Professor Fei Yan of Tsinghua University unveiled his research on the Sun siblings, four Chinese students who attended Andover in the 1920s, to highlight their role in early U.S.-China educational exchange in the Tang Institute this Wednesday. His work, which was drawn from Andover’s archives and Tsinghua records, traces their journey as pioneers of international education.
The four Sun siblings arrived at Andover in 1920 as part of a wave of Chinese students sent by elite families to bridge Eastern and Western education. Their father, C.Y. Sun, a Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist and a member of China’s elite, corresponded frequently with the then Head of School Alfred Stearns, who spearheaded the welcoming of over 100 Chinese students to Andover.
Yan was initially studying the current Chinese international students who come to America to attend elite prep schools. While coming to Andover to interview some international Chinese students, Paige Roberts, Director of the Archives, showed him the extensive correspondence between Stearns and the Sun family, sparking his interest. Yan elaborated on the questions he is asking in his research, and the importance of the findings.
“The transnational educational experience quickly drew my attention, leading me to several intriguing questions, including, who is Arthur Sun? Who are Sun’s siblings? Who is C.Y. Sun, his father? Why did he come to Andover to receive education in the US? What experience did he have during his studies in the US and how might that journey help us understand transitional education throughout a historical [lens]? … [These questions are both a] personal history of an individual, but also served as a lens for which we can situate the Sun siblings’ life experience within the broader context of cultural and educational exchange between two great countries in the first half of the twentieth century,” said Yan.
Daniel Zhang ’28, an international Chinese student, found Professor Yan’s research on post-graduation outcomes particularly compelling. Many Sun-era students who planned to modernize China ultimately settled in the U.S. instead — a dilemma that resonated with Zhang as he contemplated his own future between countries.
“History can be deeply personal. Before, I associated it with distant topics like Rome or Egypt. But this project shows how closely it connects to my life as a Chinese student at Andover… I was most interested in what happened to the Chinese students after they left Andover. Many aimed to contribute to China’s development but ended up returning to the U.S. instead. That resonated with me. As an international student, I think about where my future might take me: China, the U.S., or elsewhere” said Zhang.
Lisa de Boer ’26, who previously learned about Chinese students at Andover in her History 300 class, attended the talk to deepen her understanding. She was particularly struck by the Sun siblings’ experiences navigating cultural identity: first as foreigners in the U.S., and later as returnees facing reverse culture shock in China.
“I found it interesting how when [Arthur Sun] was in the U.S., he was viewed as a foreigner and so he only hung out with other Chinese students, but when he returned to China, he still had a huge cultural shock because he’d been in the U.S. for 10 years. Chinese and U.S. culture are very different, and were much more different back in the day, so he probably faced a lot of challenges in business and politics and speaking with his family. That was very interesting for me personally because I sometimes have similar experiences, like in the U.S., I feel more Chinese, but in China, I feel more foreign,” said de Boer.
Yan emphasized the exchanges of knowledge and culture that were made possible by the United States and China’s exchange of students, noting it ultimately benefited both countries. De Boer emphasized the importance of learning about cultural exchange.
“It’s important to learn about moments of collaboration and cultural exchange that’s gone well because the world is becoming more globalized, and the only way you can understand the world you are living in and current events is through exposing yourself to other cultures and other people. It’s a great way to enrich your view of the world,” said de Boer.
