M. Chang

Iris Chang was an American journalist and historian, born in 1968, who gained prominence for her impactful books detailing significant historical events. Her early life was shaped by her parents' academic careers and stories of the Nanjing Massacre, a subject she would later extensively research and write about. Chang pursued a career in journalism, earning a degree from the University of Illinois and working as a stringer for The New York Times before obtaining a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Chang authored three notable books: 'Thread of the Silkworm' (1995), which explored the life of scientist Qian Xuesen; 'The Rape of Nanking' (1997), a bestselling account of Japanese wartime atrocities that brought her international attention and advocacy for victims; and 'The Chinese in America: A Narrative History' (2003), which chronicled the experiences and challenges of Chinese Americans. Her work often drew on personal narratives to convey the emotional weight of historical events. Chang's public profile grew significantly after the success of 'The Rape of Nanking,' leading her to become a vocal advocate for historical acknowledgment and compensation. She died by suicide in 2004, a tragedy partly attributed to research pressures, sleep deprivation, and mental health struggles.

Born Iris Shun-Ru Chang in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1968, she was the daughter of immigrant academics from Taiwan. Her childhood in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, was marked by her parents' professions and the resonant stories of the Nanjing Massacre, a historical event from which her maternal grandparents had narrowly escaped. This early exposure to historical trauma, coupled with her inability to find relevant books in local libraries, deeply influenced her future academic pursuits. Her given name, Iris, was chosen to evoke the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the human eye, while her Chinese name signified purity and innocence.

Chang's educational path led her from computer science to journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating in 1989. During her undergraduate studies, she gained valuable experience as a stringer for The New York Times, contributing several front-page articles. After brief roles at the Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune, she advanced her education by earning a master's degree in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University. This period laid the groundwork for her future career as an author, lecturer, and writer of magazine articles.

Chang's literary career focused on illuminating often-overlooked historical narratives. Her first book, 'Thread of the Silkworm' (1995), examined the complex life of physicist Qian Xuesen during the McCarthy era. Her seminal work, 'The Rape of Nanking' (1997), brought the atrocities of the Second Sino-Japanese War to a global audience and became a bestseller, prompting her to advocate for Japanese governmental apology and compensation for victims. Her final book, 'The Chinese in America: A Narrative History' (2003), explored the historical marginalization and contributions of Chinese Americans, emphasizing the persistent questioning of their identities within American society.

The success of 'The Rape of Nanking' transformed Chang into a public figure, frequently sought for speaking engagements and interviews, where she often challenged the Japanese government's stance on wartime accountability. Her visibility increased with her subsequent works. Tragically, Chang experienced significant mental health challenges, including a breakdown in 2004 attributed to sleep deprivation, medications, and the intense emotional toll of her research. She died by suicide on November 9, 2004, leaving behind notes that reflected her profound distress and a sense of being pursued by unknown forces.

“The America of today would not be the same America without the achievements of its ethnic Chinese.”

“scratch the surface of every American celebrity of Chinese heritage and you will find that, no matter how stellar their achievements, no matter how great their contribution to US society, virtually all of them have had their identities questioned at one point or another.”

“I promise to get up and get out of the house every morning. I will stop by to visit my parents then go for a long walk. I will follow the doctor's orders for medications. I promise not to hurt myself. I promise not to visit Web sites that talk about suicide.”

“When you believe you have a future, you think in terms of generations and years. When you do not, you live not just by the day — but by the minute. It is far better that you remember me as I was—in my heyday as a best-selling author—than the wild-eyed wreck who returned from Louisville. ... Each breath is becoming difficult for me to take—the anxiety can be compared to drowning in an open sea. I know that my actions will transfer some of this pain to others, indeed those who love me the most. Please forgive me.”

“There are aspects of my experience in Louisville that I will never understand. Deep down I suspect that you may have more answers about this than I do. I can never shake my belief that I was being recruited, and later persecuted, by forces more powerful than I could have imagined. Whether it was the CIA or some other organization I will never know. As long as I am alive, these forces will never stop houndi”