Session 6 (Friday, October 17, 2025)
Symposium: Insights Across Generations — Hawai‘i as the Meeting Point of East and West
On October 17, the Center on Chinese Education (CoCE) at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa jointly hosted the symposium “Symposium: Insights Across Generations — Hawai‘i as the Meeting Point of East and West.” The symposium explored themes of family education, migration history, cultural transmission, and the intergenerational continuity of the U.S.–China educational exchange.
Professor Baoyan Cheng, Acting Director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, delivered the keynote address. Professor Cheng traced the foundational role of Columbia University and Teachers College in shaping early U.S.–China educational relations—from the educational philosophies of John Dewey and Paul Monroe to their adaptation and localization by leading Chinese educators such as Menglin Jiang, Xingzhi Tao, Boling Zhang, Shi Hu, and Heqin Chen. This intellectual lineage exemplifies the “cross-fertilization” and co-evolution of educational ideas between East and West. She revisited historical milestones including the educational ties between Hawai‘i and Sun Yat-sen, illustrating how reciprocal learning in education became a key driving force for modern China’s engagement with the world.
Building on the symposium’s theme, Dr. Robert Young, Honolulu-born Chinese American, Former Medical Officer in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), delivered a keynote speech titled “Insights Across Generations.” Drawing on the five-generation history of his Chinese American family in Hawai‘i, Dr. Young offered a profound reflection on how education and culture transcend time and geography, shaping identity and fostering excellence across diverse fields.
Transitioning from educational legacies to broader cultural expressions, Professor Yunxiang Gao of Toronto Metropolitan University examined the paths of two early Chinese-American actresses who sought both artistic achievement and social recognition in Hollywood. She highlighted Soo Yong and Yang Xiu—distinguished alumnae of Teachers College—whose careers spanned Broadway and Hollywood. Professor Gao illuminated how early Chinese-American women navigated intersecting racial and gender biases in their pursuit of cultural voice and artistic agency.
Continuing the conversation on identity and educational transmission, Professor Amanda Kathleen Earl, Visiting Assistant Professor of Teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University then discussed the interrelation between family education and school education, drawing on her research and cross-cultural field experience. She emphasized that families are not only the starting point of learning but also vital spaces for cultural transmission and value formation.
The symposium concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Ni Zhang, Associate Director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Scholars and participants engaged in an in-depth dialogue on cultural inheritance and cross-cultural exchange, reflecting on how education transmits cultural memory, shapes identity across generations, and sustains understanding and collaboration between China and the United States.
Dr. Ni Zhang, Associate Director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Scholars engaged in a panel discussion on intergenerational cultural transmission and cross-cultural dialogue, moderated by Dr. Ni Zhang