Love Letters from Janey: 50 Years of Breaking Barriers Together

Love Letters from Janey tells the story of the late Janey Mildred Young, a most remarkable Chinese American woman who successfully built a career in science in the 1960s. Written as a tribute to his wife, Richard Cheu shares more than 100 letters written by Janey during their 50-year partnership. Richard writes about important moments of their lives as a Chinese-American couple who overcame the limits of societal expectations within and without the Asian American community.

Richard keeps Janey’s memory alive in his heartfelt and wide-eyed reflections. More than a love story, Love Letters to Janey represents a moment in time in the history of Asian America. As American-born Chinese who pursued academic and career excellence at Stanford and Bell Laboratories, Janey and Richard were a dual-career couple during a time when U.S. women were still fighting for gender equality in the workplace. In addition to career achievements, the book also focuses on common issues faced by any couple: reconciling beliefs about religion, raising a family, and sharing finances.

Memoirs about people of color bring light to often-overlooked stories of struggle and triumph. The most memorable ones shatter racial and gender stereotypes and offer a new way to look at collective and individual thriving in the face of adversity.