california - northeast china connections

[clay dube]

Many know that Jews migrated from Russia to Manchuria to California. Few know that German Mennonites also left Russia for California via the same route. The German Mennonite Encyclopedia has information about some of them (http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Harbin_%28Heilongjiang,_China%29_Refugees).

By 1928, German Mennonites in Siberia were looking to get out. The Friesen/Klassen family was among them. They made their way to Harbin in Heilongjiang province and were among the first Russian/Germans to settle there. The families later made contact with Canadian and other diplomats and made their way to North America. US Pres. Herbert Hoover had sympathy for the group, but given the depression, the US wanted to bring families in relatively slowly - 15 a month. Mennonites in the San Joaquin Valley, California agreed to provide support for the families as they made their way to California. The first families came to the US via Angel Island on September 13, 1929. The Chinese delegate to the League of Nations brought up Mennonite refugees in 1931. Reedley, California was an important destination. Here's a link to the First Mennonite Church of Reedley (http://www.fmcreedley.org/). And to the Reedley Mennonite Brethern Church (http://www.reedleymbc.org/). Reedley Mennonites began saving for missions to Russia, China, and India in 1913 (https://books.google.com/books?id=ZwOhBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA281&lpg=PA281&dq=mennonites+in+reedley&source=bl&ots=JYGcDyfJKs&sig=6L9J1uyCfcAHqiZKcT2K2Vy_dgI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E_VqVd3kBcy0ogTwvIHoDA&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=china&f=false). This book has much on California Mennonites who came via China: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/california-mennonites. Among other things, I learned that there is a novel about the journey these people made through China: Wilfred Martens, River of Glass (http://www.amazon.com/River-Glass-Wilfred-Martens/dp/0836119134).

Of course, some Chinese Americans are Mennonites. There's a San Francisco Chinese Mennonite Church (https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-Chinese-Mennonite-Church/115929995085267 ). Like some other religious organizations, Mennonites are also recruiting Mennonites to teach English in China (http://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/openings/english-teacher ).

In case you're wondering, I am not a Mennonite and knew nothing about this migration before looking for something to post as a sample link between California and Northeast China. So - please hunt, learn, and share.

[clay dube]

One of the districts we've worked with over the years is Palos Verdes Unified. We've taken Palos Verdes teachers to China twice and they've taken students to China a couple of times. In 2011, a trip included time in Changchun. Here's the student blog for the trip:
http://chinaproject2011.tumblr.com/ The blog has 7 pages (starting here). Their time in Changchun includes a visit to their teachers' home. The trip was a long one lasting from late June to early August. The trip was discussed at the district's board meetings (here - approved the trip/course, for 20 students) and there was a report by some participants to the board (here). It's not related to NE China, but 8 students from the group also visited the US Consulate and made a presentation to 90 people in Chengdu (here for a story). What did the students do and learn? For your post, you should tell us, but here I'm going to encourage you to read and discover.

[Anonymous]

I decided to focus on the governmental connections between Northeast China and California. In an effort to find a foundation for my curriculum project I aimed at discovering links for the comparative government aspect. What I stumbled upon surprised me; Beijing passed a tough ban on smoking indoors effective June 1, 2015. This ban pertains to public indoor facilities such as hospitals, shopping malls, restaurants, offices, and airports. You can read further on this link: http://www.kesq.com/news/beijing-gets-tough-on-smokers/33322938?item=0
In the 90s California made a progressive move to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars. More recently a bill has been proposed that would ban smoking in residences that shared communal walls, floors, ceilings, and or ventilation systems as do many apartments and condominiums. This bill seeks to protect many from the effects of second hand smoke. You can read further on this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/01/california-smoking-ban_n_2792719.html
The legislative comparison is clear, both Beijing and California are mirroring legislation that benefits the health and protection of its citizens by regulating tobacco use in public areas. What is implied is the societal comparison of cigarettes and these bans. Mao was infamous for smoking openly. This speaks volumes to the growth of the smoking cultural in China. Both China and the U.S. are infamous for wide spread tobacco advertising, especially in decades past. Now both countries are seeing the repercussions that it has brought to their aging populations. To me, this is a step in the right direction for both Beijing and California. For our group, we might be able to breathe a little easier on our first leg of the trip [font=Wingdings]J[/font]

[Anonymous]

Changchung is home to FAW Group, one of China's largest automakers. They make a number of cars for the domestic market but have a number of joint ventures with VW and Toyota. They export these vehicles to the United States through the port of Los Angeles and do significant business in California, as well as the rest of the United States. Recently, their chairman was arrested on corruption charges for "Seriously violating [Party's] disciplines and the law."

[clay dube]

Changchun is part of China's rust belt. My guess is that the VW/Toyota joint ventures produce only for the Chinese market (the world's largest auto market). Please check to see if they actually export cars. The only Chinese company likely to be selling cars in the US is Volvo, because Geeley purchased it and Volvo's had already cleared safety and emissions hurdles. There are a few electric BYDs on LA streets thanks to a waiver from the Department of Transportation. They are used by the LA Housing Authority. But Chinese cars are coming, make no mistake about that. They are already in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere. For the moment, though, the joint venture automakers are living large off of Chinese sales.

To learn more about the Chinese auto industry, check out the talk Greg Anderson gave at USC a year or two ago. Look for it at our YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/uschinainstitute). (tip - click on the magnifying glass to search)

[clay dube]

Clever thinking, Luis! But since virtually everything made anywhere in China and sold anywhere in the US comes through the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports, let's look for other, more direct links between Northeastern China's three provinces (Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang) and California. Perhaps it will be a fake connection? That is, the name of some place that is part of a sales pitch? Or can anyone find NE cuisine restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley? Be sure to share the addresses!!!!

[Anonymous]

Clay,
I have found a number of shipping records from FAW that show they are exporting to the US. After further investigation, I noticed on the manifest that it appears to be car parts and not entire cars. I will try to find a more direct link, since you made the point that most products coming to the US go through the port of LA or Long Beach.

https://www.importgenius.com/suppliers/china-faw-group-import-export-cor
edited by luisvalladares on 6/4/2015

[Anonymous]

In September 2014, The northern province of Jilin held a culture exchange program in the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco (as well as Vancouver). This was the first time that Jilin Culture Week was held in North America. The program drew thousands of spectators as well as local dignitaries. Some of the main activities and displays included books, photos, dance performances and a performance from the Jilin Symphony Orchestra. In total, some 230 pieces of culture were on display and was well welcomed by the spectators. Many were happy to see a part of China that they knew little about.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/jilin/2014-09/24/content_18710849.htm

[Anonymous]

[font=Times, 'Times New Roman', serif]The students that came to our Orientation and spoke about their studies was wonderful in that my students loved hearing that they had so much in common with them and had similar viewpoints when I shared what I heard on Sunday. I was curious where and how some of the SE Asia colleges might have been linked in CA and found that in 2013, the Jilin Jianzhou University and California Baptist University signed an MOU for Architecture students to be allowed to complete coursework for a Bachelors or Masters. The University in located in Changchun and was a result of 9 months of collaboration between the schools.[/font]

[clay dube]

Great job by everyone finding connections. Here is one more links for the Jilin culture week that Luis found. I paid some attention to this because our own USC Pacific Asia Museum hosted the group last September. Catherine and I both attended the lunar new year festival they were part of at the museum.

http://english.jl.gov.cn/News/GeneralNews/201409/t20140912_1747782.html

We also noted a Jilin county government's web satisfaction survey at the end of an issue of Talking Points:
http://china.usc.edu/talking-points-december-24-2010-january-5-2011

[Anonymous]

I was able to find a number of restaurants in the Los Angeles area that specialize in cuisine from the three northeast provinces:

- Chef Geng's in Rosemead opened this year and specializes in dishes from Liaoning including many with lamb

- Feng Mao Mutter Kebab and Yanbian - Both of these restaurants are in K-Town and specialize in cuisine from the Jilin province. The dishes appear to be heavily influenced by Korean and even Mongolian cooking. I imagine the variety of food we will be eating will be significant

- Happy Kitchen- This restaurant in San Gabriel specializes in dishes from Heilongjiang. Apparently, the tea-smoked chicken and something called the Beef Roll are their staples

Has anyone tried any of these?
edited by ryanstough on 6/8/2015

[Anonymous]

Here are the links to the restaurants mentioned below:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-gengs-rosemead

http://www.yelp.com/biz/yanbian-restaurant-los-angeles

http://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-kitchen-san-gabriel

http://www.yelp.com/biz/feng-mao-mutton-kebab-los-angeles
edited by ryanstough on 6/8/2015

[Anonymous]

Pianist Lang Lang is a regular visitor to SoCal and will be performing in Santa Barbara this October. http://www.camasb.org/internationalseries.shtml
He grew up in Shenyang and his father played the erhu, a bowed string instrument. I am interested in exploring potential connections between musicians in North East China and in California. Anyone have any other leads for me?

[Anonymous]

While I know that this is not part of the California- Northeast China connections, it is a great topic. (I will post one that is connected later). I was not familiar with this topic and thought that it would be a great read. According to the articles, China has been in the works of discussing and designing a Beijing- US railway in which the trip would take 2 days. “The proposed line would begin in north-east China and run up through Siberia, pass through a tunnel underneath the Pacific Ocean then cut through Alaska and Canada to reach the continental United States. “ If such railway would become a reality it would create a connection between the various countries. In addition, it would be an unforgettable experience as the sites would be breathtaking.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/08/chinese-experts-discussions-high-speed-beijing-american-railway

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/
edited by malvarenga on 6/16/2015

[Anonymous]

As we will begin our study-tour in Beijing, I found the following article of great interest. Being born and raised in Los Angeles, I can appreciate the beautiful weather, museums, parks, beaches, and great cities that make up the State of California. According to the article, “A search of records at the Trademark Office of China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce found 271 companies — from clothing makers to lighting manufacturers — that have registered the word "California" as part of their name, compared with 63 that use "New York.". In addition, they have adopted city/neighborhood names such as Hollywood, Silverlake, Orange County, Newport Beach, Palm Springs, Yosemite to establish neighborhoods or apartment complexes in Beijing. They have also fused food flavors in restaurants, foods, cocktails. "The perception of California as a mythical place is really strong in the minds of Chinese compared to other places in the U.S.," said Tsai, citing L.A.'s weather, proximity to China, prestigious universities and large population of Chinese exchange students.

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-c1-china-california-20150121-story.html#page=1
edited by malvarenga on 6/16/2015

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