The Asian and Asian American Studies Program, in conjunction with the History Department, presents an exhibit about the extraordinary family of John Chen, a Cal State LA alumnus. Entitled "Ties That Bind: A Transnational Family From China to the U.S.," the exhibit details the journey of the Chen and LI families: there conversion to the Seventh Day Adventists faith in China, their migration to America, and their contributions to American Society as stranded scholars in the 20th century. This story begins with the end of the First Opium War in 1842 into contemporary times in the United States. Their migration illustrates the importance of identity, its connection to the past , and its roots across the Pacific in contemporary Asian America. The exhibit tells a story of resilience that is both representative and exceptional to the experience of many Chinese American families in the early 20th century.