NYAB Event - "Both Here and There: Yale-China and a Century of Transformative Encounters" Exhibition

"Both Here and There: Yale-China and a Century of Transformative Encounters" Exhibition

This event has ended.
At The Museum of Chinese in America
Media: Photography, Other

This exhibit explores the hundred-year history of the Yale-China Association and the personal narratives behind its long history of cross-cultural exchange. Both Here and There: Yale-China and a Century of Transformative Encounters includes personal accounts, photographs, and artifacts that together explore the profound power of grassroots exchange on communities, cultures, and individuals an ocean apart. Since 1901, the Yale-China Association has built U.S.-China relations through programs in education, health, public service, and the arts.

“Yale-China's exchange programs have played an essential part in Chinese American history—for people of Chinese descent who have come to the United States, and for Americans who have worked and learned abroad," said S. Alice Mong, director of the Museum of Chinese in America. "Exchange programs are becoming more common now, but Yale-China has a remarkably long history. I think our visitors will enjoy learning about the shared experiences of these early pioneers." Regardless of the shore to which they traveled, those who took the journey between the United States and China found their lives forever altered by their experiences. For many, Yale-China programs deeply shaped their sense of identity and produced a lasting empathy for their adopted culture. Whether they returned home or remained, the experience influenced their personal and professional lives and, collectively, new levels of understanding guided the direction of Chinese-American relations in the 20th century.

"The lives chronicled in this exhibit tell a greater story—one that explores the fundamental desire to be understood," says Yale-China Executive Director Nancy Yao Maasbach. "The sentiment of Both Here and There reminds us that we do not have to choose a singular identity."

Both Here and There is curated by Ming Thompson, Yale-China’s first Design and Curatorial Fellow. Ming was a Yale-China Teaching Fellow from 2004-2006 at Yali Middle School in Changsha, China. She received a masters in architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a bachelor of arts in architecture from Yale University.