Bound Feet and the American Dream: A Lesson Through Perception, Value and Courage
Newly arrived in the U.S., 5-year-old Ting Lan Sun sat in the back of her American kindergarten class unable to understand a word of English. With no special language programs available, she didn’t learn how to read until the third grade. Only two years later, she won an essay contest about what America means to her and she fell for the American dream. However, Ting’s story originates two generations earlier with her paternal grandmother who belonged to one of the last generations of women who had their feet bound in China. Ting will show us how perception, value, and courage are meaningful in the process of assimilation and in becoming your authentic self.
About Ting
Ting Lan Sun graduated from Austin College in 1987 majoring in Latin and English and currently resides in Sacramento, California. She earned her master’s degree in education from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in education from the University of California at Davis. Sun is the Co-founder of Natomas Charter School and served in a number of roles at the school, including as its Executive Director. Sun previously served as Educational Programs Consultant in the California Department of Education, as Senior Vice President at the California Charter Schools Association and as a senior consultant for Cambridge Education, an international school quality review and educational consulting firm. Sun has served on a number of state education policy boards and is currently a member of the California State Board of Education.