[Ann Huynh]

The article "Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art" by Mao Zedong is a great way to introduce students to primary sources, an artifact from that time period.  This speech was written in 1942, and was a type of propaganda that their leader used to persuade the people to be loyal to the Communist Party.  I liked how he referred to the people as comrades, providing the illusion that they were on equal footing even though they were not.  I would use parts of the speech and as a class we would try to dissect the language that Mao used to refer to the people and talked about its relevance to the Chinese people during that time.     

[Ann Huynh]

The article about K-pop is interesting, but at the same time disturbing.  The author started by talking about a music video by the girl group, "Twinkle."  In the video, three girls are well dressed and they danced with synchronicity to the music in the background as they sang in Korean and English.  The girls moved from being on the steps surrounded by adoring fans to a Broadway/cabernet stage.  It is well choreographed and visually stunning.  However, when the author goes into details about what it took to be successful, it is disheartening.  These people are trained intensely at a young age for a career that is very short-lived.  For my class, I would like to show them clips of K-Pop songs so that they can see the grand production.  We can discuss what they notice before launching into similarities and differences about K-pop and Western music videos.  This will expose the students to some aspects about the Korean culture.   

[Ann Huynh]

The Chinese American Museum was really interesting.  As I was exploring the museum, I read about the lynching of Chinese people and the impact that the Chinese Exclusion Act had upon the Chinese people in America.  I remembered learning about this in high school, but there was not more than a page devoted to this.  Hopefully, that has changed.  It was really nice to see an abacus, a Chinese calculator next to the herbal medicine where people went to get their symptoms treated.  I was surprised to see the medicine that the Chinese doctors used next to the Western name of the medicine.  This museum would be a great way to get the students to learn more about Chinese people in America.  Since we are located in Downtown, taking the metro would be an ideal way for the students to visit this museum and experience the museum firsthand.  We can talk about the colors of the outfit and the scripts that the Chinese people used.

[Ann Huynh]

I am the sixth person in the back row from left to right.  The trip to the Korean Cultural Center was very informative.  I learned about how and why the Korean language was created.  This explained why learning Korean would be easier because of the way the tongue is positioned when a sound is uttered.  In addition to learning this tidbit about Korea, there were many beautifully crafted artworks on display.  There were hand fans and purses to hold trinkets.  There is also a listening booth where you can listen to K-pop songs.  The museum was visually stunning and for the students in my class, it will be a way to introduce them to this country in Asia. 

[Ann Huynh]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Ann Huynh and I am a second grade teacher at Norwood Street School.  I am looking forward to incorporating visuals in my classroom and am grateful for this opportunity.

[Ann Huynh]

Jonathan Woetzel lecture about how “to change a billion people” is quite interesting.  He started by talking about how China is considered a developing country, but based on the demography, it is developed, like other developed countries.  The idea is that the people need to urbanize if they want to get rich and many places in China is doing that.  What ended up happening is that the rural population will be even poorer than it is, but the larger the cities, the more likely it is to increase people’s earning power.  Furthermore, he went on to project that by 2025, China will once again become the focus because of how rapidly it is urbanizing.  This is why it is so important for students to learn about this country because it be a force to be reckon with in the near future.

[Ann Huynh]

Lenora Chus’ reflection and extensive research on the Chinese education system is extremely enlightening.  In the video, Chu went into details why she moved to China, but what is captivating are her insights into the education system in China.  As young as primary schools, kids in China are taught political curriculum and are dressed in soldier outfits.  The teacher knows best and the parents need to respect that.  Unlike in America, if a child is failing, what is the teacher doing to help?  The parent forgot that they played a role in their child’s education too.  She went on about how the rural education is inferior to the major cities education, such as Shanghai and Beijing.  Consequently, the same can be said about the poor cities in California compare to the more affluent areas.  The more affluent areas have parents who have the necessary means to help their struggling student, but the poorer areas do not.  The big takeaway from the talk is that education is important, and China is trying to find ways to reform it so that students who failed the college entrance exam are not lost to the system.  There are other alternatives.  

[Ann Huynh]

 

The protest in Tiananmen Square created outrage.  In America, all everyone was talking about was how the Communist party in China was suppressing the students.  This article, “Why Was Bloodshed Inevitable?” address a different viewpoint and written by the Chinese Government about their version of the events.  The article goes on to speak favorably about the reason why the protest occurred and placed the blame on Wang Dan, the leader.  The significance of the location and its importance became the focal point.  Tiananmen Square is near the capital and where the government “holds important ceremonies and receives state guests.”  Hence, the government could not allow the occupation of this space beyond a certain time.  This is China’ reason for why they enacted Marital Law and why it matters who gets to tell the story.  History cannot be changed, but viewpoints can and this is trying to do just that.  

[Ann Huynh]

The Cultural Revolution in China lasted for about 10 years.  During this time, many people were exiled to the countryside and Mao’s thoughts became the law of the land.  Fifty years later, as China look back upon this time, what they want to do is pretend that it never happened.  China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, did not acknowledge this date with any special fanfare.  Instead, what party members want to do is employed the “tactic of amnesia.”  This may be because he himself was a victim, along with other party members.  They need to legitimatize their rule and by denouncing Mao, it might jeopardize that so forgetting is better.    

[Ann Huynh]

A lot of things are happening around the world.  The Nazis are taking over Europe, Japan is taking over East Asia, and the United States is involved in World War II.  The political cartoons in “The China Weekly Review” is a primary source that can engage students.  Political cartoons are a great way to analyze history because there are many nuances to interpret why things are the way it is.  Also, more students will be willing to speak about an image than a text.  Furthermore, this is how people and countries ae being portrayed in the media.  Without this freedom of speech, many people might not have the ability to display their viewpoint without repercussions.  Therefore, these cartoons served as a relieve to the severity of what is happening around them.     

[Ann Huynh]

Reading “Things About America and Americans” made me think about how accurate Xu Zhengkeng observations are about Americans.  The focus on money, time, and leisure.  What stood out was at the end of the text he had a conversation with an American on a train, and he went on to talk about the educational system in America.  Xu Zhengkeng felt that the universities on the “East Coast are the best and that the universities in the west are of low caliber.”  Ironically, all the Ivy League colleges are located on the East Coast, and every year when a list of the top ten colleges are revealed, most of the Ivy League schools showed up on the list.  This has not changed even to this day.      

[Ann Huynh]

China history is extremely fascinating.  This country has been conquered by foreigners several times.  The first time was by Ghengis Khan and then later the Manchu.  Unlike Ghengis Khan, the Manchu ruled over China lasted for hundreds of years and ended with the inception of the People’s Republic of China.  What allow the Manchu to rule China so long?  There are several reasons, but one of the most interesting was the Manchu’s requirement of having a hairstyle that required the Chinese to shave part of their head and braiding the rest into what is known as a queue.  An edict was issued that if the people did not comply then they were considered as dangerous and will be punished.  Of everything the Manchu could of have forced the Chinese to adopt, why this?  Is there some significance to this hairstyle?        

[Ann Huynh]

The additional list of suggested readings was very useful.  To understand what the Japanese was experiencing in America during World War II, primary sources of their personal experiences need to be taken into consideration.  The website: dehsho.org has a lot of photographs and stories that showed the racism they faced.  It is not a nice story, but it will help my students understand that all minorities in America at some point in history had to deal with racism.  As diverse as a country as we are, racism is a topic that will probably never go away because people fear those who are different from them.  Hearing and seeing what happened is an extremely powerful tool for students.         

[Ann Huynh]

War has not always been an ideal solution.  The events leading up to war and the aftermath is heartbreaking.  In the article “Liberation, Civil War, and Division,” the Korean War left a country divided, destruction of infrastructures, and disillusionment among the people.  In the text, the retelling of the events leading to the war created a picture that is extremely tragic.  This war, under the guise to combat Communist led to a divided country instead of a unified country.  As a result, later generations of Koreans must deal with one of the “most militarized areas in the world,” the DMZ.  This is a great account of the Korean War, very detailed and informative.  It put into perspective why Koreans today want to unify the two Koreans.  The war was fought for this purpose, but the outcome was not what each Korea wanted.  

[Ann Huynh]

The Japanese rise to power in East Asia is not thought of fondly by both China and South Korea.  There have been many lasting impacts.  It is therefore noteworthy that even during this time that there is a woman who is willing to advocate for women’s independence.  One such Korean woman is Louise Yim.  Yim was a Korean who wanted to be educated like the men and felt that men and women are not very different from each other in terms of intellectual and abilities.  She admitted that there are physical differences, but this should not regulate a woman to the kitchen.  This is a great source because even to this day women are not necessarily pay the same as the men for the same job.  This struggle has been ongoing and this excerpt by Yim validate and confirm that women’s rights are important, and until the men realized that, the fight will not stop.  

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