As an historian and interloper in the Ivy League, I see the world through the lens of my unique identity, where the flow of history and personal struggles intertwine. Growing up in a poor foster family, Richard L. Davis carved an extraordinary path through academia to become a distinguished historian of ancient China. Despite facing significant challenges and exclusion, he secured advanced degrees and taught at some of the top universities—an achievement nearly impossible in his generation. Within predominantly white academic institutions, he—the interloper in the Ivy League—offers a fair yet compassionate judgment of elite universities undermined by systemic and structural flaws. He reveals how these remarkably homogenous institutions are biased power structures based on pedigree, race, and personal connections, which restrict opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. More than a record of his academic path, the memoir acknowledges the deep impact of those wh
