Spain in Sanmao and Sanmao in Spain
Professor Wan Sonya Tang will present a new research project on the Taiwanese author, Sanmao, who achieved Asian superstardom in the 1970s through her work chronicling her life in Madrid, Spanish Sahara, and the Canary Islands. However, Sanmao remained unknown in Spain (and the West in general) until her writing was translated into Spanish in 2016. Professor Tang’s project investigates how this oft-exoticized Asian woman in turn exoticized Spanish society, particularly from Spain’s peripheral territories. She also examines how the various Spanish lands she wrote about now claim Sanmao as part of their historical heritage. Ultimately, the study rethinks traditional models of Orientalization through an analysis of Sanmao’s work and Spain’s engagement with her.
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, March 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Memorial Day
University Observed Holidays
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, May 25, 2026.