Dialogue with Scott Seligman, "New China Hand," Author of "The First Chinese American"

Date: Mon., Sept. 23, 2013
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: McDermott, Will & Emery
227 W. Monroe St., 45th Floor
Chicago
This is a joint program with the Princeton Club of Chicago

Click here to buy tickets

Our speaker, Scott Seligman, attended Princeton for his undergraduate education, and Harvard for his graduate education.  He is a bonified "New China Hand," having been part of the first wave of Americans to visit and work in China shortly after the U.S. and China established full diplomatic relations in 1979.  Scott spent over eight years living and working in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China where he became fluent in Mandarin ("only" 4 tones) and conversant in Cantonese (a much more difficult 8 tones).  His work experience included a stint with the National Council for U.S.-China Trade (now the U.S.-China Business Council), and also as head of the Burson-Marsteller office in China.

Now retired Scott has continued writing books a practice he began with "Chinese at a Glance" (1986 & 2006), "Dealing with the Chinese" (1989), "Chinese Business Etiquette" (1999), "Cultural Revolution Cookbook" (2011 with Sasha Gong), "Three Tough Chinamen" (2012, about the Moy brothers, another book with a Chicago angle), and "The First Chinese American" (2013).  His newest book deals with Wong Chin-Foo (1847-1898), the first self-declared Chinese American.  Scott's fascinating narrative tells about how Mr. Wong was an early leader and fighter in the struggle for equal rights for Chinese in America during the time of the shameful "Chinese Exclusion Act" (1882-1943). 

He will also highlight Mr. Wong's  "Chicago connection."  For several years Mr. Wong lived in Chicago where he established the Chinese Equal Rights League on South Clark Street (where the orginal Chicago Chinatown was located), where he founded the first Confucian Temple in America, where he published two Chinese language newspapers, including one during the Chicago World's Fair, and where he even organized a "junta" of Chinese Americans to help govern China after the hoped for fall of the Qing Dynasty (which didn't happen until 1911).  This should be a fascinating and educational evening!

Date: Monday, September 23, 2013
Time: 5:30 p.m. - Wine & cheese reception
           6:00 p.m. - Program followed by Q & A
           7:15 p.m. - Conclude


(NOTE:  Please arrive before 6:00 p.m.  After that time further security measures will be in effect in the building.)

Location:
McDermott, Will & Emery (ID required for entrance to the building)
227 W. Monroe St., 45th Floor, Chicago, Ill.

A 10% discount on parking is available.  Use discount code HCC0923 and Click Here to reserve.

Cost:
$15.00 for Members and Member's Guest
$30.00 for Non-Members
Complimentary for Crimson and Crimson Plus Members

If you would like to purchase Scott's book, you may do so when you click through to order tickets (retail price $25; Amazon's price $22.50; our price $18).  You will be able to pick up the book at the program.

Click here to buy tickets.  Reservations will be held at the door.


Please note that unless you are a non-alumnus/a, or just arrived in the Chicago area you are in our database.  Therefore you MUST SIGN-IN, at present using your "post.harvard" username and password (not necessarily your post.harvard email address), before completing your ticket purchase, otherwise you will create a redundant record and will have to enter all your contact information again.

We hope to have a new, more user-friendly system soon but for the time being this is how we must all interact with the web site.  We apologize for the inconvenience.  If you are not able to sign-in, please call the Club office at 847-256-1211 and they can assist you.

All cancellations must be received during normal business hours, 2 business days prior to the event or the attendee who made the reservation will be charged due to costs associated with the reservation and/or the event itself, regardless of actual participation.

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SCHOLARSHIP CONTRIBUTION:

Please note that after you have selected your tickets for this event and click on "Checkout," you will be offered the opportunity to make a contribution to the Harvard Club of Chicago's Scholarship Endownment Fund.  This Fund helps provide scholarships for Chicago-area freshmen to Harvard College based on financial need.  The Club has been funding scholarships for Chicago-area students for over one hundred years.

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