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Home › Forums › Core Seminars › Modern East Asia, Fall 2021 › 8. December 8 East Asia Today
Kayla Kolean.
clay dubeJust wanted to share two articles published in December about Chinese and Japanese senior video gamers. I'm sure they exist in South Korea too - please do share if you find an article about them.
I'm not a gamer, but perhaps tomorrow....
clay dubeWe hosted an event with the editor and translator of Iron Moon, a book of poetry from workers. I regret that we don't have video of it. But our students conducted an interview that you may find interesting:
https://uschinatoday.org/qa/2017/06/22/qa-with-xiaoyu-qin-on-iron-moon/
Todd RutleyAs we have seen in this course, birthrates have fallen across East Asia since the 1960s and the age 50+ share of the population is therefore rising. As a result, game developers and advertisers that support gaming are now targetting the fast growing older population. Seniors have more time and money than young gamers so it is the biggest market opportunity! East Asian broadband internet speeds are also the worlds fastest and East Asia leads in 5G availability and 6G research. Fast internet connections make advanced gaming and virtual reality possible and fun. This is another area where the East leads the West!
References
'In Korea, You Don't Have to Explain TikTok to Your Grandma' https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/style/korea-tiktok-seniors.html
https://www.populationpyramid.net/republic-of-korea/2020/
https://www.populationpyramid.net/japan/2020/
https://www.populationpyramid.net/china/2020/
https://financesonline.com/number-of-gamers-worldwide/
clay dubeI didn't know about Katsura Niyō (Japanese name order, surname first) or rakugo until today's New York Times article (click the link below to read a pdf version) about her and how she's broken barriers, but it turns out that Australian academic M.W. Shores wrote about her and about the cracking of the rakugo gender barrier a couple of weeks ago.
Here is a video of a rakugo performance in English (turn on CC subtitles, which aren't perfect). It isn't Katsura, but may give you a feel for the style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfOcN7C1p-A
Todd RutleyThe 1980s "Japan Threat" and the current "China Threat" highlighted in the PDFs above are only the most recent examples of the 1790-2021 "Timeline of Systemic Racism Against AAPI".
See here: https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/timeline-of-systemic-racism-against-aapi
"The timeline documents several instances of systemic racism against AAPI in the United States.
In knowing the history of how AAPI were treated in this country, we can better understand how we arrived at this point in history."
The Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community includes individuals who are:
Todd RutleyUsing Olympics to Teach About East Asia
“The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” Source: https://olympics.com/ioc/beyond-the-games
1. Background on the Western Dominance of the Olympics
The Olympics has been held 52 times since 1896, with 32 events in Europe and 12 in North America. Looking at the attached map you can see how much this “international event” has been dominated by “the West”.
Japan hosted the first Olympics in Asia in 1964. Korea hosted its first Olympics in 1988 and China hosted its first Olympics in 2008. Including 2022, East Asia has hosted the Olympics 8 times.
The fact that East Asia has held this huge event 8 times since 1964 shows how its power has increased – economic power, political power, and “soft power” as the Olympics often increase the international prestige of the host countries.
2. Draft Teaching Ideas
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing starting February 4 2022. Since students are aware of the Olympics taking place, this might good time to use this event to talk about the Olympics’ positive goals and how the event helps achieve these goals. The attached map of the historical locations of Olympics events might be useful to show the “Western-dominated” aspect of the games as well as the various locations of the games in China, Japan, and Korea.
The Negative Effect of US Boycott on the US-China Relationship?
On 12/6/2021, President Joe Biden announced that the US would impose a “diplomatic boycott” on the Beijing Olympics to prevent US officials from attending the games while allowing US athletes to compete.
In response to the news, Beijing warned it would take "resolute countermeasures" against the Biden administration and stated “The US should stop politicizing sports and hyping up the so-called 'diplomatic boycott' so as not to affect China-US dialogue and cooperation in important areas," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a news conference.
Is the 2021 US boycott a responsible action consistent with the Olympics goals of “building a peaceful and better world” or is the Biden boycott an undiplomatic insult against China that unnecessarily politicizes the games and hurts the US-China relationship overall?
Think about the questions this boycott raises and the lessons from this.
3. NCTAsia has a seminar tiled Beijing on the Eve of the Olympics (1/19/2022 – 2/11/2022)
Course Description: Having hosted its first Olympic Games in Summer 2008, Beijing is gearing up to host its second Olympics in February 2022. This 3-week mini course will dive into history of Beijing, China’s capital for the majority of the last 700 years; analyze contemporary issues around urbanization and social change in the city; and explore the international spectacle of the Olympics as these particular games spark controversy and conversation about China’s rise, human rights, and the global world order.
References
https://nctasia.org/find-a-course/by-course-type/online-seminars-and-workshops/?submit=View
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/olympic-movement-united-nations-and-pursuit-common-ideals
https://olympics.com/ioc/beyond-the-games
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-12-08/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDYxMDEw/index.html
https://www.spectator.com.au/2021/12/china-is-a-gold-medallist-in-olympic-boycotts/
Background Timeline of Olympics in East Asia
Japan
Japan. 1964 Summer Olympics
Japan. 1972 Winter Olympics
Japan. 1998 Winter Olympics
Japan. 2020 Summer Olympics
Peoples Republic of China (PRC)
China. 2008 Summer Olympics
China. 2022 Winter Olympics
S. Korea
Korea. 1988 Summer Olympics
Korea. 2018 Winter Olympics
History Lesson: US Congress Opposed Beijing as 2000 Olympics Contender
On July 26, 1993, the US Congress passed a resolution opposing the selection of Beijing for the 2020 games. The IOC subsequently selected Australia to host the 2000 summer games. This was the 2nd time Australia hosted the games, which is interesting given that its population in 1993 was only 1.5% the size of China.
1993 Congressional Resolution: “Whereas the International Olympic Committee is now in the process of determining the venue of the Olympic Games in the year 2000; Whereas holding the Olympic games in countries, such as the People's Republic of China, which engage in massive violations of human rights serves to shift the focus from the high ideals behind the Olympic tradition and is counterproductive for the Olympic movement: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives (1) strongly opposes the holding of the Olympic Summer Games in the year 2000 in the city of Beijing or elsewhere in the People's Republic of China; (2) urges the International Olympic Committee representative in the United States to vote against holding the Olympic Summer Games in the year 2000 in the city of Beijing or elsewhere in the People's Republic of China”
https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-resolution/188/textthe House of Representatives, U. S.
Todd RutleyTeachers: If you liked the "barrier-breaking" stories about Katsura Niyō and Jero the enka singer, you will like the story of Hikaru Utada.
Utada was born in New York to first generation Japanese immigrants.
Her first album was the biggest selling album in Japanese history.
In June 2021, Hikaru Utada came out as non-binary.
The internet reaction to the announcement was huge news in Japan where the idea of non-binary is not well understood or accepted.
“Utada Hikaru coming out as non-binary as a person of influence in Japan is one of the bravest things I’ve seen”.
“Japanese morning TV doing a great job raising LGBTQ awareness. Well done Hikaru Utada for being the catalyst and otsukaresama And before people @ me, yes I know Japan has a long way to go but good to see the effort to try and understand. #Japan.”
Would your students be interested in these barrier-breaking artists?
Could these life stories motivate students to want to learn more about East Asia and especially Japan?
References
https://news.yahoo.com/hikaru-utada-comes-out-as-non-binary-094033795.html
https://www.utadahikaru.jp/en/news/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utada_Hikaru
Todd RutleyAnother "barrier-breaker" in Japan is an American singer from Pittsbugh whose Japanese stage name is Jero (Jerome White).
Jero sings in the "Enka Style" which he learned from his Japanese grandmother who had married a GI stationed in Japan.
To learn about enka music, start on YouTube where there are hundreds of videos. You can also buy enka music at Amazon.com
Teachers: Can you interest some students to learn more about Asia through music? I think so!
References on Jero and Enka
https://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Artist/A021548.html
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2012/6/19/enka-singer-jero/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/2863648-Jero-4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka
Todd RutleyFYI: The reason I posted about a non-binary Japanese above (Utada), and a trans-male Filipino here, is because it shows the diversity of Asia in a way that open-minded students will appreciate. Hopefully, these positive examples will also teach tolerance to all students. Teachers are now encouraged to use more diverse role models in classes and these real life stories will likely have a positive impression on many students.
Many of you have likely seen the former Filipina star “Charice Pempengo” on Ellen, or Oprah, or performing in concerts with Celine Dion, David Foster and Andrea Bocelli.
Zyrus (Charice) came out as a gay woman in 2013. In 2017, he came out as a transgender male named Jake Zyrus.
Could these life stories of Asian "barrier-breakers" motivate students to want to learn more about East Asia? I hope so.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKJmuViLqgI (singing with Celine Dion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6stXeMKslGI
Jennifer MacchiarellaRather than focus on the differences in attitudes and responses to the Mr. Wrong letters, I focused on how the letters emphasize the disparity of the home and work roles expected of women. The contrast of women as the" okura daijin" at home, and how they raise their voices and act like decorations at work seems similar to what many women in the US feel. As a mother I should put my kids first, make crafts from pintrest, and spend hours in the kitchen making organic meals, AND I should go to work, demonstrate my intellect and ability as a strong, independent female.
I was also curious how men handle finances when they aren't married. I know some will continue to live with their parents, but I wonder how young, single urban men manage to budget and save if they have never learned how to do it. I also thought the vague replies about husbands having affairs was dangerous in this age of HIV.
Todd RutleyJapanese politicians often visit the Yasukuni shrine on August 15 to commemorate the 2.46 million people that died for Japan from 1868-WW2.
In response, Chinese and Korean media/politicians complain that visiting the shrine is wrong and that Japan has not apologized enough for WW2
Japanese explain that their actions are similar to the war memorial services observed all over the world such as the US Memorial Day and Commonwealth Remembrance Day.
This pattern repeats every year. There is almost no chance that Japanese will stop commemorating their war dead or that others will stop complaining.
This history illustrates the quote cited by Professor Dube: "For architects of citizenship and nationhood, there is no shortage of conflicts and wars from which to build modern myths about submerging individual suffering and loss to greater causes.”
Kayla KoleanI also chose this article Antonette. While gender is a key part to this article, I think another key part is the dual adentities of the three women. Each of the women have ties to another country. Having lived in Japan in the 2010s, I noticed a lot of discrimination to Japanese of mixed race or those who are from outside Japan. At the end of two years, I too still felt like an outsider many times. I felt like my ideas and discussions I had listened to my ideas, but they were not valued since I was not part of the "in-group". This seemed weird coming from a country where diversity is valued, and having critical thoughts and discussions is thought of as a good characteristic of interactions. There is tension is these kinds of discourse, but so too comes inovation and change. While in Japan, I learned that the people grew up thinking that getting along and "not rocking the boat" is best. This will lead to issues in the future as the country becomes from diverse.
This also make me think of issues America has will allowing voices of minorities as well. For example, should a migrant worker who only lives in the country for half the year get a say in the laws where they live? Should residents who have lived in America for 10+ years illegally get a say in the issues facing their communities?
Kayla KoleanI get the sentiment from your comments that "the grass is greener on the other side".
Marriage is difficult in any culture, and I think some of the jealousy cultures might have to have their marriage or partner look more like another culture’s marriage or partner is a bit of escapism. I also think that the media does a wonderful job of creating an image of marriage that is fantastical, and largely very different from reality. I do find it so interesting that Japanese men are usually shown as stand-off and working even in the media. Meanwhile, Korean media shows men who show emotions and dote on their partners. Recently, China has been putting interesting laws in place regarding men’s portrayal in the media by banning effeminate males (2019) and most recently idols and queer stories (2022). As a woman, I have become well versed in how media sends messages about how women should act and look. I wonder too how the portrayal of men in the media teach males on their own roles, looks, and actions. Coming back to this topic of gender roles in marriage, I wonder if men too like the role they are set up to take in a relationship. What if the man wants to spend more time with the children or does not want to work overtime or attend an after work dinner? Is there an opportunity for males to express themselves emotionally and talk about issues with their partners? I have talked to my Japanese male friends, and they often mention that they really do not like attending the extra office events and would rather relax at home or spend time on a hobby. I think that this will reach a tipping point and gender roles will change in Japan, especially with the pressure to change the gender roles to promote marriage and couples to have children.
Kayla Kolean
Kayla KoleanThank you for this PDF. I really like how straight forward this article is in showing the various attached on AAPI populations.
As a teacher, I would like the start from a base like this and add links to articles and primary sources (if possible) to have the opportunity for students and other viewers to research more into any events they are interested in. I can see this as the start to a discussion or research topic when students themselves review an event and add links and infromation they found to this ariticle, type an essay, or create a presentation compiling the information they found.
I do agree that by looking at these events we can see how agression agains AAPI is not some sort of outlier in American History, but rather a series of events that leads up the present day unfortunately.
Kayla Kolean
Kayla KoleanWow! This is a very powerful poem about how the author feels that their effort (China) will never be seen as correct or write.
This feels a bit like a child to a parent almost, which is not really the relationship I see the U.S. and China having.
It is a poignant poem for pointing out the dichotomy of U.S.'s media and political stances against China. Reading the various lines, I can remember certain news clips and headlines that sensationalized China as this "other". Throughout history, the concept of "other" has been a strong force to mobilize people and to point finger and lay blame at.
Many of the lines are sensational because they boil down complex issues to one line as well. For example,
When we buy oil, you call it exploitation and genocide.
When you go to war for oil, you call it liberation.
I am not sure what the first line is referring to. Can you explain Clay, Todd, or someone? However, the second line I link to 9/11 when the U.S. went to war because of "terrorism". However, there was definitely another agenda, that being the protection of oil that the U.S. needed from at the time. However, boiling the whole events and actions that lead up to this war and its aftermath is a bit sensational and detrimental.
I found this too in many other poems and memes that large issues and problems are boiled down to 1-20 words.
Thank you for sharing this poem, it is indeed thought provoking and I am already wondering what other poems I might be able to find with the same sort of messaging or tone.
Kayla Kolean