Eric Liu

In many ways, Chinese Americans today are exemplars of the American Dream. However, this narrative obscures too much: the Chinese Americans still left behind, the erosion of the American Dream itself and the anxiety generated now by China’s rise. Based on his book of the same name, Eric Liu’s speech traces his family’s history, culture and future, piecing together a sense of Chinese American identity — and American identity itself. Provocative, often playful and always thoughtful, Liu provides insights into universal matters such as identity, family, nation and the fate of the American idea.