Panda Express Head Chef to Co-Lead Talk on Food and Ethnicity

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Jimmy Wang serves as the director of culinary innovation at Chinese fast food giant Panda Express.
Jimmy Wang serves as the director of culinary innovation at Chinese fast food giant Panda Express.

An Asian-American history professor and the head chef from American Chinese fast casual restaurant Panda Express will kick off the College of Education and Integrative Studies inaugural lecture series on food and ethnicity.

Professor Haiming Liu will share the lecture stage with Wang to give a talk on Panda Express and the history of Chinese food in the United States.
Professor Haiming Liu will share the lecture stage with Wang to give a talk on Panda Express and the history of Chinese food in the United States.

Professor Haiming Liu from the Department of Ethnic and Women’s Studies, along with Jimmy Wang, director of culinary innovation at Panda Express, will give a talk titled “From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States” at the event set for Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bronco Student Center’s Ursa Minor.

Over the next year, the series will feature some of the region’s foremost experts on race and ethnicity.  Its focus is to explore and celebrate the central role of food in the history and culture of ethnic groups in Southern California.

Liu has taught ethnic studies focusing on Asian-American history for over 20 years at Cal Poly Pomona. He has published two books including “The Transnational History of a Chinese American Family” and “From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States.” He has also published book reviews, encyclopedia entries, book chapters and journal articles on Asian American history and the Chinese immigrant experience.

Wang, a native of Taiwan, has served as Panda Express’s culinary director for over three years. The restaurant chain, founded by Andrew and Peggy Cherng in 1983, is the largest family-owned and operated Asian dining concept in the United States, with more than 2,200 restaurants.

The event will include light refreshments. To RSVP, contact Ashley Jones at 909-869-5370 or ashleyjones@cpp.edu.