Book excerpt: American women have lived in Hong Kong, and in neighboring Macao, for nearly two centuries. Many were changed by their encounter with Chinese life and British colonialism. Their openness to new experiences set them apart, while their "pedagogical impulse" gave them a reputation for outspokenness that troubled others. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, newspapers, films, and other texts, Stacilee Ford tells the stories of several American women and explores how, through dramatically changing times, they communicated their notions of national identity and gender.Troubling American Womenis a lively and provocative study of cross-cultural encounters between the Hong Kong and the US and use of stereotypes of American womanhood in Hong Kong popular culture. Stacilee Fordhas lived in Hong Kong for 18 years. She teaches history and American studies at the University of Hong Kong.