Since the end of the Second World War, area studies in the United States has undergone an evolutionary process of rapid growth and later institutionalization. This article intends to reveal the development and evolution of the post-World War II area studies in the U.S. through a careful look at East Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, a leading American research university. This program has experienced ups and downs which are closely related to contemporary situations and conditions. After the War's end and especially after the National Defense Education Act of 1958 took effect, the relevant measures taken by the Federal Government, combined with generous grants from private foundations, formed a powerful force that stimulated the growth and prosperity of area studies in the country. The condition of area studies has also been closely related to the insight, level and capability of the leading figures, while funding is always the lifeline. In addition, area studies in the U.S. is affected by American domestic politics. The history of East Asian studies at Berkeley is a microcosm of the overall area studies in the United States. In recent years, the about-face of the Sino-U.S. relations has had a profound and widespread impact, and the negative perception of China is widening and deepening. This political atmosphere is exerting a subtle and profound impact on area studies in the U.S., Chinese studies included.

country and area studies;area studies;University of California Berkeley;East Asian Studies;Sino-U.S. relations