session #11 10/23 (dube) china after the cultural revolution

[Carlos Oyarbide]

I think you hit the nail on the head Rick. For many Americans, the Tiananmen Square protest looms large in their perception of China's authoritarian regime. Deflecting away from the human rights abuses that were perpetuated by the Chinese government maybe morally wrong, but politically speaking, it is a tactic, that as you mentioned, is incredibly effective. One thing, however, that is often overlooked by Americans when criticizing China is our problematic record on our own human rights abuses. Russia and China are quick to point out the hypocrisy of the U.S. being critical of others while easily jailing far more people than any other developed nation. If that in itself were not enough, one does not have to look too far back in our own nation’s history to uncover a litany of abuses that we are unwilling to reckon with. One thing I certainly agree with in regards to China and Russia is that until we come to terms with the abuses of our own citizenry, we do not have the moral high ground to point our finger towards any nation for their own abuses.  I think you hit the nail on the head Rick. For many Americans, the Tiananmen Square protest looms large in their perception of China's authoritarian regime. Deflecting away from the human rights abuses that were perpetuated by the Chinese government maybe morally wrong, but politically speaking, it is a tactic, that as you mentioned, is incredibly effective. One thing, however, that is often overlooked by Americans when criticizing China is our problematic record on our own human rights abuses. Russia and China are quick to point out the hypocrisy of the U.S. being critical of others while easily jailing far more people than any other developed nation. If that in itself were not enough, one does not have to look too far back in our own nation’s history to uncover a litany of abuses that we are unwilling to reckon with. One thing I certainly agree with in regards to China and Russia is that until we come to terms with the abuses of our own citizenry, we do not have the moral high ground to point our finger towards any nation for their own abuses.  

[Carlos Oyarbide]

The title of this chapter really grabbed me before I read a single sentence. The question of whether Bloodshed is the inevitable conclusion to a “revolutionary rebellion” might seem harsh or even tyrannical on its face, but it is nonetheless an important question to ask. What should the government do when a considerable segment of society is seen as a threat to the status quo? One of the things that we take for granted in the U.S. is the revolutionary spirit of our founding documents and the philosophy of dissent and dissolution of government. These ideas are freely exercised by both the left and right mostly in a peaceful manner. However, it is important to note that our own military has been used to suppress protesters in the past, Kent State perhaps being the most famous incident.

 

Che Muqi’s rationalization for the use of force to against the students seems to me to have a clear agenda: to undermine the “righteousness” of the students while painting the Chinese government in the best possible light. It’s hard to turn a blind eye to what most people outside of China might consider reasonable demands of its government. Yet, Muqi’s narrative of the events does give pause to the one sided perspective of this historical event. At one point he asks, “Are people allowed to pitch tents on the lawn in front of the white house in the United States or in front of Buckingham Palace in Britain?” This reminded me about the Occupy Wall Street movements a few years back. While it did not end in quite the same fashion as Tiananmen Square, there are certainly various parallels and it is not absurd to imagine that had that movement escalated it might very well have ended with inevitable bloodshed. 

[Gerlinde Goschi]

After watching this documentary,  the irony of this historic trip was impossible to ignore.  On one hand, President Nixon and his team staged and orchestrated every detail and image of the trip.  On the other hand, the Chinese Premier, Zhou Enlai, and his comrades staged and orchestrated every detail that the American delegation saw. Nixon's use of the media to imprint certain images in the American public's minds can not be missed.  One of the reporters stated that for Nixon this was a re-election campaign trip.  He effectively created a certain picture in the heads of Americans.  The Chinese government effectively placed certain citizens on corners with families picnicking and playing badminton in the middle of the winter and the cold.  The image portrayed was meant to be of happiness, plenty, and content.  As Ted Koppel mentions, however, he witnessed this tableau disassembled as soon as the bus of reporters left.  The badminton rackets and the picknick baskets were collected by government officials right away.  So who outdid who in orchestrating an image?  Was it the Nixon camp or the Zhou Enlai one?  It sure would spark a lively debate in a classroom.

[Christine Xu]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome( SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic organ caused by the SARS coronavirus. Between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS in southern China caused 774 deaths reported in 37 countries.

The largest outbreak of SARS struck Beijing in Spring 2003 which it was my last year of college in Beijing, and it caused 50% of our classes canceled. School gates were locked most of the time, and people/students/teachers needed to show their school identities to the school guards in order to get into the campus. And certain community areas were blocked too, and people were not allowed to get access to it because of SARS cases had happened there. People had to wear masks everyday outdoors and even some indoor areas. It was horrified at that certain days. 

According to WHO, we learned a lot lessons from this experience. 

The first lesson: reporting promptly and openly of the cases of any disease with the potential for international spread is necessary.

Second: raising people’s awareness and vigilance to levels is essential that can prevent imported cases of an emerging and transmissible infection from causing significant outbreaks. 

Third lesson is that travel recommendations, including screening measures at airports, appear to be effective in helping to certain the international spread of an emerging infection.  

The fourth lesson concerns International collaboration. The world’s scientists, clinicians and public health experts are willing to set aside academic competition and work together of the public health good when the situation so requires.  

The fifth is that the strengthening of health systems deserves high priority because weaknesses in health systems can permit emerging infections to amplify and spread, and can compromise patient care.

Lesson six it that in the absence of a curative drug and a preventive vaccine, existing interventions, tailored to epidemiological data and supported by political commitment and public concern, can be effectively used to control an outbreak. 

The seventh lesson highlights one of the major difficulties faced during the containment activities for SARS. 

“SARS will not be the last new disease to take advantage of modern global conditions. The rapid containment of SARS is a success in public health, but also a warning. It is proof of the power of international collaboration supported at the highest political level”. 

How to recognize and fight fatal diseases globally would to a good topic in a classroom.

(Sources: Wiki & WHO)

 

[Evelyn Mendoza]

Like many other countries, China has a great skeleton it has gone to great measures to conceal or at least downplay. The Great Famine is one of China’s skeletons. According to the article, one in eight inhabitants of Henan province died of starvation, a truly staggering figure. This famine is a part of its history China tried to sweep under the rug, but Yang Jisheng, the author of Tombstone, saw it necessary to bring this man-made atrocity to light.  According to this article, “Yang was determined to “erect a tombstone for my father,” the other victims and the system that killed them.” Mr. Yang Jisheng is adamant that this was a manmade famine. Farmers were forced to lie about their farm production, reporting numbers that were three or four times their actual size. This caused the larger cities to request large amounts of grain from the farms, and even sent some of the grain overseas! After learning that, it becomes easier to see how this famine can be attributed to human greed.

I would bring this topic in to classroom by asking students if they trust the government. I think this would be a good way to start, because I already know that most of my students would say no, but probably not have substantial evidence to support their answer. With this activity, my aim wouldn’t be to build distrust in the government, but rather, to help students decipher the news. Especially in the age of “Fake News.” I would like to have students compare this article and maybe excerpts from Mr. Jisheng’s book with articles about the famine written by the Chinese government. I would like students to compare the two sources about the same event and see which they think is the most credible and why.  

[Jazmin Luna]

It was interesting and kind of sad to see how people live in China and how scarce housing is.  In this country you really understand how overpopulation causes apartments to be scarce since there are not many resources to meet those needs.  That is why some people are living in such small places yet paying a lot more money than here in the U.S.  I could definitely use this topic as an example in my economic unit, "In the Marketplace."  In this unit students learn about supply and demand, resources, and scarcity.  This would be a perfect example since I can say that apartments are so scarce yet there is a high demand which is why the price goes up.  Those willing to pay more will do it if they have the money. 

[Christine Xu]

“It seems that Chinese people keep fighting for democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech for many years. Many Chinese contributed and even sacrificed their beautiful and valuable lives for seeking the freedom. The “6.4” Tiananmen Square activity students would be memorized by many Chinese and even the whole world. Twenty-five years have passed since the students and others waved banners calling for greater freedom and official accountability in Tiananmen Square. The patriotism and optimism of the demonstrators and the violence that ended the demonstrations deeply moved people worldwide. Those seven weeks have had a profound influence on what Americans and others think about China. 

I remembered that I was an elementary school student at the time. I heard nothing about the event until one day that one of my cousins who was one of the Beijing students got to my home (my hometown in the north east of China.) and tried to seek a shelter for few days. He told my dad and my whole family what he had experienced at Tiananmen Square. It was unbelievable and terrible , and how the Chinese government treated the students made me questioned and even disrespected to the one-party political system.

Upon realization of the Chinese government's use of force by other nations, the government was internationally condemned and criticized. How do people face the history and how Chinese fight for their freedom would to a good topic in a classroom.

Sources: Wiki

 

[Christine Xu]

Various forms of pollution have increased as China has industrialized, which has caused widespread environmental and health problems. Air pollution has become a major issue in China and poses a threat to Chinese public health.

Jonathan Watts, an Asia Environment Correspondent, once called China “Gray China”. Yes,  he did not exaggerate. Air pollution was a big threat in China especially in some major cities. The US embassy in Beijing regularly posts automated air quality measurements at Beiingair on Twitter. On 18 November 2010, the feed described the PM 2.5 AQI as “crazy bad”. In China, people kept wearing masks outdoors at that time. In an attempt to reduce air pollution, the Chinese government has made the decision to enforce stricter regulations. These policies have been taken effects, and in 2015, the average PM 2.5 in 74 key cities in monitoring system was showing a 23.6 % decrease as to 2013. On 20 August 2015, the Beijing government shut down industrial facilities and reduced car emissions in order to achieve a blue sky. In 2017, China is trying to position itself as the world’s climate leader, pledging to cooperate with other countries to build an “eco-civilization.” China has established the largest solar panel farm in the world, plans to close over 100 coal-fired power plants, and is committed to spending at least $361 billion on renewable energy by 2020. We can say Air quality has been improved in China, but there are still a lot the government and the people can do in order to have better air.
What can the Chinese government and the people do to “Go Green” would be a good topic in my classroom.

Sources: Wiki /NY times

[Jonathan Tam]

What I found most interesting throughout this seminar that I wanted to bring back into the classroom was the use of propaganda. Using the playing cards as way of analyzing chinese stories, history, and even personality cults was a great activity that encouraged students to seek out the answer through tangible means. It’s generally hard to bring in paintings and portraits like that; but through the playing cards, it was a lot easier. What I wanted my lesson sequence to be on was on primary sources as a way of shaping political states. I think that the Korean democracy might be a great platform for this. What my hope is, is that students will first analyze pieces of propaganda and then draw comparisons to how democracy was established in the United States and Japan.

[Erin Tanguay]

I think the article about China’s Great Famine that killed 36-45 million people would make a great lesson for my 7th graders. After they learn about China and Medieval Europe they could compare and contrast the Black Death and the Great Famine. I would have them address the reason why the Black Death, which killed 70-200 million people, is so widely taught and known by people all over the world and why even the Chinese government doesn’t speak out about the Great Famine as a part of their history. I would guide the students to see that when a large death toll of people is considered to be manmade than it leads to blame and shame on the government that was involved. Where the Bubonic Plague was a product of rats, fleas, and trade, therefore it wasn’t one governments fault and the loss of lives didn’t bring shame to the countries afflicted. This is a great lesson in remembering the past so that we don’t repeat it and not ignoring it because it is painful. Students could also research current places in the world were people are starving mostly due to political unrest, such as, South Sudan and Yemen.

 

[Erin Tanguay]

The article based on the government’s interpretation on the Tiananmen Square protesting was definitely a view point that I had never heard before. As a history teacher I always find it informative to read both sides of any historical conflict. Many times after hearing both sides my view is changed on what I believed to be the black and white of the event. The fascinating part of this article is the statements about how the protestor’s organization was not being honest with the public and to some degree with the very students that they were using. The article states that Red Cross workers were prevented from administering treatment to the protestors by their own leaders. The article brings up one interesting point that I could use with my 8th grade US History students, “When does the protest stop being patriotic and become anti-government and revolutionary?” This is similar to the American Revolution and the earlier acts of protesting that lead to war and the ultimate removal of the British monarchy in America. This would make a great subject for the students to compare with the American Revolution and the outcome of the Chinese protestors and the tighter restrictions on the Chinese people as a result of their loss against the Communist government. This would also be a great way of comparing the picture of the “Man and the Tanks” and “The Ride of Paul Revere” as acts of propaganda and protest.

 

[Erin Tanguay]

 

The video produced by the USC U.S. –China Institute would be a great video to show students. Lim displays a great visual timeline starting at the death of Hu Yaobang (April 15, 1989) to the Troops clearing Tiananmen Square on June 4th and the 5th and subsequent events in China’s history of amnesia in relation to this historical event. She states that memory really depends on geography and she showed the image of ‘Tank Man’ and how it is a defining image of what Tiananmen is to the western world. She shows video footage of him climbing the tank and speaking to the soldier (I have never seen this footage before) and this happened on June 5th not the 4th as many people still believe. She shows how Tank Man has been used all around the world to demonstrate rebellion (ex. the Simpsons, Snowden’s move to Russia, and a Chick-fillet commercial). When she took the Tank Man picture to Chinese universities and asked them if they could identify it, only 15% knew it and 85% could not identify the picture. Those who did recognize it they commended the Chinese government for being a strong government. Tiananmen is not taught in school today. The increasing censorship in China is great, which has even led to the banning of the date of June 4th and words associated with. People are still put under house arrest just for mourning the memory of their dead loved ones, one group is known as the, “Tiananmen Mothers.” She talks about another city called, Chung Chun, a thousand miles away from Beijing where tens of thousands of protestors showed up and the atrocities that took place their at the hands of the police, but because of the popularity of Tiananmen Square it was not reported. She ends with stating that history matters and this is why not allowing state sponsored amnesia to continue is so important. Again, this would be a great video to show to students to understand the censorship within China today.

 

[Erin Tanguay]

All U.S. teachers should see this video and I am going to read her book, “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, A Chinese School, And the Global Race to Achieve.” Chu starts by stating that her family moved to China from the U.S. and her son is now attending one of the top state government style schools. She Compares Chinese Education with the U.S. In China parents are supposed to be full partners with the school. There are books for the parents to read and work for the parents to do. WeChat parent web source is to be checked every day. She received 300-400 entries a day for her 3 year old son. Children are doing extracurricular activities before they even get to primary school in order to have a good standing. The system is a test based system where they expect half of the students to fail the high school entrance exam. China’s education reform plan is looking toward the U.S. for how they are succeeding in the secondary education of large amounts of students. One interesting part of her discussion was on the language around effort in Chinese schools and how everyone needs to help a child to work harder if they are behind. Whereas the U.S. focuses on innate ability or talent of a students and that we give up on some kids because we think that they don’t have “what it takes.” However, the opposite is shown in sports in the U.S. were competition is ranked, but not in education (effort over talent).

 

[Valerie Doby]

I was surprised at the names for the WW2.  China calls it the Anti-Japanese War and Japan calls it the war of the Pacific.  I truly never thought about what other countries would call WW2.  I assumed everyone referred to both world wars the same.  Now I am curious to research what other countries call each war.  I think this is a great project every time you discuss a war or conflict to have the students as groups research it from the perspective of a different country.  For every discussion they should bring in the thoughts and feelings from the perspective of the country they represent.  This will bring about rigor, GATE standards, and help the students understand how everyone can see the same thing differently.

[Christine Xu]

China’s education system has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages: It is the largest state-run education system in the world. The compulsory education law of china stipulate nine years of government funded compulsory school attendance which includes six years of primary school and three years of junior high school. Great emphasis is placed on the compulsory education for all school-age children. They have much more universities than ten years ago. Education progress is made as part of the overall national plan for economic and social development. Increasing the possibility for people to receive higher education.

On the other hand, this system has its disadvantages: (according to Lenora Chu)

• In china there are unbalanced educational development in different regions. Rural students has less chance than the urban students. 
• They lack of opportunities for knowledge application. 
• This system is an Exam-based system. Students has very limited opportunity to get a better job if they could not pass the exams to go to college. 
• The Polticidal curriculum is like brain washing.  
• Teacher centered classroom, and students has less participation. 
• Gifting is an important culture, and it even affects students grades. 

Compare and contract The US education system to China’s education system would be a good topic in my classroom.

Sources: Wiki

 

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