Did the Chinese actually visit America in the 15th Century?

by chriswhitewrites

I recently saw an Ask Historians question about Africans visiting America before Columbus, and I know about Leif Erikson and the Viking expeditions (and heard rumours of Portruguese fishermen), but did the Chinese actually visit America (and Australia and Antarctica) in 1421? Also, a second question: what gives with that native American language that's closest relation is Japanese?

Searocksandtrees

hi! that claim comes from a book, which has earned it's own section in the FAQ:

I'll leave your second question for anthropologists & linguistic historians