Kiang Endowed Lecture | Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: From China to America, A True Story of Abduction, Adoption, and Separated Twins
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RSVP (required for in-person and/or Zoom): https://uci.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RArd1hrmTU2f2TrPPOLG3Q
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4:00 p.m. Reception | 5:00 p.m. Talk and Q&A | 6:00 p.m. Book Signing
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About the talk:
Following stories she wrote as the Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, Barbara Demick embarks on a journey that encompasses the origins, shocking cruelty,
and long-term impact of China’s one-child rule; the rise of international adoption
and the religious currents that buoyed it; and the exceedingly rare phenomenon of
twin separation. A remarkable window into the volatile, constantly changing China
of the last half century and the long-reaching legacy of the country’s most infamous
law, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove is also the moving story of two sisters torn apart by the forces of history and brought
together again by their families’ determination and one reporter’s dogged work.
About the speaker:
Barbara Demick is author of, among other books, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea and Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town. She was bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times in Beijing and Seoul, and previously reported from the Middle East and Balkans for
the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her work has won many awards including the Samuel Johnson prize (now the Baillie
Gifford prize) for non-fiction in the U.K., the Overseas Press Club’s human rights
reporting award, and Stanford University’s Shorenstein Award for Asia coverage. Nothing to Envy was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
About the Wan-Lin Kiang Endowed Lecture Series in Chinese Studies:
The Wan-Lin Kiang Endowed Lecture Series in Chinese Studies was established in 2001
by Amy Kiang in memory of her husband, Wan-Lin Kiang, whose deep commitment to education
and cultural understanding continues to inspire this distinguished program. Now in
its 22nd year, the Kiang Lecture fosters a deeper appreciation of China’s evolving
political, economic, and social landscape, and its influence in the global community.
Each year, the series brings to campus a prominent scholar, journalist, or thought
leader whose work illuminates the complexities of China’s past, present, and future.
Through these annual gatherings, the Kiang Lecture continues to honor the Kiang family’s
vision of advancing knowledge, connection, and meaningful dialogue across cultures.
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