Jian-Zhong Lin

MANSFIELD

Dr. Jian-Zhong Lin, 68, of Mansfield, CT, passed away suddenly in his hometown of Putian in Fujian Province, China on June 5th, 2024.

Jian-Zhong was born on June 18th, 1955 to his father, Jinzhu Lin and mother, Xiumei You. As a young boy, Jian-Zhong loved to read and learn. He worked in a sugar factory with his parents and labored in the mountains of Fujian before studying English at Xiamen University. Jian-Zhong was selected as one of the first students to be funded by the People's Republic of China to study English in America and arrived in Riverside, California in January 1980.

Jian-Zhong earned his Master's degree in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1991 from University of California, Riverside. During his time there, he lived with Alan and Jan Pauw and their six kids, who he would come to call his American family.

Dr. Lin taught at California State University Fullerton and Teikyo Loretto Heights University before beginning his career at Eastern Connecticut State Universitys English department in 1995. He worked at ECSU for 24 years teaching courses on American literature and enjoyed highlighting Asian-American and immigrant writings, offering critical perspectives on mainstream American literary figures, and generating discussions on U.S. and China relations through literature. Dr. Lin organized and led multiple trips to China during his time as an American educator to provide an opportunity for students to see China through their own eyes without the bias of Western media.

Dr. Lin served as the editor-in-chief of the Connecticut Literature Journal and was a founding board member of the Association of Chinese-American Professors in Connecticut. He enjoyed gardening and was often found tending to his fruit trees and blueberry bushes.

Dr. Lin leaves behind his wife, Haili, his daughter, Xinyu, his son, Yibin, his brothers, Jianhua and Jianren, sister, Qiongying, and his mom, Xiumei.

Dr. Lin was cremated at Putian Fushan Funeral House in China and buried in Storrs Cemetery. A memorial service was held on July 27th, 2024 in Mansfield..

Dr. Jian-Zhong Lin