Final Essay

[Ann Huynh]

This seminar on East Asia helped me understand and contextualized the dynamics of the East Asian countries.  Prior to taking this seminar, I always thought that World War II was just known as World War II, but both China and Japan referred to the war differently.  World War II have had a significant impact on Japan and China.  To the Japanese it was the war that uprooted their beliefs and made them dependent on foreign powers.  However, for the Chinese, it was the war that led to Japan’s downfall and allow China to win back some of her dignity.  This war also had a lasting impact on the Japanese living in America.  Many Japanese Americans were viewed unfavorably and their freedom were restricted since many of them were placed in internment camps.  Today, Manzanar is a site that people can visit to help them understand what the Japanese endured in America during World War II.  It also serves as a reminder about how our own prejudices dictate policies that might harm another group of people we consider as a threat.  I believe that my students will be able to relate to this idea the most.  A lot of my students come from Latin America countries or Mexico and many of them still have relatives back in those countries.  Many of the new policies that are starting to be implemented by the government are causing harm to the Hispanic communities, just like they did to the Asian communities in the 20^th century.  There is a shared commonality between these two groups of minorities.  Similarly, to the Hispanics in America, the East Asians in America continue to have relatives in China, Japan, or South Korea.  There is a children book, “Baseball Saved Us” which is about a Japanese boy’s time in an internment camp.  This book would be a great way to introduce the students to the impact World War II had on the Japanese.  After the book discussion, I can then have the students talk about their family experience in America.  This way the students might be able to empathize with another ethnic minority in America.  At the same time, I am exposing my students to East Asia so that they have a better understanding of the Asians in America and how they faced difficulties just like the Hispanics in America.      

 

 

[Alejandra Jimenez]

Overcoming Adversity

Completing this Rise of East Asia seminar has been enlightening due to the complexity of the vast history for all East Asia countries. Regardless to the size of the country or population my take away for this seminar was the perseverance of hard work from low socio economic class that ties in with the American dream that through hard work one is able to achieve education goals as well as economic. I believe that if students are introduced to Korean history would better understand that this country eve thought it is a small country. All economic, political, social, and geographic adversities this country has experienced throughout the years. Korea has flourished to one of the most competitive economies in the world. 

Korea is one of East Asia that I find more similarities to its historical context and the United States due to racial segregation during the Japanese colonization period. Feminism during the 1920s, the west introduced a different role for women, women rights, and minority employment. Over all Korean culture has overcome challenging and limited times in history that through civilian organization have been able to succeed in education, literacy like journals such as The New Woman and Women’s World, technology industries in modern era, film, and agriculture industries like agrarian cooperatives.

 

 

Korea over all has achieved the “good life” where most of the population is able to live a comfortable life regardless to the constant internal struggle of modern world and traditional culture customs.

[Tanish Fortson]

I enjoyed taking this class and have learned a lot about the history of Asia. I am grateful for this experience and have told other colleagues about this wonderful opportunity. This class really opened up my mind in terms of culture, traditions, and history in Asia. I have traveled to Europe and many parts of the United Kingdom and cannot wait to travel to Asia.

 

We just came back from Thanksgiving vacation and will be busy the next 3 weeks with Christmas shows and testing. When we return in January 2018 I plan on doing a lot of work around Asia with my kindergarten and 1^st graders. We will learn about Confucianism.  This concept might be difficult for 5 and 6 year olds so I would need to create a craft as well to go with this potential lesson such as a drawing a picture of Confucius. I can just lightly address the topic by saying the Confucius was a teacher and had very strict ideas of how people should act and behave. Chinese New Year is also coming up and I can teach my students about the 12 animals and their characteristics. I can also explain how 1/6 of the world celebrate Chinese New Year and is the longest public holiday. Most workers get 7-12 days off and celebrate with family. My students will enjoy this because and we can make crafts such as dragons, lanterns, and animals. 

[Author]

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