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Home › Forums › Summer Institutes › Crossing Boundaries in East Asia, Summer 2020 › Introduction and Orientation (July 24)
Juana Evink.
cgaoWe will meet to go over the course requirements and get to know each other. Below are some optional readings/additional resources to familiarize you with the region and topics.
clay dubeHi Folks,
The readings attached below are optional. Two of them will be useful as background information for you (Carr and Qian). The others are shorter primary sources (5 pages) that you may wish to use with your students. As a part of your 20 required forum posts, you could choose to read these materials and post your reactions and questions to them below. Please also brainstorm on how you might incorporate such ideas or materials into your courses.
Dennis Carr -- This is a big file, because of the many included color illustrations.
"Introduction: Asia and the New World"
What is the evidence offered to support Carr's argument that the new world was where Asia and Europe met? Is it surprising to learn of globalization in the 16th-18th centuries? What was the impact of the flow of goods and ideas?
Huang Yanpei, 1915
"Investigation of American Education"
What differences between China and the United States most impress Huang? What are the positive consequences of American education?
Li Gongpu, 1928
"Presidential Election"
Li is a scholarship student in Oregon and was fascinated by the election. In 1928, the Republicans won their third straight presidential election. Writing for a Chinese audience, how did Li explain Herbert Hoover's victory? What does he have to say about campaign costs?
Liu Binyan, 1982
"America: Spacious Yet Confining"
Liu Binyan was one of China's most famous writers and this piece appeared in the official mouthpiece of China's Communist Party. His prominence is an indication of how open China was 1979-1989. In what ways does the smaller population and different housing styles impress Liu? Why does he devote space to talking about dogs and squirrels? What does he say about American attitudes toward children?
Qian Ning, 1996
"Some marriages hold together, Many fall apart"
Qian Ning was the son of China's foreign minister (Qian Qichen) when he came to America to study journalism in Michigan in 1989. He stayed until 1995. His book, 留学美国 (Studying in America) was published in 1996 and was a bestseller. The English version was published in 2002. In the 1980s and 1990s, most Chinese who came to American universities were graduate students and many were already married.
Why is it that coming to America puts such a strain on married Chinese? In what ways were the experiences of Chinese men and Chinese women in America different? How did the green cards issued by the US after the suppression of the 1989 protests create opportunities for some?
George Bao, 2015
"Surviving on $39 a Month"
George Bao is now a Californian. He came to the US in the 1980s and earned a journalism degree at USC. Here he explains how little he and other Xinhua (China's state news agency) journalists got by with tiny salaries. His salary was boosted to $150/month after a couple of years. I taught in China at about the same time. My salary started at $75, but climbed to $250 as the government loosened price controls. Like Bao, my housing and medical care was provided, but I needed to pay for my own food. My wife's salary in her Chinese work unit in 1982 was about $28/month.
clay dubeNone of these are required, but you may be interested in learning more about ties between China, Japan and Latin America.
USC's Pacific Asia Museum looked at the influence of Mexican mural art in China.
https://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2018/01/04/61026/how-artists-from-mexico-influenced-a-closed-off-ch/
catalog: https://issuu.com/uscpam/docs/8804_pam_catalog_pdf_proof
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/883794.shtml
Diego Rivera show in Beijing: http://video.chinadaily.com.cn/2014/1029/4314.shtml
2019 issue of Americas Quarterly focuses on Latin America and China, including on Mexicans studying in China and on Mexico City's 17th century Chinatown. https://www.americasquarterly.org/fulltextarticle/china-and-latin-america-2-0-what-the-next-phase-will-look-like/
China's CGTN video on chamoy and its Chinese connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFQFZhJt0CE
Here's a video from Chinese state television about a series of murals in Mexicali. One includes the story of Chinese migrants.
https://america.cgtn.com/2019/04/04/murals-celebrate-chinese-influence-in-mexican-border-town
Article about contemporary migration and investment in Mexicali:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:1O_Hme0ks7EJ:https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2015/02/21/brooke-binkowski-chinese-influence-growing-in-mexico
Chinese woman becomes mariachi singer in Mexico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_tzPcCOJuI
Madeline Hsu on how Chinese pretended to be Mexican to enter the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpOwLexTvy8&feature=emb_rel_end
A review of Grace Pena Delgado's Making the Chinese Mexicans:
https://escholarship.org/content/qt2nc3b4pn/qt2nc3b4pn.pdf?t=oa5wz3
Japanese in Peru (Peru was the first Latin American country to recognize Japan)
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/02/27/satsuma-fields-encounters-with-the-diaspora-provoke-reflections-on-what-it-means-to-be-japanese/
Japanese influences in Peruvian cuisine
https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/nikkei-peruvian-japanese-food
Shane MarkowitzDennis Carr's introduction was a fascinating read that underscores the fact that complex webs of globalization is not a novel development. Particularly interesting was that it was not simply an exchange of goods taking place in the Americas in 16th-18th century but also the integration of ideas and processes of manufacturing. What emerged was a hybrid between European, Asian, New World, and indigenous artistry and craftmanship that reflected not only cultural patterns but also geographical realities (e.g. the (non)-availability of clay and textile materials).
The Our Lady of Guadalupe altar could provide a beneficial case study for student exploration. In my classes, we already examine how certain artwork and religious practices in the region blended indigenous and European cultural patterns (E.g. Catholicism and indigenous beliefs/stories). See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOclF9eP5uM&list=PLTVH-FssvrMmYYlnwloCwoJ3enMAqCRdp&index=9&t=0s
https://play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistoryhit/thefalloftheaztecs-500yearsonwithcarolinedoddspennock
The inclusion of this Asian element would further enhance and complicate student thinking about the emergence of societies in the Americas. An effective way to do this could be to read excerpts from the text and work through some of the different images of art and crafts provided.
Students could also identify different forms of globalization that are witnessed in the region (e.g. exchange of goods, immersion of ideas, Mexico City and Kyoto portrayal as world class cities....)
Deborah JohnstonReading about the cultural exchanges between China and Mexico was fascinating! I would love to learn more about the Detroit mural controversy. I am interested especially in the Mural entitled Nightmare of War, Dream of Peace by Rivera that went missing after being sent to Chairman Mao after being rejected in Detroit due to the content about the Korean war and their depiction of Truman and Mao. Similarly, the Marukis, Japanese muralists who painted Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and later the Rape of Nanjing, were critiqued by Americans for their depiction of Truman due to the dropping of the bomb. It was interesting learning more about the three mural movements in China. An example of the most recent stage, I remember from the Urban history museum in Shanghai. There is a large mural on the first floor which documents the movement of residents from their homes into new locations. The relocation of residents in traditional neighborhoods due to development is a controversial topic in Shanghai and the depiction of this paints one side of the story. Also while living in Shanghai, I visited the Shikumen lane house museum and believe that I saw some of the early caricatures that had been influenced by the visit of the Mexican artist Miguel Covarubbias to Shanghai in the 1930s. This all then provides context for the Latin American - China connections. I have spent much more time reading about the Africa- China connections so this was new for me. I knew that China was a large investor in Latin America but I had not recognized the depth of these connections in areas like Mexicali. I had known about the Japanese Peruvian linkages but had not realized the large Chinese population in Mexico and had not known that the porous border during the time of anti-Asian immigration acts in the US provided a means of Chinese in disguise coming into the US. Being in Arizona now and of course being aware of the immigration debates going on makes this even more relevant. My favorite Peruvian restaurant in the world is in Beijing-- definitely was thinking about that as I reading about Japanese Chinese "non" fusion foods. I am anxious to try the Chamoy seasoning, to learn more about the Chinese maquiladoras, and see more of the murals in Mexicali.
Deborah Whetstone"Surviving on $39 a Month" would be a great, short read to help students understand how quickly the Chinese economy and standard of living changed. For both China and South Korea, I think the incredibly rapid pace of economic advancement is a concept that is hard for students to comprehend 1st) how it can happen that quickly, #2) what impact that pace has on the people and government - both positively and negatively.
I could see having them read it, give a one-word reponse with discussion, then have half the class evaluate the pros and cons, and the other have evaluate the causes & effects, then discuss.
Juana EvinkIn the reading, "Asia and the New World," discuss how goods lke porcelain were imported from China to the Americas. Besides, goods, ideas and globalization cross boundaries. I founded it interesting how, artisans in the Americas copied and created Asian style porcelain designs, and large-folding screen from Japan. This exhange of goods between Asia, Japan, and China crossed boundaries that have lasting consequences and led to globalization due to the blending of exotic styles with local materials and local artists' techniques. It shows how Asia was a partner in the development of the Americas' culture after the European conquest.
Maria CardenasThis article demonstrates that people from different backgrounds can come together and enjoy each others cultures. As you read the article you read about how Mexico was trading with Asia. The evidence that demonstrates that Asia and Europe met in the new world was trade. Whereas before you may have known that Europe wanted to find Asia for their spices you can read about how they traded for other things besides spices like porcelain, silk, textiles, etc. A trading route was created from Asia to the Manila to Acapulco (Galeon de Manila). People in the Americas were influenced by the Chinese with many things. Artistis in the Americas were blending the demands from Asia with their culture from the colonies.
This article would be great to read in 8th grade history because we learn about trade in the New World (America) and the Old World (Europe). Trading can characterized gloablly by bringing Asia into the picture. Students can see that cross cultural exchange was happening early on and its not something that has just started.
The images from the article can also been shown and analyze. Students will be able to see how people dressed and some of my students may be surprised to know that Mexicans had folding screens that were made to imitate Japanese screens.
Shane MarkowitzEngaging students with boundaries and boundary-crossing in history and contemporary affairs enables students to gain an appreciation for the many contributions that have gotten us where we are today. This recognition, in turn, can turn us away from inward-looking nationalist attitudes and foster mindsets of inclusion that can drive further cooperation and progress. This point is made really well in a few resources that I employ with my students:
1. The danger of a single story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en
Adichie highlights how understanding the many stories of different societies, rather than a single story, can defeat stereotypes and prejudice that are at the root of much harm. I think to the introduction reading from Carr: if late 19th century/early 20th century Americans had been taught and been made aware of the fantastic contributions that East Asians made to interior design in early US history, would they have held the same prejudiced views that led to the Chinese Exclusion Act?
2. How ideas trump crises: https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_tabarrok_how_ideas_trump_crises?language=en
Tabarrok, an economist, talks about an assortment of walls coming now in recent decades and argues why we should all be happy that people in numerous countries are benefitting. When millions of people in India and China, for example, emerge out of poverty, it means more contributions to life-saving medicine, new innovations, etc... for all.
3. How megacities are changing the map of the world: https://www.ted.com/talks/parag_khanna_how_megacities_are_changing_the_map_of_the_world?language=en
Khanna argues that a more connected world, emerging through megacities and infrastructure links, means less confrontation and peace as stakeholders don't want this order to fall apart. That said, it would be interesting for students to engage with the cons of this - when do we speak up against atrocities like what's happening in Xingiang and Hong Kong?
4. A really great website for history teaching: http://www.liberatingnarratives.com/
So many great resources on boundary crossing here: I use some of the resources to engage with students on "Global Lisbon", Eastern contributions to the Renaissance/Age of Encounter, etc...
Rebecca BlankenshipMany of us including our students think with our stomachs. Foods and food history is such as great way to get student engaged in the study of history. I loved the video about Chamoy in addition to the articles on the Japanese influence on Peruvian cuisine. World History tends to be so abstract and distant for students, but food is a tangible way to bring history alive for students. From there you can jump out into then looking at the impact of Chinese trade routes on Mexican artwork, textiles and handicrafts. This way students can begin to trace the spread of ideas from one place to the next and see how they inspired new traditions and the marriage of ideas into something new and powerful.
Jessica NgAs we discussed this afternoon, boundaries are physical and figurative. ETK is all about working on students' social-emotional skills, and preparing them for the academic life ahead. When I think about boundaries as applied to 4- and 5-year-olds, I think about the rules and social norms that we practice daily. These are figurative boundaries that make society "work" and that must often be explicitly taught to young children: how to line up, waiting your turn, cleaning up after oneself, greeting others, respecting others' physical space ("Keep your hands to yourself!"), and much more.
These boundaries, though, are very much cultural; they are constructed by people based on shared values. That leads me to think about my students and families who are from other places, who crossed state or national boundaries and ended up in my (now-virtual) classroom. Being here, now, poses a different set of challenges as they continue learning to navigate political, economic, and social changes.
From this seminar, I look forward to gaining a better understanding of different cultures and the ways we move between them, physically and figuratively.
Jiaxing Weng-ZhangI read Huang Yanpei's comparison of the American and Chinese education systems from 1915. Huang was one of the “China's pioneers in educational modernization, he went on to lead the vocational education movement, founding the China Vocational Education Society and various vocational schools.” It is intrigued to see that many of the differences are still the same today. For example, he mentioned that Chinese students have to take lots of difficult classes to the point that ”the course load is too heavy for their mental powers to handle” while American students “ take only 4 a year”. More than a hundred years later, even though the Chinese education system has changed a lot, but each time I went back to China, I found that students who are college-bound are under more and more stress and longer studying time. In the last two years of high school, while preparing for Gao Kao, the college entrance exam, many students go to school 6 days a week, even more than when I was in high school in the 90s. That’s why more and more Chinese students seeking to go abroad to study, not only in college but even in middle school or high school.
I also like the video “Chinese woman becomes mariachi singer in Mexico” which shares the story of a Chinese woman who went to Mexico at a young age and learned Spanish by singing mariachi songs both in Spanish and Mandarin. This became her passion and she is performing in the streets and is very well received. Her Mexican music producer is hoping that she can revive this art form in Mexico and even spread it to China.
Both of these are very relevant to my Chinese learning students. I want to show them how students coming to the US to study are just like them, struggling to learn the most basics of a new language. And by learning the language and culture, they can become the ambassador of a culture and bridge the culture differences.
Maria CardenasYes, I agree. For the most part what students learn is the American perspective of what happened in the past. The reading is good to source for students to see that trade happened between everyone. Asian styles became popular and were imitated and created by the Natives. People don't really think about the contributions that Asians contributed since the beginning to the Americas' culture. Blended cultures.
Maria CardenasQian's:CH. 6 Some Marriages Hold Together, Many Fall Apart
This reading is about what happened when Chinese men and Chinese women came to North America. Marriages suffered coming to America because the environment was different from China. Many marriages ended because of the husbands inability to offer financial stability to their wives. If women came to America and were more successful than the men they were not able to adapt to the new situation. Chinese women were able to adapt to the new environment and new way of life. Life in America was much different then in their patriarchal China. In the other hand men had to adapt to losing the status they ahd in China. If they couldn't find a good paying job they also lost self-confidence.
In this article, crossing boundaries comes from the Chinese women. The article talks about how women had to learn to be women because their life in China was different. Chinese women become indpendent both of their lives and financially. They didn't have to depend on the men. They could survive on thier own.
This article can be used to demonstrate how women's role in history have changed. The more progressive and independent the countries become the more rights women receive. Women lives change from being very depedent on their fathers, brothers, husbands, etc to them becoming independet and self-reliant.
Tom MuellerMy favorite course to teach is Introduction to Geography. The course is taught as a World Regional Geography course, in which students learn the basics of geography by examining different regions of the Earth. My two major goals for this course are increasing students’ spatial awareness and having them become more informed global citizens. Unfortunately now we see some people who profess that we only need to focus on “our country”. I believe that door closed a long time ago and that is a good thing. We have been crossing borders to fight wars, to grow our economy and to exchange cultural ideas. They key is not just about crossing the borders, but crossing them with respect and understanding. This is important in business – for example – I remember stories about Chrysler blaming tariffs as the reason they could not sell cars in a particular country until it was pointed out that they had the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car (for that particular country). Crossing borders is also important in our foreign policy. After the understanding and respect then we need to “see” the world from their eyes. We may not agree with it, but it will help us build relationships, etc. Finally when we cross borders we need to see people – not governments. I think we made steps to peace, etc when we saw the Soviets as people and not as the evil empire. Just my two cents.