author
Wing Yung
1828–1912
A trailblazing student, reformer, and memoirist, he built bridges between China and the United States at a time of enormous change. His life story is closely tied to education, diplomacy, and the idea that learning abroad could help reshape a nation.
1 Audiobook
My Life in China and America
by Wing Yung
About the author
Born in Guangdong in 1828, Yung Wing became the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university when he earned his degree from Yale in 1854. He later worked as a businessman and diplomat, and he is especially remembered for helping create the Chinese Educational Mission, which sent young students from China to study in the United States.
His memoir, My Life in China and America, reflects a life spent moving between cultures and trying to connect them. That effort made him an important figure in the history of Chinese education, overseas study, and early Chinese American life.
He died in 1912, but his legacy has lasted through both his writing and his role in opening new educational paths for others.