[Carlos Oyarbide]

I loved learning more about Japan, Korea, and China. Before this class, most of my knowledge of these nations and their history was strictly confined to their involvement with the United States. I have always had a cultural interest in feudal Japanese culture and because of my exposure to anime I had a little bit more knowledge about their culture than the other East Asian nations that were covered.

 

One of the things that I really appreciated was the diversity of all the professors and presenters who shared their various fields of expertise. After all this time, I can still recollect little moments from each presenter’s lecture that stood out. Off-hand, I still remember how shocked I was at Japan’s size when it was put in context in session one. I remember that the Tokugawa Order made people register their vendettas. After learning that people in Korea enjoy eating salads for breakfast, I seriously began eating more salads in the late morning.

 

Overall, I loved at how many things in East Asian history and contemporary society are paralleled by the historically events that I was already familiar with from U.S. history. During many points in the lectures I was able to connect things that I was previously unfamiliar with. Despite the differences in the cultures among East Asia and the differences between those nations and the U.S. there is so much universality that can be found. It really helped put current events in perspective. From South Korea’s emergence as cultural and economic force, China’s commitment to becoming an international superpower, and Japan’s response to defeat after the World War II, all these nations and their history have brought me a better understanding of their culture and ambition. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

It is easy to criticize a country for its environmental carelessness but it important to point out that many developing nations such as India and China did not get the same "pass" that many European countries and the United States got in the 19th century. I am not advocating for the wonton disregard for environmental protection, but it is important to remember that different countries have different priorities depending on their pecking order on the international stage. I remember what a big story the pollution in China was during the Beijing games. One of the focal points was the air quality which the Chinese government tried to control by shutting down many of the factories during the games. To their credit, the Chinese government has been making strides to improve the air and water quality around the country. But if it continues to focus on maintaining it’s unprecedented economic growth, it is hard to imagine that it will be able to do this without some environmental casualties. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

I too was very interested in the rigid hierarchy and structure that permeated Japanese culture. It was fitting that this should be explained through his contextualized approach to history which neatly organize topics and subtopics into their appropriate circles. Everything has a place. As I mentioned in one of my post, the vendetta registration system is such a hyperbolic extension of the Tokugawa order’s desire to control its people that it almost seems like a joke. Today this rigid attention to detail is admired by outside cultures. It goes to show how significant the cultural values of a society can deeply ingrain themselves in the conscious and subconscious of a people. Outside countries that wish to replicate certain aspects of Japanese society will probably be disappointed by their population’s inability to emulate something that so deeply resides in the fiber of Japan. Although it is important to note the intense consequences of the individual that is unable to conform to the expectations of such a regimented society.

[Carlos Oyarbide]

I too was fascinated to hear about the Indigenous people of Japan. One of my favorite things about this class is seeing so many parallels between the East Asian history and the Western history that I am more familiar with. I think we take for granted all the universal things that bind us as a people. Unfortunately, one of these universal things has been the mistreatment of indigenous people around the world. I know that it’s impossible to cover such a large amount of content in just two class sessions, but I would have learned to learn more about the Ainu and their history. What has become of them today and how do their customs and beliefs differ from those of what today we call the Japanese people? I would have also liked to hear more about the professor’s pirate ancestors. I love the little tangential bits of information that he sprinkled throughout the lecture. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

 

 

I think this is a great idea Matthew. As an educator, you can do your part to make sure that the Korean War is not actually forgotten. Not only is it an important part of the history of American and Korean relations, but it is incredibly relevant to our current events. Using the tension between Trump and Kim would be a great way of hooking the student’s interest. The lessons that can be learned from the foreign policies missteps of the past and present are fascinating. As the fear of a potential new war with North Korea looms over the the public eye, it would be a great opportunity to examine how and why the U.S entered the first Korean War in the first place. What lessons can our students learn from that encounter? And what would be the consequences of engaging that nation again now that it has nuclear weapons?

[Carlos Oyarbide]

While it is true that the country most become more modern, it is important not to lose touch with our roots. China is one of the worlds oldest civilizations and our culture has contributed more to the world than any other nation. It would be a shame to lose what makes China unique. That being said, there are several changes that must be made if we are to return to the glory of our past. Our bureaucracy has become detrimental to our people. Our examination system is rigid and outdated. We are laying waste to our talented scholars and suffocating them with our arcane examinations. For most of what ails our country, we do not have raze everything to the ground. We must refine the inefficient to maximize productivity but this does not mean starting over and copying foreigners. China has led the world in culture and technology and can do so again if we permit our best minds excels in our schools and then give them the opportunity to become productive members of our economy. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

I totally agree that no topic should ever be off limit to discuss with our students in the proper context. You make very valid points about gender roles and I love how you tie it in to the gender norms your students have for themselves and for each other. However, I do think that this topic needs to be broached delicately and put in it's proper context. I think that that the reason we are discouraged from addressing this issue is because it has become this pernicious stereotype of China. It has been my experience that sometimes students will remember the most sensational aspects of a unit while forgetting much of the nuance. I think if you wanted to proceed with this topic you would have to make it part of a larger unit that could do justice to a very complex issue. If not, it can just reinforce a stereotype that would run counter to your mission as an educator.

[Carlos Oyarbide]

It's impossible to argue against you in hindsight. Fair trails and democracy are seen as crucial to modern society. In preparation for the discussion tonight, I had to remind myself that these ideas were not necessarily seen as valuable at the turn of the 19th century. You mentioned the 100 years of shame. If I put myself in the shoes of someone that led a relatively good life back then, I would have a hard time making the argument for rebellion. With foreign powers trampling all over china’s sovereignty, rebellion could be argued, would only further weaken China from within and allow these same foreign powers to carve up China even further. Had the Manchu’s been “traditionally” Chinese it is possible that the country could have rallied around it’s emperor much in the way that Japan did. I think that rebellion would have been inventible anyway, but it is interesting to suppose what could have been. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

Was I the only one who found my role a bit frustrating. As Kang Youwei, it was a bit difficult to present my arguments knowing that historically I would be expelled by the Empress Dowager. It felt like I had lost before I had even begun. Furthermore, the Reformers were sort of in the middle between the two groups. While they advocated the imperial control of the Manchu’s, they did wish to modernize the country to help more of the Chinese citizenry. However, the way the Reformers wanted to modernize are only subtly different than the way the “self-strengtheners” wanted to modernize. When I was asked how the reformers where different than the self-strengtheners I almost froze.

All things considered though, it was a lot of fun to have a prominent role in the encounter. This activity made me focus more on the readings of the week. I was definitely more invested in the assigned texts compared to prior weeks. I even had a three column chart to try and better understand my argument and those of my opponents. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

The 21 demands that Japan made of China in 1915 really help put modern China’s global policy into perspective. I remember a few months back reading about china terraforming islands in the Pacific, with the suspected motive being that this would allow China to lay claim to the oil that lies beneath. At the time, this seem incredibly petty. With a better understanding of Chinese history, the Century of Humiliation in particular, it now seems downright logical.

With all the demands that were made of China by foreign powers in the early 20^th century, I have to imagine that the “Twenty One Demands” had to feel particularly shameful. It was bad enough that China was seemingly powerless to defend itself against the American and European onslaught, but Japan’s desecration of China’s sovereignty seems even more painful. The taking of precious natural resources by all of these foreign powers really frame the modern foreign policy China has taken in the Pacific. Not content to be merely “a power” but “the power.” What I find terrible interesting moving forward is how China and Russia will contend with one another. Much has been made about Russian foreign policy in relation to the U.S., but little in relation to China. I can’t help but feel that this will soon change. 

[Carlos Oyarbide]

Analyzing cartoons is a great way to introduce a new unit or to generate discussion in general. I agree that students don’t already need to have knowledge about a topic when comparing the visual representation of different people. Analyzing political cartoon or propaganda is an important world history skill that all high school students should practice. Most of what I see in this department centers around the Second World War in the form of U.S. vs. Nazi propaganda. What I like about this activity is that it allows students to more objectively examine the images because there is not necessarily a “home team” bias.

Exploring different perspective and asking the students to examine the different biases that exist is very important. This activity could also be used to explore their own sense of bias. Additionally, this activity is easily accessible for ELD or SPED students. With some minor scaffolds, all students could really be engaged.

[Carlos Oyarbide]

It was fascinating to hear about the split between the Chinese Communist part and the U.S.S.R. I had always assumed that these two nations worked hand-in-hand until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s. I also assumed incorrectly that the U.S.S.R was the driving force behind ALL communist activity around the world. I had not put together that it was China and not the Soviet Union that helped bring the Korean War to a stalemate. I think that one of the major driving factors that tainted my perception of the influence of communism globally was the simplified narrative of communism in the United States. So often t is depicted as this monolith that plans and acts with one clear and unified agenda. I found the rift between Stalin and Mao of particular interesting as their rift clearly contradicted the idea I had about communism in my head. During all the lectures about the communist revolution in China, I couldn’t help but focus on all the irony found in the disparity between the ideology of communism and the practice of it.

The rivalry between two figures who both saw themselves as the face of “true” communism highlights the façade of comradery that is embedded in communist ideology. I’m sure both leaders saw their ideological differences as the only way to reach the ideals of their economic philosophies, but I believe that ultimately, their ideas were victims of their own egos. 

[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. 

[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]

I think this is an excellent idea Jasmine. I especially like using these texts to explore authoritarian states in the 20^th century. I have used the DBQ structure a few times in my classroom this year when we explored the Salem Witch Trials and was very happy with how the students progressed through the different documents. It was also very helpful to teach the difference between primary and secondary sources. If you wanted to have students write an essay at the end citing several sources, I think that this would make for a very interesting unit. If you wanted to focus more on the female perspective is by maybe including some primary sources of women and their experiences during this time. Or if you prefer, you could use this female perspective as its own separate mini unit or mini DBQ with the essential question something like: How did the Authoritarian Regimes in the 20^th century affect the lives of women?  This topic would make for either complex essays or rich discussions with students that really challenges them to think rather than just memorize facts about the topic. It would make for excellent philosophical dissection. Hopefully some of this might be useful.

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