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Gerlinde GoschiA Visit to the Japanese American Museum Los Angeles
I spent a couple of hours recently learning about 130 years of Japanese American history at the museum dedicated to these important events of the past. I spent most of my time learning about the internment camps. A group of volunteers traveled to the Heart Mountain camp in northwestern Wyoming. They disassembled a barrack and reassembled it inside the museum. Many artifacts such as photographs, tools, suitcases, letters, reading glasses, and kitchen items are displayed. More than 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated (two-thirds of them American citizens). According to the information posted next to the exhibit entitled "How Priceless is Liberty: America's Concentration Camps," "the United States Constitution failed to protect their rights. It was a failure that would affect all Americans." One of the inmates named Jinji is quoted: "Little did I value freedom when I was once free, but once penned up, how priceless is liberty..."
Another interesting reading was entitled: "What's in a Name? U.S. Government Euphemisms" It explained how the U.S. government used euphemisms to "cover up the unconstitutional imprisonment of political prisoners." It used inoffensive terms like "evacuation" and "relocation" to describe the internment process. The term "concentration camps" was replaced by the term "relocation camps." The most blatant euphemism according to the information posted, was the term "non-aliens" used to refer to Japanese American citizens.
I was searching the museum to find an anchor point for a visit with my first-grade class in the future. I found it in the section that talked about ordinary non-Japanese Americans who voiced their disapproval of the treatment of Japanese-Americans during WW II. Among them, was a librarian, Mrs. Breen, who admired her young Japanese-American patrons who spent numerous hours reading and checking out books before they were forced into internment camps. She wrote letters to her young friends, and the students replied to her. Their correspondence is available to all visitors. I will spend a lot of time with my class in this area as I would read the letters and ask my students how they think these children felt based on their words.
This is a great museum for a field trip for any grade level. It is rich in resources and materials about this era in history.
Gerlinde GoschiI enjoyed this piece as well. I like your idea, Michelle. I also would love to integrate the descriptions and the proverb into a lesson in my first-grade class." I would write it on the board and ask the students to brainstorm first about what they think it means. After writing some of their ideas on the board, I would read some parts of Zhou Jiaying's day and finish with her quote: "A person who stands under someone else's rood must bow their head." I predict this will generate a lively and very interesting discussion with my students. I would also mention the comments on Zhou Jiaying's report card: "Your ability is strong, but, a person has to learn from the strength of others in order to improve." This would be so appropriate as I teach first grade, and the quote is from the girl's first-grade report card. I would also draw on other points made in this writing as my students would be engaged in finding out about Zhou Jiaying's school day and after-school activities. It differs drastically from a typical first grader's school day in my class.
Gerlinde GoschiIn addition to this, Prof. Dube's presented the class with the question: "What drives the perception of the past?" (We can't change it, what happened, already happened) But, what we can change is the perception of the past. These factors change our perception (as mentioned by Aja): 1. New data; 2. New people asking about it (for example, today, the debate about the confederate statues; new people don't agree with what they represent); and 3.New questions? In China’s case: Were there women? How did they change? Prof. Dube concluded that: "History changes, the past does not change. Past happened." This reminded me of Prof. Kurashige's historical perspective on racism against Asians in America and that he was the first scholar to research this past from a new perspective: that of the Asian Americans. What was the experience of the Asian Americans during this important past? What was their perspective?
It is so important to teach this to our students. They need to understand that an important question to always ask is: from what perspective is this written or told? I would incorporate this question into my lessons.
Gerlinde GoschiI was also fascinated by Mao Tse-Tung's first essay, The Peasant Movement in Hunan of March 1927. I can't help but wonder if this is the Mao Tse-Tung manifesto? Evidently, it is a feverish call for a revolution. Mao calls on all peasants and ignites them to "rush forward along the road to liberation." He states: "They (peasants) will sweep all the imperialists, warlords, corrupt officials, local tyrants, and evil gentry into their graves." Mao continues by predicting: "Every revolutionary party and every revolutionary comrade will be put to the test, to be accepted or rejected as they decide." Then, he analyzes: "There are three alternative. To march at their head and lead them? To trail behind them, gesticulating and criticizing? Or to stand in their way and oppose them? Every Chinese is free to choose, but events will force them to make the choice quickly." He continues the essay by equating the "patriarchal-feudal class of local tyrants, evil gentry and lawless landlords" with the "basis of the autocratic government for thousands of years in the cornerstone of imperialism, warlordism, and corrupt officialdom." Finally, Mao states that the "real objective of the national revolution is to overthrow the feudalism forces." As Prof. Dube mentioned in his presentation (10/21/17), Mao emphasizes " a revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery, it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained, and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows the another. A rural revolution is a revolution by which the peasantry overthrows the power of the feudal landlord class." Mao sounds confident of victory and urges the peasants to join this unstoppable movement at any cost, and warns them that not making a choice (to join it or not to join it?) is not an option.
Gerlinde GoschiProf. Dube defined Marxism vs. Communism clearly during the presentation. Many use the terms interchangeably negelecting the minutae between the two. However, it is hard to state a distinct difference between the two as they are closely related, but how? Marx posited that all history is economic history and all economic history is one class battling with another class, many classes, but always two classes; for example, serfs vs. lords in feudalism, or, the bourgeoisie vs. the middle class. HIs is a philosophy rooted in a materialist interpretation of history. It is a political ideology.
Communism is the realisation of a stateless society where all are equal. Marxism is the framework by which such a state is developed. Communism aims to achieve common ownership to promote fairness and equality for all. Consequently, Marxism is the theory and Communism is the practical implementation of Marxism. Communism would have never existed without the ideology of Karl Marx.
Where does Leninism fit in? Leninism emphasizes a highly organized worker's force, highly disciplined, and highly centralized. The party dominates the state. It runs the state. Violation of party discipline is punished by loss of job, torture, jail, and/or death.
(sources: Wikepedia, Quora, Prof. Dube's Presentation 10/21/17)
Gerlinde GoschiIt never occurred to me to include the art of Chinese tea drinking in one of my lessons I am planning to teach about Chinese culture and traditions. I will definitely include the types of tea and explain the importance of tea houses and tea gardens in China. I will research the internet to find photos about Chinese architecture reflected in the tea gardens. I am thinking about bringing in some teas for students to sample as well. Thank you for this great idea!
Gerlinde GoschiI attended Lenora Chu's presentation at the beginning of October and found the perspectives she offered enlightening. Her book gives us a glimpse into the Chinese educational system and its competitiveness. Jacqueline, you make a good point, by stating that children "are encouraged to develop grit as they are pushed to master more and more skills." I work with students who just moved to the U.S. from China due to their parents' jobs. These students are some of my academically most successful ones. They learn the German language and English one simultaneously, effortlessly, it seems. When I talked to Prof. Dube about it, he reminded me that in "failure is not an option." I believe that this lies at the core of the educational system in China. Citizens are able to move into middle-class status, as in the case of Zhou Jiaying (Bella) because of educational background. So the stakes are high. Lenora Chu attempts to answer the following questions about a Chinese education in her book:
What does it mean to the student?
What does it mean for the Chinese society?
What can we learn?
She also mentioned that the Chinese Education System knows it needs reform and that it is looking to other countries including the U.S. to evaluate other teaching models. I agree with you and Nira that "competitiveness and mastering of skills are still deeply rooted in its educational system," and I would like to add Prof. Dube's quote that "failure is not an option."
Gerlinde Goschizi4you2 freedom; liberty; free; unrestrained "Citizens of China enjoy the freedom of speech, correspondence, the press, assembly, association, procession, demonstration and the freedom to strike." (page 933) The irony of the sentence used to demonstrate the usage of the Chinese word "zi you" struck me when reading it. Citizens of any country under communist rule and regime do not have freedom of speech or the press. The famous historian Wu Han and his play, Hai Rui Dismissed from Office comes to mind mentioned by Prof. Dube. Wu's play on the life of Hai Ru, a Ming Dynasty official, became a great success in 1960. In this play, a small minority tells the dynasty leader that what they are doing does not work. Wu is accused by one of the leaders in the communist party of metaphorically equating the dynasty leader with Mao. Mao wrote a review of the play (in reality, he did not write it) and stated that the play is about counter-revolutionism, revisionism. Although Wu denied his motives to be counter-revolutionary, he was thrown in jail, tortured (by some accounts) and commits suicide in jail. Consequently, as this example indicates, it is very questionable if "zi4you" truly exists in a communist society. (sources: Prof. Dube presentation on 10/30/17 & Wikipedia)
Gerlinde GoschiIt was sad to read about the Great Famine as reported by author Yang Jisheng in his book Tombstone. It was shocking to read that the current government has yet to acknowledge it for what it was, but, it calls this tragedy a natural disaster. Many questions arise, especially, how was this possible for three long years without it causing a major upheaval? Yang explains, "It's a very complicated historical process, why China believed in Maoism and took this path.It wasn't one person's mistake but many people's. It was a process." Eastern European communist countries suffered greatly for similar reasons. But, nothing comes close to the Great Famine. A certain crop production output number had to be reached every year. It wasn't reached for many reasons; the harvest was not there, corruption at all levels was widespread. Many cadres and party chiefs took a big chunk of the production for themselves and their families because the food was scarce. Many sold food on the black market. Meat, coffee, milk, and butter were considered luxury grocery items and could be purchased from cadres for a hefty premium. The general population was subject to food rations, very meager ones. The communist headquarter leadership and the politburo ended up pocketing a lot of money and the top leaders had huge Swiss bank accounts. This was discovered in many former Eastern Bloc countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Stories like these are told throughout all of the former Iron Curtain countries. Anyone who complained or protested was thrown in jail and mysteriously died of a heart attack within a few days. Almost everyone who lived during those times had a neighbor, friend, relative, or teacher who dared speak the truth and ended up dying under mysterious circumstances while detained.
Gerlinde GoschiI was fascinated to learn that Chariman Mao was not a friend of the USSR, as a matter of fact, he did not like Joseph Stalin or Nikita Khrushchev. China and the USSR did not talk to each other and had no relationship 1969-1989. Growing up in communist Romania for the first 13 years of my life, this is a new perspective for me. Romanians always thought that China was similar to the mighty USSR as the puppet governments of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The whole Eastern Bloc followed orders from Moscow. But, this was definitely not true for China. As Prof. Dube mentioned, Mao thought the USSR was too bureaucratic.
I appreciate Prof. Dube sharing the Chinese political joke (I may not remember it with 100% accuracy) that mentions that Khrushchev calls Bo Xilai a "traitor to your class" (because he considers Bo Xilai part of the bourgeoisie due to his wealthy and affluent upbringing), and Bo Xilai says to Khrushchev "So are you!" (because he considers Khrushchev a traitor to the workers class).
Gerlinde GoschiI am planning on incorporating different aspects I learned about East Asia throughout the school year in my first grade IB curriculum. I will teach a lesson in each of the following units: Who We Are In Place and Time? (Beliefs and Values, Diverse Lifestyles), Where We Are in Place and Time? (Our changing world), and How We Express Ourselves? In one lesson, I will read a portion of the Diary of an Evacuated Schoolgirl out loud and make it into a writing assignment asking students to pretend to be Nakane Mihoko writing about her day. For another lesson, I will illustrate the friendship between Vera and Zhou from the movie Above the Drowning Sea, showing pictures when they were little girls and adults. The third lesson would show students how to write some Chinese characters, making a pretend silkscreen, including painting it. I will introduce this lesson by talking a little bit about the history of China.
I wanted to see a film about the Nanjing Massacre/Nanking Rapes. I chose to watch the Flowers of War because it was recommended by Prof. Clay Dube. This is not a movie that can be shown in any educational setting in elementary school. It is very hard to watch. It does portray Chinese people remaining strong during tragic times.
Gerlinde GoschiChairman Mao and us are always care about with each other.
I was not able to find the image of my card including the words mentioned above. But, I did some research about some of the depicted parts in the picture. The "little red notebook," or "Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong" the correct and complete title, was a collection of 267 aphorisms from the chairman (source: Wikipedia). This book was part of the Chinese Cultural Revolution during 1960's and 1970's. The color red, the symbol of the communists, represents the blood of the workers who lost their lives against capitalism. In the picture on my card, the wise leader. Mao, who wrote the little red book, visits the workers, who adore him and seem very happy. My original guess was not correct, as the notebook is not a savings book, but rather a "teaching," or a "credo" book for the workers to study and apply to their daily lives. They wave it at Chairman Mao with adulation and gratitude.
Gerlinde GoschiMy card depicts Chairman Mao with a Politburo member standing behind him in an open Jeep. The Politburo member holds up a red small notebook. Chairman Mao extends his hand to shake the extending hands of the workers who idolize him. I think that this red notebook could be a form of a check/saving book. I would guess that the caption " Chairman Mao and us are always care about each other," means that "here is your Chairman taking care of your savings, making sure that your future is taken care of." Many of the workers hold the same red notebook in their hands pointing it toward Chairman Mao with gratitude in their eyes. I imagine the workers look at Chairman Mao thinking " We trust that you will make the best decisions for us, so we entrust you and your wisdom with our life savings. We will work harder and harder and produce more and more."
Gerlinde GoschiI enjoyed this three-sided historical encounter with my group, the self-strengtheners, and with the reformers, and rebels. All three leaders, Li Hogzhang, Kang Youwei, and Qiu Jin presented great arguments for their causes. I think the reformers and self-strengtheners are not that far apart in their beliefs and ideology. The reforms suggested by Kang Yowei, have the precondition of modernization of the traditional examinations. Our leader, Li Hongzhang, was also an advocate of 19th-century modernization. Although he was loyal to the system, he understood that the Confucian examination practice needed to undergo a reform to give prestige to scientific modes as seen in the US or the West. The rebels forgot to mention that Sun Yatsen invited the Soviets into China to advise him on the organization of his party. This is why the Nationalistic Party is leaning toward a Leninist organizational structure today.
Gerlinde GoschiThank you for sharing this, Christine. The process of foot binding caused excruciating pain to women. Many women were completing their daily household chores, carrying heavy things during this process. I read up on this and was surprised to find out how widely spread foot binding was in the past and for how long. As Prof. Dube mentioned, many cultures have a "foot binding" process of their own in one form or another. I am happy to read that by today this custom stopped.
