A sister project of Americans in Shanghai – another book series compiled by the SIAS, Shanghainese in America also looks into the eventful life of the featured individuals. Looking back at when these Chinese people first set foot on American soil, the book sheds light on the challenges they have met and unveils how they managed to overcome them. By telling the stories of these Chinese Americans and by sharing their views on China-US relations, the book serves as a tribute to their contributions to promoting Chinese culture in the international community. 

The book offers a vivid illustration of the extensive people-to-people exchange between China and the US. While the academia is full of meticulous researches on China-US relations, this book series provides a fresh angle: how local, interpersonal, and non-governmental exchanges benefit mutual understanding and bilateral relations. 

The first volume includes these 26 inspiring Chinese Americans:
Fred S. Teng (President, America China Public Affairs Institute)
Matthew Zhu (President, Kiangsu Chekiang Association of the USA in California)
Qiang Lu (CEO, Insur-All Insurance Svcs, Inc.)
Roy Ying (President, US-China Sister City Association)
Grace Li (President, Chinese Philanthropy Global Partnership Inc.)
Jesse Fang (President, Tangram Technologies, Incorporated)
Jiande Chen (CEO, IMAX China Holding, Inc.)
Robert Ju (founder, Robert Ju Insurance Agency)
Mei Friedman (Managing Director, BLACKROCK Private Equity Partners)
Zhi-Ying James Fang (Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP)
Jiaye Xie (certified speech-language pathologist)
Peter F. Hu (Chief Technologist, University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center)
Li Zhou (writer, businesswoman)
Lin Sun-Hoffman (President, Sun-Hoffman Consulting)
Liqun Luo (Professor of Biology, Stanford University)
Paul Qiu (Assistant Manager, Queens Library at Flushing)
Baizhu Chen (Professor, USC Marshall School of Business)
Yongchun Tang (Director, Power Environmental Energy Research Institute)
Liping Ma (founder, Sitanfu Chinese School)
Jane Wang (Senior Psychometrician, Educational Testing Service)
Joan Chen (actress, film director, writer)
Jianjun Zhang (artist, Professor of Art at New York University)
Lavinia Yu (painter)
Yuanyuan Tan (principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet)
Suqun Zhang (painter)
George Zhao (digital media consultant) 

Various organizations supported the compilation work of this book series, including the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government. Future volumes of Shanghainese in America will follow in the coming years.