Diaspora, Identity, Storytelling, and the Arts
In the context of shifting migration patterns, evolving identities, and intensifying
geopolitical tensions, diaspora communities play an increasingly important role in
shaping how U.S.–China relations are experienced and understood. This priority area
examines Chinese diasporic and Chinese American communities through the lenses of
identity, culture, and storytelling, integrating social science research with the
arts and humanities to illuminate questions of belonging, representation, and cross-cultural
understanding.
Key issues include:
- Diaspora, identity, and belonging: Evolving forms of Chinese and Chinese American identity across generations and transnational contexts
- Migration and mobility: Flows of people, education, and talent shaping communities and cross-border ties
- Cultural production and storytelling: Film, media, literature, and the arts as sites of representation and narrative formation
- Perception, geopolitics, and representation: How global tensions influence the portrayal and lived experiences of diaspora communities
Recent activities:
- The Long U.S.–China Institute presented the Opening Program of UC Irvine’s Lunar New Year Celebration, featuring Janet Yang in conversation with Dean Bill Maurer, highlighting storytelling, cultural exchange, and the role of the arts in fostering cross-cultural understanding during the Year of the Fire Horse.
- Seeing Each Other: Sharing Journeys Across China and the U.S., a Cyrus Tang Foundation–funded storytelling and photography initiative led by Professor of History and Asian American Studies and core faculty Judy Tzu-Chun Wu engages students in cross-cultural exchange and collaborative storytelling, culminating in exhibitions in Irvine and Shanghai that foreground empathy, identity, and shared experience.