Protecting the borders from espionage is essential. It’s something else to deny students because they are Chinese and hope to pursue a STEM degree in the United States.

The 1970s era of academic exchange began as a form of diplomacy. “People were curious about us, inviting us to their homes,” one former student remembers.

His style as a poet and artist was informed by his upbringing in Shanghai and his years in Paris. He then joined the Pop-fueled studios of New York.