Bridging Generations: Shou-yi Ch’en, Yanshuo Zhang, and Their Contribution to Asian Studies in American Higher Education
This thesis examines the lives and academic legacies of Dr. Shou-yi Ch’en (1899–1987) and Dr. Yanshuo Zhang (b. 1988), two Chinese scholars whose contributions have shaped Asian Studies in American higher education across nearly a century. Dr. Ch’en, educated in both China and the United States, played a foundational role in establishing Pomona College’s early Asian Studies program, fostering East–West intellectual exchange through extensive correspondence, and mentoring a generation of scholars. Dr. Zhang, also educated in China and the U.S., represents a new generation of interdisciplinary scholarship, focusing on China’s Qiang ethnic minority through oral history and a multicultural lens. The stories of Dr. Ch’en and Dr. Zhang reveal how Asian Studies has transformed from a text-centered discipline to a more interdisciplinary and community-engaged field. Despite differences in methodology and focus, both scholars underscore the enduring importance of transnational education, multicultural experiences, institutional networks, and academic mentorship. By building bridges between East and West and between scholars and future generations, their work has played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of Asian Studies in American higher education.
American Higher Education, Asian Studies, Oral History, Shou-yi Ch’en, Yanshuo Zhang, History
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