Pearl Buck's Family
When was Pearl S. Buck born?
June 26, 1892
Although raised in China, where did Pearl S. Buck go to college in 1911?
Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia.
What was the name of Pearl S. Buck’s first novel, written while living in China, but published in 1930 by the John Day Publishing Company in New York?
East Wind West Wind, which focuses on a Chinese woman, Kwei-lan, and the changes that she and her family undergo.
Pearl S. Buck and her second husband, Richard Walsh, went on to formally adopt 6 more children, and unofficially adopt many others. At that time many children of bi racial or multi-cultural decent were considered “hard to place” for adoption. What organization did Pearl S. Buck start in 1949 to address this issue?
The Welcome House, which matched more than 7,000 orphans and children from around the globe with adoptive families in the United States. Many of the children were biracial. In June of 2014 the program was phased out because of changes in international adoption regulations.
PSBI continues the sponsorship program today. Name the countries that have PSBI sponsorship centers.
China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Kenya. For approximately $30 per month you can help a child have access to health care, nutrition and education.
Where was Pearl S. Buck born?
Hillsboro, West Virginia
Why did Pearl S. Buck return to China after college?
To care for her ailing mother, who died in 1921.
What was the name of Pearl S. Buck’s most famous novel, which won the Pulitzer prize in 1932?
The Good Earth. For many readers it was a first glimpse into the life of the Chinese people.
Pearl S. Buck felt she understood prejudice due to her experience in Nanking, and as a white person in China. When she came to America she was appalled at the treatment of African-Americans and worked tirelessly on behalf of racially equality. What group recognized her work on behalf of African Americans?
NAACP organizer, Walter White, said that only 2 people understood the reality of black life: Eleanor Roosevelt and Pearl S. Buck. PSB was bequeathed a lifetime membership to the NAACP.
Can you name 1 famous graduate from the sponsorship program?
Allan Pineda Lindo, dancer and singer in The Black Eyed Peas. Born in Philippines, he was part of the sponsorship program when his mother sent him to America for a medical procedure and to have a life of opportunity.
What does the S. in Pearl S. Buck stand for?
Sydenstricker, which was her maiden name
Pearl S. Buck and her 1'st husband, John Lossing Buck, an American agricultural economist, were married in China in 1917 and had 1 child, Carol, in 1920. They adopted their 2'nd child, Janice while in graduate school. Where did Pearl S. Buck earn her Master’s degree in 1925?
Cornell University
Pearl S. Buck was the first woman to win both the Pulitzer Prize and what other internationally acclaimed prize for the body of her literature?
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1938 was awarded to Pearl S. Buck for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces
Pearl S. Buck felt that women authors were not seen as serious literary writers. She wrote 5 books under what male pseudonym to prove once and for all that she “could write!”
John Sedges
Name the PSBI initiative that provides children and their families in Thailand with pigs to address food insecurity and build family-owned businesses that earn family-sustaining wages.
PSBI’s “Raise a Pig” initiative in Ban Nong Luang village, Mae Ramard District, Tak province, Thailand. Providing each family with training and the pig costs $40—and 10% of the money we earn tonight goes towards this program!
Where did Pearl S. Buck’s Southern Presbyterian missionary parents move to when she was 3 months old?
Zhenjiang, China
When the family returned to China, Pearl S. Buck and Lossing Buck were teachers at the University of Nanking. In 1927, a kind Chinese friend hid Pearl S. Buck and her family, keeping them safe from certain death, during what incident?
1927 Nanking incident, where Communist troops stormed the university to rid the country of “white” infiltrators.
Pearl S. Buck’s oldest daughter, Carol, had a rare condition known as PKU. Now treatable, at the time PKU caused severe cognitive impairment. Pearl S. Buck wrote what book about raising a special-needs daughter in an era of misinformation and prejudice—and helped other families have hope and optimism as they advocated for their own children with disabilities?
The Child Who Never Grew, published in 1950
In 1964, Pearl S. Buck established the Pearl S. Buck Foundation to address poverty and discrimination facing bi-racial children in Asian countries. She started sponsorship programs and opportunity centers that provided funds for health care, nutrition and education. What was the first country she started in?
South Korea, and later offices were opened in Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Name the PSBI program that teens raise money toward Pearl S. Buck International’s work and mission, learn about other cultures, improve leadership skills, discuss important topics like racism, bias, and cultural competency and have fun!
This program! Through the Global Leadership Program we created this event to connect with others, spread awareness about the PSBI mission and practice leadership and advocacy skills!
Chinese was Pearl S. Buck’s first language. What is her name in Chinese?
Sai Zhenzhu
What year did Pearl S. Buck and her children leave China for good and move to Green Hills Farm, Perkasie PA, due to fears regarding her family’s safety from discrimination by China’s Communist government?
1934
Why did Pearl S. Buck never return to China after leaving in 1934?
Although she applied many times for a Visa to return to China, the Communist government denied each request because they felt her books were damaging to their authority.
Pearl S. Buck was a great convener and connector, collaborating with high profile friends and neighbors to support her efforts. Name 2 famous people from the arts that helped Pearl S. Buck found The Welcome House.
James Michener and Oscar Hammerstein, both from Bucks County—they were deeply committed to supporting Pearl S. Buck’s adoption and cross-cultural initiatives.
Name the PSBI program that provides cross-cultural competency training designed to help schools, businesses, and organizations establish an environment that embraces diversity and inclusion.
Welcome Workplace intercultural diversity and inclusion training.