SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

The English Division presents

The Evolution of Chinese American Women's Writing

A Talk by Dr. Francesca De Lucia

The Chinese have a long history in the United States, going back to the mid-19th century. However, their role and culture have been neglected and downplayed; Chinese Americans have found themselves relegated to stereotypes going from the "perpetual foreigner" who never genuinely assimilates or the more positive but equally reductive "model minority" trope.

The situation of Chinese American women is further complicated by issues of gender as well as race and ethnicity. Their writings reflect the struggle to overcome the combined obstacles of racial discrimination, sexism, and the effects of ancestral Chinese patriarchy.

This talk will analyze the general context of Chinese American women's literature, followed by a brief overview of the most significant Chinese American women writers from origins to the present day.

Francesca De Lucia is an Italian and Swiss double national. She lived and worked for several years in Beijing, China, where she was associate professor of English at Minzu University. Currently she is an independent scholar, teaching in the Swiss school system. Dr. De Lucia holds a Ph.D. from Oxford. The focus of her research is on ethnicity and identity in American literature. She is the author of Italian American Cultural Fictions: From Diaspora to Globalization (Peter Lang 2017).

Monday, February 13, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.
Location: C-227