Includes bibliographical references (pages 473-506) and index.
Planting talents for the future : the Chinese educational mission, 1872-1881 -- Reaping the whirlwind : China and the United States, 1880-1910 -- Preparing students for the United States : Tsinghua School, 1911-1928 -- Sailing from Shanghai -- Carrying a satchel in a strange land -- Experimenting with democracy -- Student ambassadors -- The road that leads to home -- Smashing the bridge to the West -- No place to display one's talents -- Continuing the quest for modernization : Chinese students in the United States, 1978-2002 -- Timeline -- Appendix A: Chinese students in the United States, 1914 -- Appendix B: List of Boxer Scholars and Tsinghua alumni teaching at Tsinghua, 1925-1926 -- Appendix C: Countries of origin of foreign students in the United States for the academic year 1923-1924 -- Appendix D: Top last schools attended in China, for students in American colleges and universities, 1854-1953 -- Appendix E: "Don'ts" for foreigners when discussing China -- Appendix F: "Truth" about China and the United States -- Appendix G: Top American colleges and universities granting degrees to Chinese students, 1854-1953 -- Appendix H: Fields of study, Chinese students in the United States, 1905-1932 -- Appendix I: "The Return of the donkey"