Interloper in the Ivy League: An African-American Perspective on China

As an historian and interloper in the Ivy League, I see the world through the lens of my unique identity, where the flow of history and personal struggles intertwine. Growing up in a poor foster family, Richard L. Davis carved an extraordinary path through academia to become a distinguished historian of ancient China. Despite facing significant challenges and exclusion, he secured advanced degrees and taught at some of the top universities—an achievement nearly impossible in his generation. Within predominantly white academic institutions, he—the interloper in the Ivy League—offers a fair yet compassionate judgment of elite universities undermined by systemic and structural flaws. He reveals how these remarkably homogenous institutions are biased power structures based on pedigree, race, and personal connections, which restrict opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. More than a record of his academic path, the memoir acknowledges the deep impact of those who greatly supported him. His identity as a gay Black with a public school background often led to questions being raised about his qualifications and abilities, with missed opportunities as a result. His mentors, friends and lovers became sources of special strength at those times, helping him to overcome challenges and break through the boundaries. In addition, through the lens of a historian, he reflects on the evolving landscapes these past several decades of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, places where he has lived and witnessed firsthand.

Preface Chapter 1 The Other New York Childhood, School Years, Undergraduate Years, First Stay in Taiwan, “Roots” in Miniature, A Memorable Jewish Mentor, A Slice of Heaven – Princeton, Graduate School Mentors, Cracks in Heaven, Back to Taipei, The Last Stretch, Loveless, The Southern Ivy Chapter 2 From Vermont to the Carolinas Freshman Teacher at Middlebury, The Duke Years, Crème of the African American Crop, Academic Routine at Duke, President Sanford, Program Building, The Trials of Publishing, The Other China, Africans in China, Gay Life in China, America Again, The Other Cambridge, Milking the Poor, Cutting Loose Chapter 3 Early Years at Brown University The Poorest Ivy, The Longest June, Brown Women, Academic Environment, Making a Difference, Wealth and Beauty, Wind Against the Mountain, Taiwan Again, Surviving the Plague Chapter 4 Late Career at Brown University Tumult in the President’s Office, Spousal Hires, Herding Cats, Social Life, Historical Records Project, The Simmons’ Administration, Chairing East Asian Studies, Tenure Controversies, Imperial Biography, Leaving America Chapter 5 Hong Kong Decade A Willful Bondage, University Leaders, Breaking into the Chinese Market, Remembering Zhang Qifan, A New Biography, Legacy in the Classroom, Provincialism of Faculty, The Reluctant Head, Role Model, As Embattled Dean, Personal Life