author
Wing Yung
1828–1912
A pioneering reformer who crossed cultures in the 19th century, he became the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university and spent much of his life trying to connect China and the United States. His story blends education, diplomacy, and personal resilience in a time of huge change.
1 Audiobook
My Life in China and America
by Wing Yung
About the author
Born in Guangdong in 1828, Yung Wing came to the United States as a young student and graduated from Yale in 1854, becoming the first Chinese student known to earn a degree from an American university. That achievement made him a symbol of educational exchange at a time when travel between China and the West was rare and difficult.
He believed strongly that education and international cooperation could help modernize China. Over the years he worked as a translator, businessman, and diplomat, and he is especially remembered for supporting the Chinese Educational Mission, which sent young Chinese students to study in the United States. His efforts made him an important early bridge between two worlds.
Yung Wing later wrote My Life in China and America, a memoir that gives a firsthand view of his remarkable path through reform, politics, and cross-cultural life. He died in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1912, but his legacy still stands as an early example of global education and Chinese American history.