Make-up Assignments

[cgao]

If you need to miss a session (no more than three in the duration of the seminar), please let us know. You will need to make up each missed session. Please note that the four Saturdays count as two sessions each. If you miss a Saturday, you will need to submit two make-up assignments.

• Attend an event (lecture/meeting/discussion panel, etc.) that focuses on issues related to East Asia or visit a museum exhibition or performance relating to East Asia. The U.S.-China Institute offers at least one public event each month.
• Submit a 150-200 word summary of what you learned, and post it in this thread. 

Attached is a list of resources to help give you an idea of events/places to visit around Los Angeles.

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[Marcos Rico]

The Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego was celebrating its 14^th Annual Cherry Blossoms Week (March 18-24) with several special events. Several events caught my attention but due to previous engagements, I could only attend one event. Wa-Shokuiku Wednesday (Wednesday, March 20^th, 2019). I signed up for the event and only knew that we would be learning to prepare and eat Japanese food. In class we have discussed about the decrease of rice consumption in Japan.

 

The program was from Wa-Shokuiku, Learn, Cook, Eat Japanese! A program that focuses on teaching healthy cooking that looks good. I had the opportunity to learn about basic rice cooking and how to properly hold a knife for cutting vegetables. One important thing that I learned was that proper Japanese cooking requires you to use 5 colors in every meal. The colors are white, black, yellow, green and red. Also, try to use 5 flavors. The flavors are bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and savory. When it comes to savory, I am still unsure if it means the plant or full of flavor. It is also encouraged that people will be able to use their 5 senses while enjoying the food.  Another important concept in Japanese cooking is “Me de taberu” or eat with your eyes. The food should look appealing, we had different mold to shape our onigiri (riceballs), rockets, kittens, pandas, or balls.

 

It was a great experience, I used the kitten mold to make my onigiri with regular rice, and the ball mold to make onigiri balls with rice sweetened with coconut milk. I was able to fill my bento box with vegetables and fruit (used a special cutter to create apple stars). I was successful on using at least 5 colors, and it achieved “Me de taberu”. It looked so great that I almost did not want to eat it. I am attaching a picture of my masterpiece on that wonderful evening.

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[Dan Thalkar]

THE JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM

The Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo contains many possibilities for ways its experiences can be included as part of a curriculum. The permanent exhibit on the Japanese-American Internment is extremely powerful and informative, and the temporary exhibit during the time of our visit - Heroes. Vs. Kaiju - is a fascinating example of cultural transmission.

 

The Heroes vs. Kaiju exhibit focused on an expansive toy collection amassed by an avid collector or Japanese action figures and toys. The toys themselves were interspersed with interactive features, personal testimony, and the history of the transmission of this strand of Japanese pop culture into American culture. After visiting and learning about this exhibit, students could create their own versions looking at a similar process from different cultures (tela novelas, K-pop, yoga, etc.). They could also apply a critical analysis to their own media consumption and trace international and cross-cultural influences and changes. This would both help students develop a greater sense of their own cultural participation and create relatable examples around the powers of globalization.

 

The Japanese Internment Camp exhibit is, unfortunately, always relevant. Many students are unaware of this period of our history, and often the exposure itself affects their perspectives regarding American history. Connections can also be drawn to current discourse around Muslims and the increasingly crowded detention centers for undocumented immigrants. Students could use the powerful photography in the exhibit as a springboard into a photo project, the suitcase artifacts as the base for a comparison between similar exhibits displaying artifacts from undocumented immigrants, and the poetry written while in the camps provides a concrete lesson in the liberatory power of the written word.

 

[Dan Thalkar]

Chinese American Museum

The Chinese American Museum is, I feel, an underappreciated treasure amongst LA Museums. The permanent exhibit is not just a comprehensive history of Chinese American history in Southern California, but a fascinating insight into the formative years of our city and region. The museum’s temporary exhibits are also often unique and culturally relevant. For example, an exhibit that recently closed explored the history of LA-based Asian American hip hop.

 

Of particular interest are the connections the museum draws between the evolution of the LA Chinese community and events on mainland China. It is fascinating to see the connections between events occurring on separate continents. Unrest and displacement in China led to an expanding (and increasingly politically vocal) immigrant community in California. This has definitely made me think about how, in order to understand local history, it is crucial to understand global history as well, especially when learning about immigrant communities. As such, anyone seeking to understand immigration in Los Angeles also needs at least a rudimentary understanding of historical events in modern China.

 

[Gerlinde Goschi]

I spent a couple of hours on a Saturday at the Japanese American of Los Angeles.  My last visit was in Nov. 2017 and I vowed I will be back to study in the research room as it was closed during that time. I missed the exhibit by photographer Paul Kitagaki Jr. as well as the Kaiju vs. Heroes, Mark Nagata’s collection of Japanese toys by a few days.  As I walked through the museum, I carefully studied the sections I missed last time. One interesting display told the story of the Japanese community in America. Several quotes stood out: one in particular by Davis Mao Masumoto - “Culture binds us, gives us meaning and provides us with foundation … it surrounds, entangles and supports our daily life, a matter of learning ‘what it is we have to know’ to belong within a family and community.”  In the research center, I came across the book by George Goldberg, East meets West - The Story of the Chinese and Japanese in California.  The first chapter discusses the end of the Qing Dynasty as we discussed in our last class with Dr. Dube.  According to the author “ Commissioner Chin’s destruction of British merchants’ opium chests led to the Opium War.”  It explains that many Chinese were ready to leave their country after this war as their lives were in danger either at the hands of British soldiers or Chinese rebels.  So, the Opium War not only caused the fall of the legendary Qing Dynasty but also the exodus of many Chinese to America. I also had a conversation with a museum docent regarding survivors of the internment camps for the Japanese in America.  He mentioned that most of them are no longer living. He directed me to a website that contains many testimonials of these survivors. It is http://densho.org/  and is a “grassroots organization dedicated to preserving, educating, and sharing the story of World War II-era incarceration of Japanese Americans in order to deepen understandings of American history and inspire action for equity.”  In conclusion, I would like to share a quote that also stood out. It is a diary entry of Yuri Nakahara Kochiyama dated May 3, 1942: “Courage is something strong within you that brings out the best in a person. Perhaps no one else may know or see, but it’s those hidden things unknown to others, that reveals a person to God and self.”

 

[Linda Gonzales Diaz]

I visited the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena on Thursday, April 25. I had never visited before. I attended a Teacher workshop on integrating art into my lessons and curriculum, specifically Pacific Asian art. After a very welcoming sign in complete with snacks and a moment to get to know other educators. First we toured the gallery where we explored past and present Kabuki works of art by various artists including Toshusai Sharaku but most of the artwork was by Tsuruya Kōkei. 

We were asked to study the art, analyze it then compare and contrast it to the other artworks we had seen in the same gallery. I noticed that some characters were painted more than once and in each rendition, the character differed drastically from the earlier art.  For example, Kōkei's earlier rendition of Nakamura Kichiemon II as the footman Unpei in "Michiyuki Tabiji no Yomeiri" from "Kanadehon Chūshingura" (1991) changes quite drastically when compared to his painting of Nakamura Kichiemon II as Togashi Saemon from "Kanjincho" (1993). In just 2 years, the same character goes from looking very cartoonish and almost comical to very serious and much more life-like.

Tsuruya Kōkei is a contemporary artist living in Japan and using multiple media for his artwork. His collection also included several self portraits and the same trend was visible. His style in one artpiece differed greatly not only in style but in the media he chose for the art piece. He really is a talented artist and I enjoyed viewing his collection.

After the tour of the gallery, we walked through the courtyard which had a beautiful koi pond right in the middle of the floor and is surrounded by concrete benches and other bronze accents. We were led upstairs to a room that appeared to be designed for theatre or choir. There we were provided with copies of lesson plans and an opportunity to create our very own paper Kabuki mask. I created a very colorful kabuki mask and I was very proud of it. 

In addition to the lesson plan and the fun activity that I can take back to my 6th graders, we also received a copy of a Kabuki Play by Namiki Gohei. It is a very long and complicated play, so as a teacher I would adapt it to smaller bite sized pieces for my students to be able to understand and remember in order to perform effectively. 

I had such a wonderful experience at the museum that I signed up for their newsletter and emails. The docent informed me that I can bring my students on field trips here.  They even offer free transportation to Title 1 schools!  It is a really beautiful place where much learning and admiration and love for art can happen. I look forward to attending again with my students. in the fall.

[Linda Gonzales Diaz]

This is a great museum to visit individually and as an educational field trip with students. You are right Dan, the internment camp is still very relevant today. It also shows students that no country is immune to repeating  the sins of other governments. The US stripped Japanese American citizens and immigrants of their freedom, possessions, wealth and held them prisoners without due process all while condemning the actions of the german government.  Just a few steps further and the US could have been committing similar atrocities. Many would argue that the events happening in our country these past couple of years are also following a similar path. Thousands of people are being held prisoners under our government's immigration laws. It is important for students to recognize the similarities in these actions so that they are aware of what happened in our world long ago and compare it to what is happening now.

[Brenda-Jean Shephard]

I’ve heard that the largest Christian church in the world is in Korea (Yoido Full Gospel Church, in Seoul, reportedly has 800,000 members).  So, visiting a Korean church near my home seemed like a relevant cultural experience.  I have often driven by a campus of some sort, with signs indicating that it is the location of a church and preschool.  I pass it on the way to my own church service on Sunday mornings, and see a lot of cars parked there.  So I thought I’d check it out.

The website http://rpcsc.com/ is all in Korean, so I wasn’t able to get much information regarding services, but I could tell they had something happening at times that included 11:00.  A Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rejoicing-Presbyterian-Church-of-SC/232840176836335 mainly features the children’s VBS (vacation Bible school) program.  Hoping they had an English language service, I showed up at 11:00 this morning.

Following the sounds of music, I did indeed find a small group of about 20 people singing worship songs in English.  Then there was a young pastor who led the congregation in reading catechism (questions and answers regarding doctrines of the faith) and preached a message based on scripture from the gospel of John.  An upcoming missions trip to Paraguay, providing medical services, clothing, and general assistance, was mentioned.  It was very much like I would expect an American Presbyterian church service to be like.  I suspected that the young people in attendance were children of immigrants attending the main (Korean language) service.

Afterwards, I was invited to join everyone for a simple lunch of beef broth with noodles, rice, and kimchi.  There were people of all ages, but the middle-aged and older adults pretty much spoke exclusively Korean with each other.  I conversed with the (English ministry) pastor’s wife.  She teaches elementary school for ABC School District.  She told me the story of immigrating from Korea to Michigan at age 7, with a family of 8.  Her older sisters as middle school students were placed in Special Education classes, because the school they attended had no strategy for children who did not know English.  She described her parents’ working long hours in their determination to make it in America.  Her father, who had been a military fire inspector in Korea, was able to get a job at GE, and both parents worked as nighttime dishwashers.  His dream was to own his own business, and the family moved to Texas, where he opened a very successful Chinese restaurant.  Then they moved to Southern California.

It was a fascinating story, but I’ve gone way over my word limit already.  In conclusion, my visit to Rejoicing Presbyterian Church was a step into a culture that is right around me.  If I want to get to know East Asian Americans, the opportunity is easily accessible—within walking distance of my home.

[Jimmy Martinez]

I used to intern at the Museum of Tolerance as a museum facilitator and I had the opportunity to learn more about the oppression that the North Korean people must deal with on a daily basis. Through the tour there are many interactive and informational pieces that challenges people to question the ideas of tolerance in our society. To be honest I had very little knowledge of North Korea and what I discovered at the Museum of Tolerance blew my mind. While training to be a facilitator I discovered that there are many people in North Korea who suffer from malnutrition and there was a survivor that told of his experience through a video. It was shocking to say the least. This man had escaped North Korea once without his family and when he realized he would not be able to help them he returned to the horrible conditions his family was in. Back in "hell" as he put it, he began to watch his families health deteriorate due to malnutrition and the diseases that are associated with it. First, one of his daughters died and then his youngest finally perished. Distraught by seeing his children die in front of his eyes he finally gathers the courage to leave North Korea with his wife. Before they leave though his wife catches ill and soon perishes. With his last bit of strength he finds a way out of North Korea into South Korea and here he starts speaking against the evils of his homeland. This was truly horrendous to see and the strength that he shows is remarkable. The teaching of tolerance is one of the most important lessons you can teach about in history and I believe that the Museum of Tolerance is fantastic in getting this message across.

[Jimmy Martinez]

I recently visited the Japanese American National Museum over the weekend and it was fascinating! I thouroughly enjoyed the museum and I learned many new facts about the Japanese culture. I had no idea that Japan is consisted of 6,852 islands...that is incredible! I also really liked the exhibition by Mark Nagata because it brought back some feelings of nostalgia. It reminded me of my Pokemon days and playing with my older brothers Transformers. "Kaiju" translates to "monster" and was the main influence behind the infamous Godzilla, which has been remade a number of times. Another nostalgic feeling came when I came across the Goosebumps section! I loved those books growing up and read almost every single one. This museum would be a perfect candidate to take my students to because of exhibitions like "Kaiju vs Heroes." Toys and video games are very much relatable to my students and it would be easy to incorporate lessons based on these subjects. Another exhibition I really enjoyed was "Common Ground:The Heart of Community" as it explores the beginnings of the Japanese and their acclimation to America. I would definitely recommend the Japanese American National Museum because it does a great job of educating everyone about the rich culture of the Japanese and their influence on America.

[Ricardo Reyes]

While in the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, I concentrated my visit in the Japanese incarceration sections. The last room is the Visual Communication Room. On display were a wide range of visual images, mostly photos and copies of documents and personal letters. As explained, "Many designers and graphic artists over the years have been inspired by the thousands of photographs made by its four founders and core staff members." Also, included is Alan Takemoto's 1978 video docu-dramaTRACKS. Many periods and subjects were covered and notably THE 1970s: Three Perspectives on Redress. Adjacent was a description of the former Atomic Cafe which was located across the Museum on the corner of Alameda and First Street. In fact, the overhead entrance Neon Light was included in the exhibit. The story of its founders and premise for naming and opening the cafe was depicted. A timeline of Asian events and Pan Asian developments, events, and growth were displayed. By no means, was this section compressed. The VC exhibition was ample and contained so many takeaways. It would be superb for any grade level and highly educational. My suggestion is to do a preview and prepare the students for the tour so they are not overwhelmed by the immensity of the historical panorama. The WWII Japanese American incarceration is featured prominently upon entering the entire second floor exhibition. As much as I thought I knew about this action, I learned that Japanese Americans were not incarcerated in Hawaii, except for a few. The reasoning being that Hawaii's economy would have been crippled with 40% of the population being Japanese-American. Also, I had been aware from a friend's personal family story, that Japanese-Peruvians had been brought to the U.S. for incarceration and many of them were in the Crystal City, Texas, Department of Justice Camp (Prison). Also, detained here were well known German-American Nazi organizers and agents. The exhibition posted that the Japanese-Peruvians were foreceably emigrated to the U.S. so that the Peruvian government could take over their businesses and properties. From what I know, they were not eligible for the reparations program. 
 

[Ricardo Reyes]

Also located in Little Tokyo is the Go For Broke National Education Center. I had seen many times the outdoor granite Memorial monument to the Japanese American Nisei soldiers who had fought overseas during World War II. This outdoor Memorial is adjacent to the entrance of the original MOCA museum. It was established in 1999, after a ten year effort by a group of these veterans who sought to bring recognition to the Nisei men who had served with them in the 100th/442nd/MIS. I had always seen two or three elderly Japanese-American men seated around the Memorial but never thought of speaking with them. Now, I am hoping they are still there so I can find out more about themselves. Today, the Foundation, has been renamed the Go For Broke National Education Center. The old auditorium theater on First Street has been converted into the permanent Defining Courage  exhibition, traveling exhibitions, public programs, oral history and archival collections, lesson plans, and school tours. They encourage school tours of the Defining Courage exhibition for grades 5-12, paired with a workshop on oral histories using clips from their Hanashi collection. So, go visit http://www.goforbroke.org/school groups for their current offerings and educational programing. The visuals are stunning with large scale video images of Pearl Harbor and actual Medals of Honor with vital statistics and graphic images of the soldiers along with their heroic accomplishments which have earned them the distinction of being the most valiant and awarded soldiers. They were sent to the European theater and principally to the Italian campaign. In their own words, they were eager to leave the concentration camps or the Hawaiian islands to put everything on the line, or "go for broke," to win the war against the Germans in Curope and the war against racial prejudice at home. This is a most impressive exhibition and is a valid counter point to the reasoning behind the incarceration. By the way, I found out about the recent premier on May 20, 2019 on PBS on Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story. This can be explored at http://www.MinetaLegacyProject.com. 

 

[Amy Chen]

USC Pacific Asia Museum is located in Pasadena. It is the only university owned museum dedicated to arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. I visited on a Thursday after school when admission is free.  The exhibits I viewed during my visit were Modern Kabuki Prints, Silk Road, their collection of Chinese and Southeast ceramics.

The Kabuki Prints by Tsuruya Kokei were really special to see. Kabuki is classical Japanese dance drama using intricate masks and costumes. The actors of Kabuki take on both men and women roles. The prints on display are portraits of the leading actors, capturing the movement of the actors. Kokei used oil painting and printmaking as mediums to create his artwork.

In the permanent collection section of the museum, there was the Silk Road display that was well curated. When I first walked in the room, I looked the timeline and map. In the middle of the room, there was a yurt model. Ivory, gold, ceramics, paper, jade, silk are the materials that were traded along the Silk Road. The museum’s display about the Silk Road was very informative. Near the Silk Road room, there was a section filled with jade and ceramics. The vases were mostly from the Ming Dynasty with the widely popular blue and white designs. These particular exhibits aligns with my History class and would be great for a field trip.

 

[Amy Chen]

One of the field trips I brought my students on this school year was to Japanese American Museum, located in Little Tokyo. The tour was led by docents who brought the students into the exhibit about Japanese internment camps. The museum also organized an artifact activity where students got to examine documents, photographs, and other primary sources from World War II. During a portion of the trip, the docents gave the students sticks that read “Interesting”, “sad”,”angry”. They were asked to place the sticks under parts of the exhibit that made them feel those feelings. Under a mockup of a internment camp classroom, many students left sticks that read “angry”. WHen they were asked about how the exhibit made them feel, they were able to communicate what emotions they felt and why. I found this method of interacting with the museum a meaningful way for 6th graders to learn empathy while learning about history.

Coming into middle school, many 6th graders are not aware of Japanese Internment camps. This field trip educated my students about the perils of discrimination during wartime. This is a part of American history that is not often discussed in textbooks. I think field trips are a great way for learning to occur outside of the classroom and away from the required state standards.

[Heidi Kwalk]

Chinese American Museum is located at the southern end of Chinatown in Los Angeles in 578 N Los Angeles. Its building used to be part of the firehouse building. Currently, the museum has an interesting exhibit called the Lightscape. It is a work of Nick Dong and Wu Chi-Tsung, the two Taiwanese born artists. It is a representation of Chinese landscape painting but with a modern media. The artwork incorporates lights. It is a creative juxtaposition of ancient Chinese and modern and advanced China that it is today. I think this artwork is a symbol of China itself--ancient yet modern and advanced. 

The museum has a permament collections of early Chinese Americans in the area. One of the permanent exhibit is called the Origins which shows the orgin and the rise and their struggles of Chinese-American communities through the time. The exhibit called "Journeys" shows the immigration history of the Chinese people and in particular to Los Angeles area. The exhibit explains the changes in immigration laws and events over time and how the people's lives were effected by the changes. It displays personal artifacts and personal experiences. Sung Sing Wo's General Store exhibit is an interesting exhibit. It is a recreation of the actual store that was in the Garnier Building in 1890s. This building was located there from 1891-1948. There are merchandise sold at the general store at the time such as food and clothing and furnitures. There is also an herb shop complete with the authentic Chinese herbal medicine cabinetry/little drawers. With racism around the time, Chinese had to help each other and provide for each other. 

 

 

 

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