Session 3 (9/15) readings

[Anonymous]

I found the discussion on the Uyghur population in China very interesting. When most people think of a "typical" Chinese person, they probably think of somebody that is ethnically Han. Most of my students probably see China is a homogenous country, so I think it would be an interesting lesson to talk about the different ethnic groups in China, and why some people don't "look Chinese." I teach medieval world history, so I can also incorporate this into my Islam unit, and talk about the growth of the global Muslim population.

[Anonymous]

I too found the discussion on the Uyghur population in China very interesting. Personally, I used to think China's population was pretty homogenous.
I found some great resources for anybody who wants to address this aspect of China. There is an entire case study on China's current situation at
http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/tibetanSociety/documents/Riley2004.pdf it is titled China's Population: New Trends and Challenges. Not only will you find a section devoted
to ethnic identity in modern China, you will also find other interesting topics that we've discussed in class such as: China's low fertility rate and aging population, and economic growth and how it has spurred labor migration in China.
I also found really good photographs that depict the country's diversity at http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/11/stunning-pop-up-photographs-that-showcase-chinas-ethnic-diversity/281520/.

[Anonymous]

When the war ended the Communists resorted to armed insurrection. They did everything to nullify all reconstruction projects, to hinder the Government's program of demobilization, to disrupt the nation's economic life and to upset its social order. They spread national defeatism at a time when the people were weary after the long war. Finally, the general public became so confused and bewildered that all that they asked was peace at any cost, however transient it might turn out to be. This was the basic reason for the tragic reverses which China suffered in her war against Communism.
Jiang Kaishek
Reading this passage makes me feel weary. Chinese nationals were looking for order, a return to some kind of normal, a replacement for the insanity of war, and instead the ruling government turned on the people causing even more chaos and confusion. How often is it that at his point of confusion that people are willing to surrender body and mind in order to gain the peace that makes the daily process of living so obtainable. It is easy to understand how the Communists were able to influence and control - being one of the cogs makes life easy. The books Red Azaela and Five Swans speak well to this process of turning a large country in Communists by beating down the soul of the population. While the idea of Communism is to have everyone be equal, the not being equal part of the equation is what makes a society fluid and lush.

[Anonymous]

Duyen, I like the idea of broadening the understanding of foot binding for our students, especially since "Slippers" in the 8th grade Holt text is one of the stories generally welcomed and liked by our students. "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" sounds like a great way, if not by bringing it into the classroom anyway, to allow students to research more on their own. Let me know if you have an extra copy!!! =]

[Anonymous]

Economic instability finally led to a general loss of confidence in the Nationalist government, and total collapse of political and social morals followed. Into this chaos and political and moral vacuum almost any militant group promising a clear sweep could have moved without strong opposition; and the Communists were there to take full advantage of the situation.
Chang Kia-ngau
Isn't economic instability quite often the reason for the failure of political regimes? That this happened in such a large country with so many different regions and political and ethnic loyalties only makes it hard to understand how this grand country has not split into multiple countries with different political views in order to survive.

[Anonymous]

His [Jiang Kaishek's] unbounded confidence in his political and military judgment, his faith in his infallibility, and his mystic sense of identity with the nation made him arrogant and unsusceptible to advice and argument.... Thus, the seeds of his downfall were imbedded in the amazing political skill which had given him his earlier successes.
Tang Tsou

These are many of the same questions about Hitler. How did some one so destructive come to power and what ended his reign? People needed someone to believe in, someone to lead them, someone to sooth their fears. The downfall - because so many of these leaders overreach in the power struggle and take too much power and become too secretive.

[Anonymous]

This is a film just released in China about a Tibetan migrant and her son who leave their village to make a living in Beijing. It was on Morning Edition on NPR. If you go to npr.org, you can find the story broadcasted on Jan. 15. You can also rent it on the website Vimeo. Thought some might find it interesting or useful.

[Anonymous]

We discussed this in class. China was cleaning house and arresting bureaucrats for corruption. Here the Chinese spy chief is the latest in this sweep of government. I found this on NPR.org on the global page. The spy chief was arrested and detained on suspicion of insider trading and as a part of an anti-graft investigation. If you would like more info on this article, you can find it on NPR.org posted on 1/16/2015.

[cgao]

Please download and read the attached files.
edited by cgao on 9/11/2014

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