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

[Cindy Nguyen]

I found this propaganda poster at the Vietnam War Memorial Museum located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam a few years ago.  I was attracted to this poster because it showed a passionate and patriotic young woman fighting for her country.  With my limited Vietnamese I think, "mung tay nguyen giai phong" means to lend a hand in the liberation of Vietnam from foreign powers.  I asked my parents their thoughts on this poster and how life was like during the Vietnam War.  Both of my parents said there was a lot of propaganda being presented from both sides: the Northern Communist and the Southern Republic of Vietnam.  During the 1950s, I believe 90% of the population were peasants living the rural regions of Vietnam.  I feel the Communist party in Vietnam and China used propaganda images to manipulate the mass.  Young working class women and men are usually portrayed in these posters as glamarous and patriotic freedom fighters.  I really like to use this activity with my students and have them analyze image I provide for them and then have them research for another.

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[Matthew Wong]

“The key point is that they wanted to overthrow our state and the Party. Failing to understand this means failing to understand the nature of the matter…”

 

Deng Xiaoping is a historical figure that transformed China from its revolutionary period under Mao’s regime. He is widely praised for opening China to economic development, or in his words, “Socialism with Chinese characteristics.” However, it was during his time (or shadow) that the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre occurred.

 

When I first studied this incident in college (not high school), I actually thought about the failure of the incident to bring about democracy to the world’ populous nation. I was surprised to learn about the slow decision to put down the protests, and expressed sorrow over its failure. That is perhaps why I believe Taiwan is a better model for democracy for Chinese people. 

[Sonia Arrayales]

Jane, I really enjoyed reading you post. You gave a lot of detail and insight. It is true that you do always tend to see the soldier, the worker, and the peasant. I believe that the scholars are left out because they question the nature of things and don't take it at face value. It makes sense that they would exclude the people that would not fall in line.

[Luis Camacho]

Session # 11 by Luis M. Camacho

China in the screen.

China has been taking an important prestigious place in the film production industry in recent years. Some Chinese companies have been associating with important studios such as 20 Century Fox, Sony Pictures and AMC Entertainment. The potential market for these companies it is very promising, as proved in the first decade of the XXI century, considering the large population of China, the main idea is to get into the movie business and at same time display to the world the beauties of the modern way of life in China.

Disney Industries is one of the most important associated to the Chinese Entertainment, giving an important space to China on their Parks, celebrating Chinese festivities such as Chinese New Year celebration all around the world.S

 

[Cristina Hernandez]

China's Film industry

One of the advantages of taking this seminar is that I become more aware of the influence China plays in our daily lives.  One of the aspects is the film industry.  I was waiting for a movie to come out and when I went to the theatre one of the biggest surprises I got was the fact that it was distributed by the company "H Brothers" a chinese brand.  Also, one of the main characters was a chinese actor and obviously he was representing a chinese character with a very positive role.  This movie was a teen movie and after that I got to pay more attention to the companies that distribute, or produce movies because I believe there is more influence from the Chinese companies in the western world.

Topic: Session 11

[Alejandra Jimenez]

Well I really never undestood the ideology of having an oversized picture of political learders in your own homes. The article Mao Zedong (1893-1976) cleared most of my questions about this Chinese political figure. During the late 1020s most provinces troughtout Chana held peasant gatherings to discuss the peasant movement. There were ranks to peasants according to their experience and knowledge. Most Chinese seemed to have the freedom to join th peasant movement such as stated in tthe text, "In a very short time, in Central China, southern and northern provinces, several million peasants will rise like a mighty storm, like a hurricane, a froce so swift and violent that no power, however great, will be able to hold it back. They will smash all the tremmel's that bind them and rush foward along the road of liberation. They will sweep all the imperialists, warloards, corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry into their graves"... according to the Chinese they had three choices during this revolutionary time, "There are three alternatives. To march at their head and lead them? to tail behind them, gesticulation and critizing? Or to stand in their way and oppose them? Every Chinese is free to choose, but events will force you to make a quick choice quickly." Many Chinese yet again were force into political submission and family registration process to be placed to authorities.

Even nowadays people continue to idealize political figures across the world which I believe could be dangerous to support politicians and provide them with civil access to change laws according to their personal believes as oppose to the well being of the citizens.

[Jane Shen]

I am among the protested students in 1989. I remembered that the whole school was empty, all the classrooms were empty. The students learders were moving around the dometories inciting the students to join the protest. The whole environments leads to a situation that the protest is not an choice. It has been almost an obligation.

At that time, I don't think I remembered understading exatly why they are protesting, and why do I need to join them, but as the protest spread to nationwide, I was scared. So scared that I left school and wend back home by train. 

And that summer, all of the students in our university were banned from the summer break. We had to stay in school for political confession. Each of us was required to write a 30,000 characters journal for what we have done and whar we say. Then we were told to write another 3,000 character summary .

We needed to share our thoughts among small groups while having one of us recording what each of us said. I just remembered that I was very scared and there were no lectures at school however we all had to take finals.

[Jane Shen]

 

I remembered that when I was in first grade in China, the DaZhai spirit was used as the Chinese peasants' spirits which to some extend closed to brain wash. I learned in school, “人有多大胆， 地有多大产” ， which means in English " How bold people, how much to produce". Later on, we learned that from here and there in China, every day from here and there, the peasants were breaking the records of the producing grain quantities. The production rate of the farm land had been reaching to an unrealistic records which many years later I realized that all of them were fake numbers in order to please and honor Mao.

 

[Lin ZhaoDavison]

Comprison of Chinese flas with the American one is a very interesting classroom activity.  Jane Shen points out that the signaficance of the red color in both flags.  I would like to add that both flags have stars. Chinese flag has 5 golden stars while the American flag has 50 white stars.  The 5 golden stars represent the relationships of the Chinese parties, but the 50 stars represent 50 states in America.  So, the Chinese communist party is in the most important position; but the land of 50 states is focused in American flag.  Students may find it interesting to make stars for both flags.

[Lin ZhaoDavison]

The card says "Increase vigilance and defend the fatherland".  Why "fatherland" instead of "motherland"?  Is it to emphasize the masculine nature of the military action?  The soldiers may read Mao's litte red book and learn battle strategies from Mao's words. Students may do some research with this question in mind and find more about Mao's messages in his little red book.

[Lin ZhaoDavison]

The Down to the Countryside Movement is a tragety during the Cultural Revolution when mostly high school students were sent to farms to be revolutionized by the peasants.  Teenagers should go to classroms to gain knowledge from books and teachers and choose ther eduational and career paths.  They should not be forced to do farm work if they had no interests in it.  Life in farmland was so pure that the students starved and suffered from malnutrition.  They could not grow healthy mentally and physically in the farms.  Some students were turned into red guards who sided with certain partisans and took violent actions while they should learn civiliation and gain academic knowledge.  I wish they were in the farms only to help the peasants during harvest seasons instead of doing hard labor.

[Lin ZhaoDavison]

This is a good and interesting observation from card.  It does show that Chinese people trust in Chaiman Mao and idolize him.  During the cultural revolution, Chinese people, including chidren, can recite many passages from Chairman Mao's red book.  They use the book as a guide to their daily life activities.  I guess Chaiman Mao took care of them spiritually.

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