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This five day "East Asia Since 1800" seminar was definitely an eye opening and unforgettable experience.
Although I am Asian myself, I actually know very little about the culture and history of other Asian countries. Attending this seminar gave me a chance to learn about all of East Asia. For example, though I watch many Japanese animation films and TV dramas, but I knew very little about Japanese popular culture until now. I also like watching Korean romantic dramas, but I greatly lacked knowledge of Korea's history. During this seminar, I was very excited to learn more about East Asia. The field trip also further helped me more vividly visualize the content knowledge.
Another valuable aspect of this seminar is that I have learned how to interpret history from a historian's point of view. Professor Hwang showed us various video clips about Korean War. Though most of them were very poignant, he remained calm and collected the entire time. He consistently explained the meanings of signs and figures in an objective way. I learned that when I observe and interpret historic knowledge, I must think and act as a historian; that is, I must eliminate possible bias resulted from personal value and feelings.
My professors and classmates also helped inspire many new and different ways to introduce culture and history to my students. As a language teacher, it helps me further integrate East Asian history and culture into language teaching.
Attending this seminar also gave me a chance to make new friends and learn from classmates who teach different subjects. Confucius said, "三人行, 必有我师(san-ren-xing, bi-you-wo-shi, meaning "Among the three people I meet on the way, there will be at least one from whom I can learn something.") I learned a lot from all the participants through class discussion, their posts, and pleasant chats during lunch time.
I really appreciate USC U.S. - China Institute for hosting this wonderful seminar and feel lucky to have had a chance to participate.
Thank you! 谢谢! (xie-xie)
AnonymousThe East Asia since 1800 seminar was a great experience. I wanted to enroll in this seminar to shed some light on a region that I do not have extensive knowledge on. I was very pleased with how much I learned and was so excited to come up with ideas on how to implement those ideas in my classes.
The presentation on “foodways” was amazing. I always use food to teach concepts like culture, trade, and the world economy, however, my knowledge of east Asian cuisine is limited. The part of the presentation that stood out was that idea of soft power and what the Korean government does to spread its culture through food. The bibipop chefs that tour the country making the signature dish for anyone willing to try it was an awesome anecdote to use in class and to discuss the importance of exerting influence in the international community and why countries feel the need to do that. Furthermore, the “McDonaldization” of things is a concept that is relevant to most students so being able to discuss cultural differences and how corporations like McDonalds need to adjust accordingly to be successful in other countries is an important discussion to have when discussing world trade and conflict.
The second most noteworthy concept I’d like to fit into my courses is the idea of “three Chinas”. The complicated relationship between Taiwan, Hong Kong and China is one that is difficult to teach at great lengths in high school. However, the concept of the foreign film quota and the different genres each “China” creates is a great tool to teach the complicated nature of border relations, the need for interconnectedness and again, that idea of soft power.
I am very pleased with the amount of ideas that I now have to incorporate in my history classes and am much more comfortable including more material from East Asia. The seminar has been a great experience, thank you so much for providing this opportunity to educators like us!
AnonymousNormal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Over the past three years, I have not really given it much thought to how I can incorporate Asia into my lessons. After attending the USC US China institute, I am thinking about it constantly. Many great points were brought up during the conference that have prompted this thought. We tend to focus on European history so much because that is our past. Although trade with Europe will continue to matter in the future, trade with East Asia will surpass that. Our students will be the generations that will be connected with East Asia and they will need the background necessary to interact with Asian people. Most of my students do not have interaction with students since Bakersfield has a small East Asian community. It is up to the teachers to provide students with background and cultural information to help them in their future goals.
As I go forth and plan my lessons, I will try to “smuggle” Asia into topics that I wouldn’t normally incorporate East Asian topics. I will continue to think about these as the year goes on. The few ideas I do have include what I would call “Culture Days”. Asian histories do come up from time to time and I have glossed over them in the past. What I am planning on doing is taking a few days on each one. For example, when we talk about the Communist Revolution in China, I used to have them read some material on Mao and completely ignore all the previous Chinese history. What I am going to do is spend a few days discussion the Chinese dynasties, culture, and language. Professor Clay’s PowerPoint presentations provide more than enough material. I will show some Chinese movies (The Red Detachment of Women) and bring in some Chinese food that they have never had (I will ask some of my friends for recipes). I will do something similar to this for Japan (before we discuss their involvement in WWII and Korea (before the Korean War).
I’m hoping that these culture days will give students an understanding of the countries and remove any stereotypes that they might have. It wont always be easy or possible, but I would like to try and incorporate East Asia into as many units as possible.
AnonymousSorry, I don't know why my previous message is adding all that text at the beginning. I tried to redo it several times with no luck.
AnonymousNormal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria;} After our visit to LACMA and the Huntington Library, I began to reflect on how Asian art and poetry often go hand in hand. In the Japanese gardens, each landscape was a work of art, and each artwork often had lines of poetry within or near its composition. In addition, I began noticing how both Japanese artists and poets frequently chose the changing seasons and the natural world around them as a focus for their creations. This led me to believe that I could guide my students to this way of thinking, as well.
“Haiku contain a distinct grammatical break called a kireji, frequently represented in English by commas, hyphens or ellipsis. The kireji is used to contrast and compare two events, images or situations (Integrating Art and Literacy, Katherine Cargile). Since traditional haiku poetry typically contains references to a season or to the natural world, the next logical step might be to have students contrast it with something in their everyday lives. Seeing various Asian artworks truly inspired me to analyze how I could incorporate Asian art and poetry into my tenth grade English Language Arts curriculum more creatively and effectively.
Since that final day of our program, I have also started looking more at the Edo Era (1600-1868), when Japanese society experienced a resurgence of art, and Japanese woodblock prints became a popular and accessible art form. I find it fascinating that these Japanese woodblock prints (“pictures of the floating world”) typically show the joys and pleasures of normal life. Some of the scenes included images found in nature, theater actors in memorable scenes and costume, fashionable women posing in everyday settings, and illustrations of Japanese mythology. These woodblock prints seem to be a good idea to promote my own students’ learning and encourage them to look into their own lives and the lives of others. The museum and library visit, along with the literature passed out to us in class, have proven to be invaluable assets in finding connections and bridging the gap between American and Asian cultures studied in the classroom.
AnonymousThe USC U.S.-China Institute Awakening
As one who has never been to East Asia or even studied it in any depth, I certainly feel a bit wiser after my week at USC. Wow! With the focus on China, Korea, and Japan, the seminar offered a vast array of information, both historical and cultural, that enlightened me in such a manner that I honestly had not anticipated. The week culminated in not two, but three field trips (I’m including our lunch in Chinatown as a field trip) to East Asian inspired gardens, to Korean and Japanese art exhibits, and to an AUTHENTIC Chinese restaurant. While the commute was grueling, the learning and “enjoy”ability index was high.
Highlights of the seminar included the colorful lectures by Clay Dube, whose knowledgeable and playful presentations kept us interested and entertained-not an easy thing for teachers to do. It’s one thing to study and talk about East Asia, but Professor Dube has “lived” the cultures and that really added to the heart and soul of his lectures. Clay provided us with tons of materials, including texts, films, stats, and images of the various populations and cultures of East Asia, that we can now take back to our classrooms and use. I so appreciate all goodies that I can now delve into.
Another standout instructor was Professor Hwang, who emphasized learning Korean history through cinema. Perhaps I’m a bit biased because for my film review assignment, I chose TAE GUK GI, at his urging, and was really into it. While the violence was graphic and brutal, I could see through to the history and family values of the movie.
AnonymousClass Reflection
Going into the seminar on East Asia I hoped to be able to acquire some reference materials and some new sources for content related info. The experience I had was much more enriching. The topics and information presented by Clay and the guest professors gave me a new perspective about East Asia.
For example when the class stared to discuss the statistics about growth and development in East Asia especially China I was amazed. Like the fact that China has gain over a hundred million Internet users in 6 years, wow! I was aware of our government’s new focus on Asian politics but not to the level discussed in class. When you consider that ¼ of all US trade is with East Asia you can understand the logic behind the shift. The statistical information presented in class can be used a catalyst for discussions in class about industrialization and it effects as well as urbanization and it’s impact along with population growth.
When the class focused on Japanese pop culture I was once again surprised by some of the information presented. As with a lot of teachers I was somewhat familiar with the “manga” and “anime” subculture of Japan. I was not aware how much it was integrated in the Japanese culture. From government support and branding, to it’s impact on urban planning with “Akiba” neighborhoods. I like other teacher have heard of teachers using this literature style to introduce students to heavy content like Shakespeare, so I would say that one way to incorporated this part of Japanese culture into the classroom.
The way the week ended was unexpectedly informing as well. Becoming familiar with such a rich local resource like the Huntington Gardens was refreshing. The connections to Chinese and Japanese cultures pointed out by the docet were fascinating. Every thing had some meaning, from the planting of plum trees in the Chinese garden to multiple shades of green plantings in the Japanese garden. I would be great to take students there and identify the connections to each culture present in the gardens and explain their importance.
AnonymousThis course on east Asia has been wonderful. I was originally interested in the course because I wanted to know more about the ways in which east Asia affects our government and economy but I got so much more than what I came for. From a greater appreciation of Asian cultures generally, to making connections between very specific demographic shifts and government policies, to martial arts films as an economic strategy, to the appreciation and understanding of globalization that can only be gained through the study of sushi, this course was full of both a ubiquitous academic richness and very specific and profound insights. I plan to bring into my government class many bits of knowledge and examples to illustrate concepts and ideas from Asian cultures. One example would be that when the US army occupied Japan, we enacted a system of surreptitious censorship that would absolutely violate any interpretation of the first amendment of our Constitution. Just this one example allows for us to examine historical documents, think critically about them, and judge for ourselves if the U.S. government was acting hypocritically to deny the Japanese the most basic rights we offer to our own people. I am also going to discuss the folk ways responsible for the splitting of family farms between sons (fenjia) and how this difference affected the formation of Chinese society and government. Further, we can discuss how this policy of fenjia differed from land use in both Great Britian and the colonies on the eve of the American Revolution and what the implications of this difference. Yet another concrete example of a difficult concept being illustrated by an east Asian government would be Korea’s branding and active cultivation of “soft power” via free food on gourmet food trucks.
The process of developing my curriculum project was a very rewarding one and I am glad I was able to go through it. In developing the lessons for my econ class, I was really forced to think about the regional economies of my hometown and our east Asian sister cities. I think the project is going to bring an enthusiasm to my students for learning about our east Asian friends in Wakayama, Japan; Cixi, China; and Bucheon, South Korea. Hopefully they will be forced to think critically about the economic interests of Bakersfield and how they could compliment the interests of our various sister cities. I am also happy to expose them to public sector organizations that can facilitate connections of the sort the students would hopefully come up with.
In summation, the lectures, and in class discussions were stellar, and offered a great many insights as to how to bring Asian culture into my classroom, and the assignments and format of the online forum really supported the in class learning. Thanks for a wonderful experience!
AnonymousThis Institute was thought-provoking to say the least. Each day was full of interesting topics and trends presented by scholars and experts in their fields. I especially enjoyed the module on Manga and Anime and other aspects of Japanese pop culture. Professor Jung Kim's presentation of food also provided ideas about how to bring Asia into my Spanish classroom. The idea of authenticity, and fusing in Los Angeles is certainly relatable to students as many of the families I serve represent two cultures. Finally, Brian Hu's presentation on Chinese Cinemas---was like solving a puzzle. Having viewed to many "Chinese" movies, I was only able to distinguish them by language but not by style. The docent led tour of Korean treasures was very informative, wanted more!
Adding to this mix was an awesome group of very dedicated teachers, intent on creating meaningful lessons to take back to students. Each lunch time, I engaged in numerous conversations regarding the subjects at hand, with teachers from different disciplines and age groups. Being a Spanish teacher among many Social Studies and English teachers gave me a different perspective of the concerns regarding context and student engagement.
Having all this material was a bit overwhelming but after meeting this year's students, I am more familiar with their interest, which then helps me think about the most effective ways to "smuggle" in Asia into a Spanish class. Using the resources given at the Institute, along with the methodologies appropriate to my discipline, I am confident in delivering lessons about Astroboy to my middle school students.
This Institute was a wonderful learning experience that I would highly recommend to any educator.
AnonymousFinal Essay for the 2014 Summer Residential Institute
I found the seminar to be very informative. Before I signed up for the seminar, I believed that I had a good general knowledge of Asian history and culture. However, I soon discovered that most of my general knowledge was out of date. While some of the presentations did focus on the past histories of China, Korea and Japan, I found the presentations which provided the most current information about these countries to be even more interesting. The current information made it clear that these countries have experienced, and are continuing to experience, impressive social, political and economic changes. It was particularly fascinating to learn how the cultural differences of China, Korea, and Japan influenced the strategies each respective country followed to modernize.
One consequence of the rapid modernization of these East Asian countries is their ever increasing influence and effect on the world economy. If they continue to sustain their economic growth and influence on the world economy, then, increasingly, what happens in these countries will have a dramatic impact on our lives in America. Most Americans, including myself, know very little about the effect these East Asian countries currently have on our lives or will have on the lives of our future generations. The seminar offered me a small glimpse of the tremendous impact these countries currently have and will continue to have on America. As a high school teacher, I see a tremendous need to educate my students about the impact that East Asia will have on their lives. They need to learn to view the world more globally and understand how changes in other countries, such as the ones in East Asia, can have a very real effect on their futures, including their employment and career opportunities, their financial success, and even their educational choices. By becoming more aware of these changes, they can make wiser choices by taking advantage of any new opportunities that arise. For example, the growing partnership of many American companies with Asian companies could provide tremendous opportunities for students who are bilingual in English and Mandarin, Korean, or Japanese. Yet, at the present time, few classes in Asian languages are even offered in schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. There are virtually no classes that focus on East Asian countries and their histories that are taught. (I’m not counting the “token” units on Asia that are taught as part of the World History curriculum.) Even the standardized tests in History/Social Studies neglect Asia. In a recent version of the California State Test, there were only a few questions about China during Chairman Mao’s leadership. This lack of knowledge places our students at a tremendous disadvantage, and more educational opportunities need to be provided to bring them up to speed.
I think the seminar has already accomplished a very important achievement –it has educated the educators. I came away from the seminar with a much broader view of the world, a world which is affected and shaped by the things that are happening in East Asia. This view now motivates me to learn more about the effects East Asia has on the world, and especially America, and to find ways to relate this information to my students. The new Common Core Standards will make it easier for me to incorporate information on East Asian countries into my English classes.
AnonymousNo middle school social studies teacher ever tried to tell me anything about Asia. We spent months on the Renaissance in 7th grade without mentioning the trans-continental contact that helped inspire the European artists, writers, thinkers and explorers whose names every schoolchild learns early on. I loved my secondary education, but it was because my privileged background allowed me to function within it without ever wondering about the missing pieces.
I know that not every teacher loves the State Standards, but I will always be grateful to have taught in a California Department of Education that mandated I teach about people from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In following the standards for the past seven years, I've come to love the people who led Japan and China through the rise and fall of feudalism. The greatest benefit of my seminar participation may have been that I now know the rest of the story. Even if my students rarely ask what happened to these countries beyond the 17th century or so when we leave them, it will edify my lessons to have gained the in-depth knowledge of where the subsequent years have found these accomplished people and their proud nations.
I have also found that the seminar has left a profound impact on my own interactions with people of different backgrounds. I live in Alhambra, a suburb with an enormous Chinese-American population. It has been easy for me to ignore that community and consider it separate from my own. With the breadth of empathy I've gained from my USCI experience, though, I have discovered a greater interest in the stories of a community that seemed foreign and monolithic. I see more clearly the importance of bridging the gaps between me and my neighbors, who come from a background that is different from my own, but still possible to understand.
I plan to further that understanding by also using and disseminating the resources I have gained from the seminar. I have already had productive meetings with the 10th grade World History teacher at my school, in which we marveled at the Korean short stories and Chinese documentaries and hatched grand plans for him to use them to enhance his own curriculum. No matter what happens with the State Standards and Common Core in the future, I will bring my further-developed interest in and understanding of East Asian culture into every classroom I enter for the rest of my career.
AnonymousAttending the five day "East Asia Since 1800" seminar was such an amazing and eye-opening experience. I am truly grateful for the depth of knowledge that was fed to me. I am embarrassed to admit at how little I knew of East Asia and its history. I signed up for this seminar as a personal growth experience, and I was extremely pleased. I learned so much about the culture, the people, the history, even the geography! I was especially fascinated by the guest speakers: Brain Hu and his discussion on Chinese cinema and the three Chinas - Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.; Anne McKnight and her discussion of Japanese pop-culture; and Prof. Jung Kim and the hybridization of food and cultures. All three of these guest speakers taught me how to see and understand from an East Asian perspective. I learned history about Chinese film that I can share with my students. I was especially fascinated by Anne McKnight’s lecture on Japanese pop-culture. The discussion and readings she provided on manga and Anime were so insightful. Previous to that lecture, I had a few students that had shared some sketches with me of manga and Anime characters and were telling me their plans of moving to Japan to pursue a career in manga design/creation. Naturally I felt so disconnected because I had not clue what they were referring to. Hence when this discussion took place, I had silent cheers. I finally understood what my students were so crazed about and I would be able to connect with them. As for Prof. Kim, his discussion on the influence of “soft power” through food propaganda was quite interesting. In addition, all the different hybridizations of foods and cultures made it fun for me when I went out in search of a new place to have dinner! It’s amazing how I now see things in a whole new light. I am able to understand, see, and appreciate things in another perspective. A simple field trip to the Huntington Gardens opened a whole new world of perspective. I embraced the beauty and aspects of both a Chinese and a Japanese Garden. At LACMA I was able to absorb such rich Korean history. Overall, I not only learned so much on a personal level, but as a Resource Teacher in high school I can take all this new found information and use it to support my students in their History, English, or any other appropriate class.
AnonymousNormal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Keshia Stiles
Summer Institute 2014
Final Essay
When the email first showed up in my inbox regarding the seminar, I thought it would be a fun way to spend a week of my summer: learning about something I know very little about, meeting new teachers, and being a student again. While I was very excited and had an idea of what to expect, the seminar ended up being much more than I could have expected. First of all, the speakers we had were amazing! It was easy to tell they were passionate about their own topics, and I found myself looking forward to class each day. So I would like to thank all of our wonderful speakers, and of course the coordinators behind it all, for such a wonderful experience.
Teaching Asia in 8th grade history is not as easy as it would have been in 7th grade as I focus on early American history up to WWI. While looking at the first chapter, Asia is mentioned a handful of times as we discuss early European explorers and conquistadors. So I definitely plan on expanding on the topics in the text as much as time allows. But the further we get into US history, the less examples show up in the text. I only have 40 minutes of history per day and have a ton to fit in, so I have decided most of my Asia-related discussions will end up happening in ELA or Humanities. Language Arts is not as narrow as far as the topics go, and there are a few stories in our Pearson textbook that relate to Asia. For example, “Tears of Autumn” is a text that is usually overlooked to read the other available text about replacing men with machines. “Tears of Autumn” is about the struggle of Japanese Americans following the Pearl Harbor incident. I plan on teaching the Asian-related texts this year instead of skipping over them for other “high-interest” texts. I believe that the struggle of the Japanese Americans can definitely be high-interest if I provide them enough background information to make them understand the feelings, point of views, and historical significance of the story. The belief that we have to use all American examples or European examples is no longer the case. The seminar’s big message was that we don’t have to use those examples anymore, and that it is okay to use Asian examples as well as perhaps African, South American, etc. The students need real-life examples that pertain to them, and only using Hispanic or European examples is not helping them understand the world around them anymore.
I also plan on incorporating mangas, short stories, and hopefully films regarding China, Japan, and other areas in China this year during Humanities. This is a period where I can basically create whatever I would like as long as it pertains to reading, literature, and comprehension of some sort. I have already developed a 3 week lesson plan on using Romeo and Juliet mangas in the classroom for my curriculum plan. I am going to start that lesson as soon as I can figure out how to get 20 of the books for my students. If I can’t get that to happen this year (although I may decide to pay out of pocket for the books), I am still going to incorporate Asian-based novels instead of just the usual early American history novels. I have researched a few novels that may work (if again I can convince the district to purchase new novels), but haven’t had a chance to read them yet. I plan on reading and hopefully using the following titles in my Humanities group: Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida, Children of the River by Linda Crew, Peacebound Trains by Haemi Balgassi, and If It Hadn’t Been for Yoon Jun by Marie G Lee. I would love to be able to use at least one of these so that my students leave with some idea of what the Asian culture is, in addition to learning their American history with the European and Mexican tie-ins. I think it is a big balancing act that could work if I can plan it out perfectly, although it may take me a year or two to get everything to mesh flawlessly like I would like.
My own attitudes changed during the week of the seminar. I always knew somewhere in the back of my mind that Asia has a huge impact on what is happening in the world. There is always talk about the US and China, and I found myself skipping over those stories in the newspaper. But the seminar really opened my eyes in terms of me needing to know the impact of Asia on my world, and that in turn I needed to do the same for my own students. I want to change their attitudes about the world around them this year. 95% of my students come from, or their families come from, Mexico. They have a strong connection with their Mexican culture and history, and a so-so connection with their American culture and history as many identify themselves as Mexican, but not American. I want to change their idea about what their identity is (Mexican-American instead of just Mexican because they are the future of America, and should feel some connection to that), and also change their outlook on the world. I want to show them that what happens in Asia does in fact affect them, and their future. I want to show them that Asia impacts their daily lives and the lives of their family. I know that if I just started to understand this as a result of the seminar, my students most likely have very little, if any, idea of importance of the Asian culture in today’s society. And it is my goal to change that.
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AnonymousUSC-China Institute Summer Residential Seminar 2014 Final Essay
Charles Donelan
Laguna Blanca School
The 2014 seminar on “East Asia Since 1800” was a transformative educational experience for me. It will have an immediate and ongoing impact on how I develop curriculum. As a teacher of literature with a particular interest in American history, I now realize that I need to know more about China, Korea, and Japan in these centuries because in this period they formed an important part of the global context within which the United States as we know it developed. For a teacher in contemporary California, this need for knowledge about East Asia becomes more urgent every day, both because of the future, and because of how much of our shared recent past as residents of the Pacific Rim remains relatively unknown.
Despite the challenge of presenting this immense body of material in just five days, Professor Dube and his colleagues did an outstanding job of covering the three intertwined histories of China, Korea, and Japan. In addition, they succeeded in communicating the nuances of their various national identity projects and describing the ongoing evolution of their social structures and individual expectations in relation to the economy and the family.
I now see the beautiful landscape of my Southern California home with new eyes, and I look forward to traveling to East Asia in order to expand my new-found awareness. The wonderful Farmer’s Markets that are the pride of Santa Barbara, for example, include stands filled with the most exquisite Japanese eggplants and peppers, and are presided over by Japanese farmers who are part of a Japanese agricultural tradition in California that goes back well over a hundred years. Yet at one time not so long ago, these green grocers would have been interned as potential fifth column spies in the service of the Empire of the Rising Sun.
Looking back at the rhetoric employed by such white supremacists as former San Francisco mayor James D. Phelan in the early decades of the 20th century, and at the Alien Land Law of 1913 and other California statutes designed to make California off-limits to Japanese immigration, I can now see that historian Carey McWilliams had a point when he dubbed the period between 1898 and 1948 as the fifty years of the “California-Japanese War.”
It’s ironic that in the same decades during which the state of California enacted its most stringent laws intending to curb the citizenship rights of Japanese in California, Tokyo businessmen were importing and perfecting the American invention of the department store. I now doubt the nearly universal view of the attack on Pearl Harbor typically endorsed in American classrooms, which contends that this was a sudden, isolated, and unconditioned act of aggression. Tensions had been brewing between Americans and Japanese since the turn of the century, and California was the home base for a largely legal system of discrimination that Japanese here and in Japan rightly perceived as institutional racism.
AnonymousThe five day USC-China Institute was such an enriching experience for me. I had originally signed up for the seminar with the hope of receiving materials and information that would give me a deeper knowledge base about East Asia so that I could incorporate this knowledge into my own lesson plans. I got what I hoped for and much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the lectures from our knowledgeable speakers. The historical contexts for change, use of maps for a visual and comparative analysis, and discussion of both the globalization and localization of East Asian pop culture here have been really fascinating. The additional materials we received have also been very helpful. I just finished reading Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization by William M. Tsutsui, one of the books we received during the week of lectures. Though it wasn't mandatory reading, I was so interested in this topic that I just had to learn more. The book gave me so many insights into the question: Why have audiences worldwide embraced Japanese Pop Culture? and into the notion of "soft culture" acting as a sort of ambassador for a country.
Planning lessons and preparing for the beginning of school in August, I began to realize that there are many places to integrate the East Asian perspective quite easily. I have found a plethora of useful websites and resources that are perfect for young students to learn about the various East Asian countries. I also have learned that I need not work or look too hard to make connections to East Asia: For example, history for youngsters can be presented and discussed through folklore. Culture can be studied through food, clothing, and language. Even the cartoons, video games, and music that my students enjoy have East Asian influences or origins.
We have completed three weeks of school now. The children's first unit of study is "All About Us". The 5 and 6 year-old students in my class have conducted interviews with their families and done presentations on the things that are important and of interest to them. This was my way of conducting a survey that I will use the rest of the year to guide some of my planning to make my lessons more relevant to my current class. Without knowing it, they have indicated some areas where we can explore the East Asian connection, including where their families originally came from (some are from Asia), their favorite toys (reference to Power Rangers, Hello Kitty), video games (most want or own a Playstation), and favorite dance (Gangnam Style).
As we head into September, I look forward to diving into a study of East Asia with my students through a Geography unit which will familiarize the children with the use of maps and globes in order to introduce them to the continent of Asia and the countries and cultures of China, Japan, and India. This foundation will provide a context for our study of the voyages of Christopher Columbus and to answer the questions:
Why was it so important for Columbus and others to find a way to the East Indies?
What were the resources he was after?
Were such voyages worth the risk and cost?
I will try to continue to be aware of the possibilities of extending and enriching lessons that I must teach as part of the First Grade curriculum by adding the East Asian perspective whenever I can. I already have lots of ideas and resources to help me in my planning. Now, I'm looking forward to presenting the things I've learned this summer to my students.
edited by sshiva on 9/1/2014