[Dennis O'Connell]

Hello Haena!  I try to introduce my students to the major East Asian countries of Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and China.  I am always looking for new lessons I can do with each of these countries.  Even though your lesson is based on a kindergarten class, I can use many of the resources you provided in my third grade classroom.  I especially appreciated the video watching someone prepare Bibimbap and the paper cut outs of the ingredients.  Even though my students are older, they will still get a kick out of putting their ingredients into the stone bowl one by one!  While I do not see me doing any real cooking in the classroom, I can see where watching the video and discussing the many new ingredients will be another way for my students to appreciate the Korean culture.  Thank you!

[Dennis O'Connell]

Meyer's account describes the personal effects of the Beijing governmental policies surrounding the $40 billion project to clean up hutong neighborhoods near Tian'anmen Square and other preparations for the Beijing summer Olympic games.  Many who had their businesses razed, received no compensation.  Others, who lived in the area, were offered fifty-five thousand yuan to move.  Unfortunately, they were asked to move to apartments which had not yet been constructed.  It is not easy to pay for a place to live, sight unseen, and then rent another place while you wait for your government promised apartment to be built!  

The article gives some indications of the difficulties which city planners have when trying to construct new city areas and the unintended consequences.  For example, if you build a more efficient road, the businesses along this road might actually be adversely affected as traffic moves smoothly and no one wants to stop to buy things.  Additionally, Chinese customs and culture require planners to consider feng shui.  Experts must be consulted and their suggestions are usually followed.  

As I read this excerpt, I was reminded of two other resources I have encountered recently.  Firstly, I read the book by Peter Hessler titled Country Driving.  This book is filled with anecdotes of personal stories surrounding the rapid development of the Chinese economy and cities.  Secondly, I was reminded of a Postcards from Asia podcast about Euro Disney (https://audioboom.com/posts/759839-0003-disney-has-feng-shui).  This podcast shows that business people ignore feng shui at their own cost!  

[Dennis O'Connell]

Thank you to all who made the USC-China Institute this fall a reality!  The sponsors, Dr. Dube, our guest speakers, and the behind-the-scenes administrative staff who keep things running smoothly deserve our extreme gratitude! 

In addition to my career a teacher, I am also an avid traveler who likes to bring my overseas experiences into the classroom.  I have been to each of the East Asian countries we discussed this semester, but I am also scheduled this summer of 2020 to explore the interior of China, the city of Hong Kong, the island of Hainan, and the island of Jeju.  This gave me added incentive to pay attention, do the readings, and figure out ways I can take these travel experiences and make them meaningful for students and their learning. 

During the third session, we were introduced to the history of Koreans needing to change their names to Japanese names.  The image of a Korean athlete wearing a Japanese uniform at the Olympics was a powerful one.  This led to discussions in my classroom about what it would be like if you had to change your own name based on a nation conquering the USA.  We talked about fairness, what students would feel like, and how names are part of our identity. 

A few times during our sessions, we read diary entries from the time periods in question.  We saw that first-person accounts as primary sources are amazingly rich in information about history.  Early on in my education, a teacher had us write in daily journals to record what was happening in our lives.  For many years, I recorded my thoughts daily.  In my adult life, I have relegated journal writing to when I am on international travels.  Now, as a teacher myself, I want to find a way to get journal writing as a part of my students’ lives.  Perhaps it is a habit some of them will continue well beyond third grade. 

The greatest impact these sessions had on my classroom directly were the lessons I designed using the Postcards from Asia site and webpages on various East Asian currencies.  The podcasts were a quick and easy way for my students to practice their listening skills while also learning about another part of the world.  Money turns out to be a good way of discussing the importance of symbols and what societies value enough to put on their currencies. 

Again, I want to thank the USC-China Institute.  Thank you for the knowledge I was given as an educator and thank you for the ideas I will be able to pass on to future students in my elementary school classroom.

[Dennis O'Connell]

This excerpt provided a look into the rapid changes that have been occurring in Chinese society.  Globalization affects all of us, but in China this has been accelerated.  As the author notes, "as if everything that happened in America over fifty years were collapsed into a single decade."  From the internet, to home ownership, to car ownership, to moving to big cities for work, the people of China have been affected on a grand scale.  Values, like caring for the elderly, are shifting under everyone's feet.

The excerpt also gives a unique view into the life of a school girl.  She not only has the pressures of school work and getting ready for high-stakes placement tests, she is also involved in other competitive activities to help her out pace her peers.  Piano lessons, English lessons, and Math Olympics are part of the weekly routine.  She is ranked against her peers in these activities.  Running for political office within her class is also seen as an important thing to pursue.  In contrast to political campaigns in the US where a candidate touts their strengths, these class campaigns involve citing one of your many faults and how you will go about improving yourself.  Votes are sought through self-criticism.  Improving oneself was compared to getting the latest mobile phone.  As one interviewee stated, "If you don't continue to upgrade and recharge, you'll be eliminated."  

While I might not have my students read this article (they are third graders), we could discuss the differences between the US educational system and the Chinese system.  What pressures are similar?  What pressures are dissimilar?  How is life changing in the United States?  How is it changing in China?  What are the benefits of self-growth in both societies?  

[Dennis O'Connell]

I enjoyed the first half of this movie as it dealt with the real life problem facing a lot of people in industrialized nations: what to do when laid off from a job?  The movie accurately shows how the man's self esteem is greatly affected when he loses his job due to downsizing and hiring cheaper labor from China.  The urban landscape and bustle of public transport are on display as the movie progresses.  The man finds he is not alone in his search for a new job.  Lines are long at the hiring locations and at the free food lines for laid off workers.  Sadly, the man does not want to share any of his woes with his wife.  He keeps her in the dark, but she ends up discovering it on her own.  The man takes out some of his frustrations on his own sons, resorting to manhandling them from time to time.  The whole family suffers from disfunction.  The sons are acting out in school or not returning home at night.  The wife seems to be holding everything together, but when she eventually unravels, the movie degenerates along with her.  

I am not sure how I could use this film in my classroom.  I teach third grade, so some of the issues may be above their heads.  The first part of the movie gives a glimpse into life for urban dwellers in Japan, but the last half of the movie is a nightmare I would never show students.  One son goes off to the military, the other son goes to jail for a night then watches a boy get beat up by his father.  The father gets a menial job which drives him to run directionless through the streets, through garbage on the side of the road, and in front of a van so he can be hit and lay in the gutter all night.  The mother gets bound and gagged in her own home, then leaves willingly with the kidnapper to "start fresh".  Left me shaking my head and so glad for the ending credits, which incidently coincide with an odd choice of background sounds.  I am open to hearing how others "interpret" this film and what redeeming qualities it could have in a classroom.

[Dennis O'Connell]

Departures, directed by Yojiro Takita, involves a young man who loses his prestigious job as a cello player in an orchestra and has to "go backward" on his career path.  Like a salmon swimming upstream (scene in movie makes this connection), the protagonist moves away from the city (a symbol of success) and goes back to his childhood home in the countryside.  He stumbles into taking a job as a mortician, preparing bodies for burial or cremation.  In Japan, this career has a lot of negative stigma attached to it.  His neighbors, originally impressed with the young man and his success, begin to shun him.  His wife, up to this point very supportive, becomes disgusted when she learns of his job, and leaves him to return to her family (calling him "filthy" for touching dead bodies).  

The young man is in a quandary.  He did not like this job either when he was first introduced to it.  Over time, however, he learns from his mentor that death is an inevitable part of life.  We must choose to live life with gusto and flavor before death takes us as well.  The young man sees the profound effects this job has on people as they celebrate the passing of a loved one.  He is offering an amazing service which touches deep into people's souls.  The service he renders comes to play in his own life as he has to deal with the death of a father he never really knew.  

This movie is so good on so many levels.  It shows that no matter whether the family is Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, or non-religious, all must die and deal with the death of loved ones at some point or another.  I am trying to figure out ways I can use at least parts of it in my third grade classroom.  Part of the difficulty is that death is a sensitive subject in all cultures, including our own.  There are lovely scenes of the Japanese countryside and glimpes into the cycle of life/death/renewal throughout.  Scenes of cherry blossoms and flying birds carry great significance.  For those interested in architecture, there are a few scenes where modern architecture and current Japanese advertising techniques are juxtaposed against an ancient torii gate.  

A lovely theme which recurs in the movie is that of the "stone letter".  The protagonist explains that before their was writing, someone would select a stone which best reflected the feelings they were having about someone.  They would give this stone to the person who would then feel and interpret the stone and its significance.  I could easily see showing a few selected scenes (father and son exchanging stones, protagonist giving a stone to his wife in the creekbed, and the stone found in the hands of the deceased father) and then having students exchange names in the class and having the homework assignment of finding a stone that represented how they felt about this person.  Students could share orally or in writing what they meant by giving the stone and how it felt to receive a stone.  

[Dennis O'Connell]

Thank you for the three articles.  I especially was interested in the one about foreign born candidates in Japan and their varying levels of success.  As a nation of immigrants, we in the United States are perhaps more used to candidates from varied backgrounds.  It is good to see that Japanese society is beginning to see more voices speaking out for those who have not had much voice to this point.  It was interesting to see in the case of the Indian-born Japanese citizen that well meaning Japanese wanted to spend money on the growing Indian population, but that these funds, in the eyes of the candidate, could be better spent if not directed specifically to only the Indian population.  This is an example of how a different perspective can help the whole community benefit from public funds, not just a small contingent.  The end of the article made the good point that these voices are not just for the naturalized citizens of Japan, but also for foreigners who have chosen to live long term in Japan and have yet to be naturalized.  If they are part of the community, they have a vested interest in how that community is governed.

I think students could have a great discussion about how long someone needs to be in a country before they can become a citizen.  Also, once they are a citizen, how can they make sure their interests are represented to the community at large?  

[Dennis O'Connell]

One of our readings focused on Japan prior to the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry.  It demonstrated that imperial power grew within Japan, but that this growth in power was tempered by the growth of Buddhist wealth and influence.  Aristocratic families, monasteries, and shrines gradually assumed the real functions of government.  The Fujiwara hegemony began as Fujiwara daughters married imperial princes in order to beget future emperors.  This Fujiwara power structure reached its zenith in 1000 AD.  

New teachings were introduced in Japan by Saicho and Kukai.  This brought some control over Buddhism and its influence.  Three forms of religious worship were emphasized: good works, meditation, and faith.  Architecture and art began to change due to the influences of Buddhist sects, the Shinto religion, and the mountain cult of Shugendo.  Aristocrats moved from representing religion in their art to depicting their own lives.  This type of Japanese painting was called "Yamato-e".  

The role of women in the production of art, literature, and music was typically restricted.  There did emerge a short time period, however, where women were allowed to write prolifically, producing some great works, including "Pillow Talk".

While I am not an expert in art history, it would be interesting to explore some concepts with my students.  How has religion influenced art in our society?  What has the role of women been?  How are these things changing over time?  How is our art different from the art of Asian countries?  How is it the same?  

[Dennis O'Connell]

Session Eleven focused on China.  We looked at post-1949 history and development of the country.  The Nationalists were in competition with the Communists for the hearts of the people.  Both sought to bring a "backward" country into modernity.  The Communists won this struggle on the mainland by being strong in the rural areas, completely surrounding the cities which here held more closely by the Nationalists.  The Nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan in order to continue their form of governance.  

China (PRC) used various laws to more deeply influence people's lives.  The Marriage Law (May 1, 1950) was followed by the Land Reform Law (June 30, 1950).  The Great Leap Forward from 1957-1959 saw private property abolished and people seen as elements of productive labor.  The Cultural Revolution was symbolically led by the trinity of WPS - Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers.  

What does the future hold for China?  This is an incredibly important question not only for Chinese citizens but for the world at large.  China is such a large country in terms of land area and population.  It has incredible productive capabilities.  It has "awoken" to take an important position on the world stage.  As teachers, I think it is important for us to get a better understanding of this influential country.  We need to introduce our students to China and get them thinking about what kind of world they want to live in as it relates to this Pacific neighbor.  

[Dennis O'Connell]

I am by no means consider myself artistic or familiar with architecture.  I was drawn to this session, nonetheless, and the look at public and private spaces.  Our speaker (Vinayak Bharne) feels that architects should think of themselves, not just as artists putting a vaneer over societal problems, but as doctors and healers with an important job to do.  Western cities are often "museums" of architecture from the past alongside more modern architecture.  Japan, in contrast, is more like a theater.  The next "act" of the architectural play is on display as older structures are replaced by newer ones.  

Again, despite my lack of background in such subject material, I was facintated by the use of wood as a building material in Japan.  In addition to being a natural product, the builders chose to construct without the use of nails!  Japanese joinery and cantilevers have subsequently inspired and influenced other architects including some in the West. 

Zen gardens were given some attention.  They are places for sitting and meditation.  They seem simple, but may be complex in their design.  Their lack of water may be a result of drought conditions through Japanese history and the strong desire to still have garden spaces.  It would be interesting to take students to public and private spaces and allow them to get a "feel" for a place.  How do the buildings interact with nature.  How do people use the space available?  What places feel busy, and which places feel like good spots for thought and contemplation?  

[Dennis O'Connell]

Session Nine was another one filled with interesting information!  These are some of my musings as I took notes:

When Fukuzawa Yukichi visited the United States, not only was he impressed with American technology and industriousness, he was also deeply affected by his search for George Washington's children.  No matter who he asked in the United States, no one knew what had happened to George Washington's children.  This showed that family ties are not what makes someone successful in the USA.  Instead, a person's abilities and hard work are what determines success.  This is a concept I would love for my third grade students to grasp.  A big piece of the Great American Experiment is the idea of working hard and chasing one's ideas.  

During the presentation, various Japanese currency notes were displayed.  We were given background information about the persons so honored by the Japanese people.  It occurred to me that a wonderful classroom activitiy I would like to try in my own classroom would be one in which we talk about each of the individuals depicted on US currency.  What traits did these people possess that made us honor them in this fashion?  I could then introduce the currencies of several Asian countries (specifically China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea) and give background information about the people on those currencies.  We could compare and contrast the qualities and traits valued in each of the countries with those valued in the United States.  

It was pointed out during the session that Japan may be the only major country which has just as strong a relationship with a Trump-led USA as it did with an Obama-led USA.  This speaks to the flexibility Japan has in dealing with the world's remaining super power.  Japan felt a bit "left in the dark" during the Nixon administration and its dealings with China.  Similar concerns may be felt with Trump's dealings with North Korea.  Japan does not want to be left on the sidelines of these kind of regional discussions.  Japan is a strong democracy.  The United States needs this kind of partner in this region of the world.  

[Dennis O'Connell]

There were several surprises for me during this session.  Firstly, I have always viewed North Korea as an authoritarian regime, but it did not occur to me that the South Korean story is quite authoritarian in terms of political power as well.  There have been moves toward democracy, but South Korea does not have as deep a democratic foundation as I once thought.  The political intrigue of the South, with past presidents being put on trial and such, is much deeper than I ever suspected!  Secondly, both Koreas were devastated by the war on the peninsula.  The economy in the North actually developed more quickly and recovered faster, before the economy in the South eventually caught up and far surpassed that of the North.  Thirdly, I was intrigued by the growth of the migrant workforce in South Korea.  It seems to be following the model similar to many other fast growing economies where migrant workers are used for the Three Ds - jobs that are Dirty, Dangerous, and Demeaning.  I will be curious to see what issues arise between these foreign workers and the more homogeneous population. 

As I joked in class, I like to show my third grade students movie footage of hundreds of school aged North Koreans performing difficult routines in amazing synchronicity.  I plead with them to at least make a straight line to get us from the classroom to the cafeteria!  

[Dennis O'Connell]

This was such an engaging session!  We covered so much ground!  For me, the economics we discussed was the most difficult to understand, so of course I challenge myself to write out my notes here as a way of trying to understand them better.  

In the 1870s, Japanese foreign students returned from their various studies bringing technological knowledge with them.  Their expertise was wide-ranging, covering areas such as cotton, silk, plate glass, and breweries!  The 1880s saw the emergence of "zaibatsu" - "financial cliques".  The four largest were Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, and Yasuda.  

Labor and Production Management was a hybrid between foreign technology and Japanese innovation.  Wages were based on seniority (rewarding longevity), job training was provided, and the company was quite "paternal" (providing housing, education, health benefits, etc.).  

The Three Sacred Treasures in business were lifetime employment, seniority based wage increases and pensions, and company unions. 

In my third grade curriculum we discuss the starting of a small business.  We discuss things like cost of production, profits, wages, and other basic economic concepts.  It might be interesting to expand the discussion to larger businesses.  We could look at American large businesses and then compare them to Japanese large businesses.  I am guessing my students would be so surprised to find that many of the company names they know are really Japanese companies! 

[Dennis O'Connell]

In reviewing my notes for this session, I was struck by how long Japan had been in a wartime economy!  After the Meiji Restoration, you had the Sino-Japanese War, the Russian War, the invasion of Manchuria, and the occupying of the Korean peninsula.  It is interesting to me that part of the reason given for these wars was that Japan wanted to be taken seriously as a world power.  Looking at history, they saw that the success of other nations was based on at least having some colonies from which to extract labor and natural resources.  

After World War II (another war involving Japan), the economy of Japan was really given a boost by two other wars in which they were not involved, at least not directly (Korean War and the Cold War).  Japanese manufacturing was nicely positioned to assist the war efforts of participant nations (namely the USA).  

For third graders, war is generally viewed as a bad thing, especially in regards to the loss of life.  It is a difficult discussion to have regarding what is worth fighting for and what is worth dying for.  There are no easy answers and people will often disagree.  Even harder to understand is how some people or even economies might benefit from war.  Is it right for people to benefit from the tragedies and losses of others?  Are there always winners and losers?  Can you win militarily but lose morally?  Can you lose militarily, but somehow win in the core of your being?  It is not only third graders who have difficulties thinking through these kinds of issues!

[Dennis O'Connell]

One of our optional readings for this session was https://china.usc.edu/prc-state-council-%E2%80%9Chistorical-matters-concerning-xinjiang-july-21-2019

This is an interesting look at the Xinjiang situation from the point of view of the Chinese government's information office.  It makes very clear that Xinjiang has been part of China for many centuries and any thoughts of it being an autonomous region are misplaced and misguided.

The seven point outline that begins the article is a succinct summary of the entire piece.  Time is spent on point number I to show that historically, Xinjiang has been a Chinese territory.  This history lesson is quite extensive, leading to the renaming of the Western Regions as Xinjiang in 1884 and the inclusion of Xinjiang as a province of the Republic China in 1912.  Point II strongly urges not to use the term Turkistan or East Turkistan and makes a clarification of who the Turks were originally in history.  Point III indicates that ethnic groups in Xinjiang, no matter how minority compared to the rest of China are an integral part of the Chinese nation.  The article points to ethnic migrations, sharing of resources, and cultural exchanges as examples of centuries of coexistence.  Point IV wants to show that Uighurs (Uygurs) are not an independent coherent group but instead are an amalgamation of groups formed through integration and various migrations.  Point V says that Xinjiang ethnic cultures are parts of Chinese cultures.  With a civilization that dates over five millenia, many ethnic groups have contributed to the history and "splendid culture" of China.  Point VI wants to clarify that Islam is not the only religion of the region.  Many religions have existed in Xinjiang over long periods of time.  The government wants all to understand that all religious beliefs are respected and protected.  Finally, Point VII seeks to show that Islam as a religion is not indigenous to the region, but is a foreign introduction.  As such, it does not represent the only belief system practiced by Uighurs (Uygurs).  Even within Islam, earlier practices of primitive religions and Shamanism are still seen alongside Islamic practices.  

Issues in this region of the world are controversial depending on which side you are on.  It was interesting to read the official position from the Government's information office.  

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