Rosenberry Lecture: State Historian’s Address, “Coming to America, Becoming an American”

During the annual State Historian’s Address, Dr. William Wei, Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will explore the contentious issues of immigration and identity in America through the personal lens of his family story. Through this lecture, Dr. Wei will raise the question of “who is an American” and discuss the importance of our national immigration policy on both our state and national identities, as well as its implications on the economy of the Centennial State.

Dr. William Wei is a history professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was the founding editor-in-chief of the online Colorado Encyclopedia and has held various national and international fellowships. His work focuses primarily on modern China, with research interests in Asian Americans. His book, Asians in Colorado: A History of Persecution and Perseverance in the Centennial State, was a finalist for the 2017 Colorado Authors’ League Award for General Nonfiction. He was a lead advisor on History Colorado’s Zoom In exhibition in 2016–2017 and is the author of the exhibition’s companion book, Becoming Colorado: The Centennial State in 100 Objects. He received the Asian American Hero of Colorado Award from the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network in 2022.