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David OjedaIt's unfortunate that the false portrayal of various individuals is still seen on the stage and in films. It is the false portrayal of individuals who are marginalized due to various reasons (e.g., sex, race, sexual orientation, etc). This moment in the lecture made me think of the portrayal of a character in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the latter film, Mickey Rooney, a white actor, plays Mr. Yunioshi, a Japanese photographer. Additionally, I also thought of the controversies Memoirs of a Geisha (the novel and the film) faced. The novel was written by Arthur Golden, so it was the perspective of a white male's portrayal of a geisha. As for the 2005 film, I believe the controversy pertained to casting Chinese actresses to play Japanese roles. I believe our society is gradually progressing...however, that's the issue: it's gradual. We move forward with some aspects (in films, for instance, we see more narratives of marginalized voices, like the LGBTQ community), yet we stay behind with some (actors playing LGBTQ roles in lieu of LGBTQ actors).
David OjedaI agree, Kimberly! What I like about the story, though, is that it provides an opportunity for dialogue and students diving into perspectives (the mother's in this case). I like that the stories easily communicate cultural values. They reminded me of the time my seventh graders and I analyzed Grimms' Fairy Tales. We focused on the elements of a story, the theme, cultural values it instilled on the reader, reasons for it, and also presented the opportunity for students to discuss their opinion on said values. Here are some of the following questions that we often discussed:
I would love to enhance that unit and not just focus on Grimms' Fairy Tales. I think it would be great for students to analyze tales from different cultures and see how we compare and contrast and determine possible reasons for certain similarities and differences.
David OjedaThe Los Angeles Times and The Guardian’s “#MeToo articles, which were published two months apart (the former was February 22nd of this year; the latter was March 22nd of this year), demonstrate how the movement is seen in South Korea. The Los Angeles Times discusses how young girls face sexual harassment in an academic setting. Though the article states that more and more individuals are becoming aware of the harassment these young women face, it seems their voices are only being heard and some are attaining justice because the public is gaining awareness. When teachers and administration did nothing, students began sharing their stories via the hashtag #MeToo. This hashtag has allowed them to share their stories with the world, which has caused schools to finally look into cases that were initially dismissed due to “lack of evidence.” The latter makes me wonder: Had these young women not shared their experience on social media, would the schools continue to let them and future students suffer?
The Guardian’s article also echoes the same issue but in the music industry. Jung Joon-young, a singer-songwriter, and Seungri, a member of a well-known K-pop group (Big Bang), have been accused of sexually exploiting females. Jung Joon-young “shared footage of himself having sex with several women without their knowledge” in a chatroom. Seungri was said to be in the chatroom. Additionally, he was “alleged to have run an illegal prostitution ring.” I feel these scandals were allowed to take place because these individuals are linked to K-pop; “K-pop has helped South Korea project its soft power.” K-pop, as BTS has shown, helps stimulate South Korea’s economy. Like in the first article, the #MeToo movement has made the public aware about female sexual harassment and exploitation is seen everywhere, including the elite class. This article, like the first, makes us aware that changes are taking place...though these changes might be very gradual. However, had the #MeToo movement not become so public, I fear individuals would continue to perpetuate sexual harassment and exploitation.
David OjedaMurasaki Shikibu’s Her Diary and Poetic Memoirs echoes the ideas that can be found in Pan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China. In the excerpt, Murasaki Shikibu discusses Saemon no Naishi, a woman who spread “malicious rumors” that made it seem Shikibu was learned or perhaps flaunting her education. Upon hearing this, Shikibu “worried what people would think if people heard such rumors…[she] pretended to be unable to read even the inscriptions on the screens” (139). I think the latter connects to Pan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China. When discussing the qualities a female must exude, the speaker mentions that females must not demonstrate excessive womanly virtues, words, bearings, and work. However, females must also not demonstrate a paucity amount of these qualifications; females must blend in with other females. Perhaps Saemon no Naishi’s comment, and even that of His Majesty who compliments Shikibu (“She seems very learned”), went against the norms and gender expectations that one finds in Pan Chao… I find it very interesting that Her Majesty, upon hearing of Shikibu, had a desire to learn via Shikibu but did so in private. I would love to incorporate this in class to have my 6th graders explore what it reveals about the culture of the time and determine to what extent it has progressed or stagnated, and possibly debate if that progress or stagnation is beneficial or detrimental.
David OjedaThis is the first seminar/course I take pertaining to the study of the Chinese culture; I had not heard about Ban Zhao prior to this seminar. Like Eva and Nichole, I think Ban Zhao communicated the ideas that shaped her identity. I believe Dr. Yan stated that the views of the time came living in a time where there was a devotion to patriarchal roles. Therefore, her thoughts and those of others were influenced by these men, like Confucius.
I teach 6th-grade English and Social Studies (ancient civilizations) and we cover Confucius. At first glance, his teachings seem great. Today’s first session, though, have made me reflect on the female role within the five relationships/bonds Confucius discusses that have shaped China. I wonder how I’d properly introduce this into discussion.
David OjedaPan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China communicates qualities that establish gender roles in, I believe, 80 CE. Within the first two paragraphs, Ban Zhao introduces the reader to the perception of women at the time: unintelligent by nature. Ben Zhao states she fears humiliation and shame will come to the ancestors (connection to a person’s lineage) and to her clan (female gender) because women are not properly trained for marriage. The book of lessons, therefore, serves as a call to action for females to act accordingly by adhering to Confucianism’s teaching of the bond/relationship between husband to wife. In creating this book, she reinforces gender roles by establishing qualities the culture of the time valued. As I read the excerpt, I felt the author was voicing out the opinions that were instilled in her and other females since birth: docility, abnegation, malleability, and propriety. When females are compared to others, I also got the impression that, on some level, the book seeks to inculcate a state of neither above par nor subpar; women had to find a way to not outshine others. While discussing the four qualifications a woman should have, the author states,
...womanly virtue need not be brilliant ability, exceptionally different from others. Womanly words need be neither clever in debate nor keen in conversation. Womanly appearance requires neither a pretty nor a perfect face and form. Womanly work need not be work done more skillfully than that of others.
For the time, I believe this book was effective in perpetuating female gender roles in a patriarchal society. Women did not have a lot of say, and it seems their main roles pertained to marriage, childbearing, and the inculcation of the norms they were raised to adhere to.
David OjedaHello!
I'm David Ojeda, and I teach 6th-grade English, Social Studies, and an Art elective at Thomas Starr King MS in Los Feliz. This will be my first seminar with the USC U.S.-China Institute. I look forward to the next five days!
