Our recent program featured an engaging exploration of Bing's Cherries by Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo, a picture book praised for its imaginative retelling of a largely untold Chinese American story. The session introduced participants to the real figure of Ah Bing, a Chinese immigrant who came to Oregon in the mid-nineteenth century and worked in the orchards of Seth Lewelling, where he helped cultivate the famous cherry that still bears his name.
The presentation explored how Blackburne recast the scant historical record into a folkloric narrative framed through a father-daughter conversation, demonstrating how cultural memory, imagination, and storytelling can preserve and celebrate the contributions of immigrants whose personal histories might otherwise be forgotten.
We were honored to be joined by Professor Cooper from Washington State University (Tri-Cities) and her students, who are pre-service teachers. We are glad to be reaching more educators at different stages of their teaching!
Blackburne shared her personal stories and how they connect to the broader community. The session guided participants from the individual level, where stories help learners articulate personal experience and deepen self-expression, outward to community and cultural narratives that shape shared histories and values. Blackburne highlighted how communal stories develop from direct experience to historical accounts, offering strategies for engaging students in deeper cultural inquiry and critical thinking.
The presentation culminated in a discussion of myth and collective imagination, showing how myth isn't just ancient lore but has long shaped cultural meaning and values across societies—a way for learners to imagine futures, challenge dominant paradigms, and create stories that reflect both aspiration and cultural complexity. Participants came away with classroom-ready ideas for making storytelling an engine for both language development and broader social understanding for the younger generation.
The first 25 participants received a free copy of the book. This program is made possible by the USC U.S.-China Institute and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.