Yan Phou Lee (李恩富) was the first Chinese American to publish a book in the United States, When I was a Boy in China (1887). He first came to the U.S. at the age of 12, as a member of the Chinese Educational Mission (CEM), which ran from 1873 to 1881. Lee returned to the U.S. in 1884 to complete his studies at Yale College (now Yale University) and to deliberately cultivate himself as a voice for the Chinese, a writer who sought to correct misunderstandings of China and the Chinese people and to bridge the gap between American and Chinese culture. He remained in the U.S. until 1927, serving as a writer and editor for various newspapers and in a dizzying array of other occupations. Professor Duvall will provide an overview of Lee’s life in the US, with a focus on his life as a writer, his book, and his responses to the hateful and violent Sinophobia rampant in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century. Lee’s fascinating story has much to teach us in 21st century America.