.
Their tears were shed only for the wind.
None of them knew
that this was just a beginning—
that their children would travel
the same seas.
—Ha Jin, “Departure”

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Spelling xi
Introduction 1
1 ◆ Leaving Asia for America: Yung Wing, Study Abroad,
and Translated Subjectivity 21
2 ◆ Writing Diaspora: Tactics of Intervention
and Pedagogy of Desire 40
3 ◆ Tracking Baodiao: Diaspora, Sovereignty,
and Cold War Imperialism 66
4 ◆ Formosa Betrayed: Transnational Politics
and Taiwanese American Identity 90
5 ◆ Internationalism at Work: Bridge and Asian American
Studies in Asia 110
Conclusion 134
Notes 143
Bibliography 177
Index 199

Acknowledgments
Writing this book has been like traveling through time, reliving the aspirations,
frustrations, anxieties, and elations that generations of Asian foreign students
experienced before me. Like many of their journeys overseas, mine was luckily
guided by a great number of mentors and friends who inspired, encouraged, and
supported me through the purgatory of intellectual trial. I could not have come
this far without their genuine help.
At Santa Cruz, where this book was first conceptualized, I was very fortunate
to have worked with many brilliant scholars and teachers who showed me the
wonders of intellectual work. Rob Wilson and Chris Connery were my trusted
mentors whose genial guidance and generous support put me on the right track
to pursue an academic career. Rob introduced me to the enchanting world of
postcolonial theory and postmodern poetry, with a jazzy beat of Hawaiian surf
and California dreaming, and Chris enlightened me with his charismatic anti-
disciplinary stance and taught me how to think creatively and not be daunted by
ideas. Together they offered me a model of committed intellectual, engaging
teacher, and grounded cosmopolitanism. I thank them wholeheartedly for being
the teachers they are. This book is also much indebted to David Palumbo-Liu’s
inspirational work, and it was a great pleasure and honor to have him serve on my
dissertation committee. I also benefitted greatly from working with Susan Gill-
man, Kirsten Gruesz, James Clifford, Karen Tei Yamashita, Neferti Tadiar, Jona-
than Beller, Jody Greene, and Gail Hershatter; together they have informed and
reformed my thinking and intellectual interests in more ways than one. Beyond
the cozy nook of Santa Cruz, Sau-ling Wong, Colleen Lye, and Ling-chi Wang at
Berkeley also offered me warm support and kindly took the time to read and com-
ment on my work. In Taiwan, Te-hsing Shan, Yu-cheng Lee, Hsiao-hung Chang,
Kuan-hsing Chen, and Michael Keevak have mentored me since my college days
and showed me their unfailing support. I thank my colleagues at National Tsing-
hua University, especially Guy Beauregard (now at National Taiwan University),
Iru Su, John Truscott, and Viphavee Vongpumivitch for their comradeship, which
made my first year of teaching a great experience. I thank Johanna Katchen, our
chair at that time, for reducing my teaching load for one semester so that I could
concentrate on the revision of this manuscript.
ix