America in the Eyes of Chinese Writers

Americans and Chinese： Passage to Differences

English edition by Francis L. K. Hsu University of Hawaii Press， 1981 Chinese edition translated by Peng Kaiping and Liu Wenjing Huaxia Publishing House， 1989

This book documents in-depth research of both Chinese and Americans. Based on his work contrasting characteristics of citizens of the two countries， the author traces the differences to respective social and cultural environments. The book also showcases how the respective behaviors of Chinese and Americans coincide with their respective cultures in specific situations. One example in the book is how Chinese and Americans handle and maintain personal relationships： Chinese individuals typically maintain their relations with their families， relatives， and communities on a mutually dependent basis while Americans are mainly independent in this regard.

Francis L. K. Hsu （1909-1999）， a native of Liaoning Province， China， moved to the United States and became a behavioral scientist and one of the founders of psychological anthropology. He was considered one of the few scholars to ever make constructive achievements in the comparative studies of large civilized societies after Max Weber and Arnold Joseph Toynbee.

I Have a Dream， Too

By Lin Da SDX Joint Publishing Company， August 2004

This book showcases the evolution of public awareness and laws concerning racial problems in the United States. Through its narration， readers get a picture of how American individuals， especially vulnerable groups， defend their rights and interests with the law. As a result， their deeds deepened public awareness of racial issues and even urged the United States to make steady progress in eliminating social unfairness. From the perspective of the marginalized， the author keeps a balanced attitude between Chinese and American cultures and records the United States in the eyes of new immigrants in an objective， vivid manner.

Lin Da is the pen name of a Chinese-American couple. They were both born in Shanghai in 1952 and moved to the United States in 1991. Dubbed“Chinas Tocqueville，” they are considered the best writers to introduce the United States to the rest of the world.

America in the 20th Century

By Zi Zhongyun SDX Joint Publishing Company， September 2007

This book is based on the authors many years of observation of the United States. Beginning with a narration of the social problems of the United States in the 19th Century， it traces the road the country has walked in the past century as well as the tremendous influence it has cast on China and even the whole world. The book is more than just a simple narration of historical events and international relations. By analyzing historical facts， it deeply examines the philosophical systems and development modes that exerted deep influence on the world in the 20th Century and argues that U.S. experience is worth learning for todays China.

A research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences （CASS） and former director of the Institute of American Studies under CASS， Zi Zhongyun is an expert on international politics and U.S. studies and a renowned historian.

Notes on New York

By Chen Danqing Guangxi Normal University Press， November 2007

This is the first book by famous Chinese painter Chen Danqing. The author uses words to narrate his experience and understanding of New York City， shedding light on the artists and art exhibitions he visited there. The book also compares Chinese and American art and culture and discusses

their difference from an artists perspective. One of his most profound ideas is that the longer a Chinese person stays in a Western country or Westerners in China， the more they will realize that East is East and West is West and that every country is unique. Likewise， each culture has its own advantages.

Chen Danqing， born in Shanghai in 1953， is a famous painter， writer， and art critic. In 1980， he won worldwide fame for his Tibetan Paintings series. He moved to the United States in 1982 and later won the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Asian Artists.

The Desert under My Feet， The Eagle in the Sky： My Understanding about America

By Li Jie Sichuan Peoples Publishing House， June 2005

This book recounts a Chinese scholars experience traveling and living in the United States. In it， the author reveals his understanding of the modern civilization of the United States as well as his insight into the differences between Eastern and Western cultures. He points out that the United States demonstrates the achievements of its urbanization in the east and treasures the soul of its culture in the west. Literary critics comment that Li naturally conveys his understanding of American civilization and spirit through appropriate depiction of the countrys natural scenery， music， literature， and philosophy.

Li Jie is a famous scholar， avant-garde writer and art critic and now lives in the United States. In the 1980s， he published a large volume of critical essays and literary work in both Chinese and foreign newspapers and magazines. He eventually committed to the research of ideological culture.

American Stories

By Yan Geling Kunlun Publishing House， January 2005

This book is a collection of 16 short stories about Chinese Americans with different backgrounds in different periods of history. For instance， Mainland Girl is about a young woman who moved from the Chinese mainland to the United States. Due to cultural clashes between the two countries， she finds it difficult to integrate into American society. The Whisper of Las Vegas portrays a retired Chinese professor who gets addicted to gambling. Language is simply a tool to describe the mind. Behind it is the tremendous cultural system that makes each individual who he or she is. This collection of stories emphasizes the significance of communication between Chinese and American cultures.

Yan Geling is a prestigious Chinese-American writer and screenwriter. Many of her books were written in both Chinese and English， and even translated to French， Spanish， Japanese， and other languages. Her work showcases the authors distinctive interpretation of Chinese and Western cultures.

On the Wisdom of America

English edition by Lin Yutang Parker Press， November 2008 Chinese edition published by Qunyan Press， February 2011

This is a philosophy book for general readers， in which the author tried to answer the question， “What should Chinese people learn from Americans？” The author advocated learning the life values of Americans. He said，“Every nation has its clear visions， its moments of clairvoyance， its honest grappling with the things real but unseen that lie at the bottom of all the motive forces for our conduct and being.” The book touches on almost every aspect of the American society and portrays a United States in the eyes of a Chinese writer.

Lin Yutang （1895-1976） was a renowned scholar， writer and translator. He was noted for penning many monographs in English both at home and abroad. For this reason， he was dubbed the “most successful of the few who spread Chinese culture to the West in contemporary times.”

New Yorker

By Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai Guangxi Normal University Press， October 2010

This book is a collection of six novels that the author wrote over four decades. Notes of Banished Immortal and The Wrath of Banished Immortal were completed in the 1960s， Nocturne in the 1970s， Bone Ash in the 80s， and Danny Boy and Tea for Two in the early 21st Century. Through these novels， readers will recognize the authors stance changing from the mid-20th Century to the era of globalization.

Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai， born in Guilin， Guangxi， is a renowned writer and Kunqu Opera producer based in Taiwan. His major works include short story collections Loneliness of a Seventeen-Year-Old and Taipei People and the novel Crystal Boys.