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Jane ShenJane ShenI agree with you Lesly. I tried 4 sided discussion in my high school classroom by having the students compare and contrast the three traditional dresses among three Asian countries: Chinese Qipao vs. Korean Hanbok vs. Japanese Kimono vs. Western hoop dresses.
Students were so excited and engaged actively. I have to extend the debate from 1 section to 2 sections.
Debating is a really effective way due to my experience .
Jane ShenChris, I am not an expert in European history, but I was thinking if at the similar time in the history while Chinese nobels were binding their daughters feet, in Europe, weren't the girls sufferring the girdling and the super tight corset in order to fit in their western dresses ( hoop skirts)?
Even in present days, we can see in most of the fashion magazines that bony models are leading the fashion trends. Even the popular celebrities are constantly on a diet to fit in children sized dreses. All these peculiarities mislead our growing teenagers.
I am attaching a cartoon which could reflect on the current model industry here.
Jane ShenJazmine, I totally agree with you that there should have freedom to decide when to marry and whether one should have a baby or not. I American, we should cheer the democracy or the culture that marrige and birth were considered as personal issue and no one will put any pressure on you.
However, born and grew up in China, the culture in China is different. Since the college graduation, almost 9 out 10 adults I met will question me " When are you going to marry?" and over the age of 25, Chinese consider it's late to marry, so the similar question will turn to " Why didn't you marry yet?" And some girls over 25 will be caped as "old miss".
Once you married, you will face the question " when will have baby?" frequently, and the pressure from both sides of the parents could be very stressful especially after the "birth control" policy started since 1976. Most newly wed are single childs in their family, so having a baby is not a person option. The upside down pyramid 4 grandparents-2 parents-1 child is another social problem in China.
Jane ShenI agree with you Rick. American workers went through the similar process in 1970s and 1980s. And the Union had won the pensions and other benefits in 90s. However, as for the economy crisis started since late 90s and lasted longer than 10 years, the unions are under pressure to give up the rights they fought so hard for. As you mentioned , a 2 tier system had seperate the new workers as a secondary layer compared with the older ones. This also put the retired workers into the anxiety of loosing their health benefits.
As teachers, UTLA is fighting really hard to save teachers health insurance and retirement pensions and it has been a tough battle to decrease the class sizes. But can teachers win while exauhsed with the increasing numbers of students in the class and less guarentted benefit in the future?
I bellieve China will be no different than American as to the workers unios. However, teachers who are mostly respected by the society were much more at ease compare to their American peers.
Jane ShenJazmin and Micheel,
I love the idea of studing abroad. Expecially teaching in high school foreign language, I totally agree that living in foreign country and learn the local language, experience the local culture will be the best way of learning foreign language.
As far as I know, many colleges had exchange programs which offered the students to study abroad. NYU also openned a ShangHai brach college.
But to offer high school students the similar chances would be idea yet quited a long way to go.
Jane ShenThe feet binding culture started from Song dynestry lasted to Yuan and Qing Dynasty. Girls at age of 5, started to bid their feet to meet into a 3 inches feet of beauty standards. The binding made the growing feet folded to the bottom of the feet. Girls suffered so much at that time.
And according to Professor Dube, that only the rich families whose children do not need to walk around to work could afford the feet binding. Ane woman will big feet could not marry to another rich family.
Even though the feet binding was banned in the China, growing up in China, I still experienced that people apreciated smaller feet for woman. Those girls who had bigger feet were considred not educated.
Jane ShenMovie Acreening on Ocr 5th: "Above The Drowning Sea"
It is my honor to have a chance to watch the movie “ Above The Drowning Sea” at the USC U.S.-China Institute followed by a panel conversation.
This movie is a documentary about Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe who, at a time when all doors were closed to them, found sanctuary in Shanghai, thanks to the intervention of Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan who as Chinese consul in Vienna defied the Nazis and his own government by issuing more than 3,000 travel visas to the desperate refugees. The film tells the story from the point of view of the refugees and the Chinese people who sheltered them. In light of today's refugee crisis, an inspiring poetic tale about two peoples who found common cause and dignity in a world in chaos.
After watching this movie, I just cannot stop exclaim over the warm story between Vera and her Chinese friends. Vera as one of the Jewish refugee who traveled to Shanghai to find escape from the Nazi, was embraced by a Chinese business man and his daughter who is a little younger than Vera. The Chinese man sent litter every day after school to pick up Vera from school, tried to manage to welcome her at home, fed her dinner before sent her to her own house. The Chinese father’s sympathy and warm love had influenced the friendship between his daughter and the Jewish girl. So then after more than 60 years of separation, at reunion in Shanghai, they were still be able to share the love across the language barrier. “ Vera, Vera, my little big sister…I cannot dream that one day we could meet…” By just the voice the Chinese lady calling her Jewish friend, and by looking at the photos from long time ago, they could deliver the love not only between themselves, but also touched the audience into tears.
This movie did not reveal what the Chinese lady had experienced in China because of her relationship with a Jews. Born in China during the Culture revolution, I can imagine that behind the scene, the Chinese lady might suffered much more . However, in the screen her face looked so bright, so peaceful and filled with so much love, it again proofed that love embraced and comforted more than rejection.
Jane Shen" The painful fight for basic right from the bottom of the society"
This movie had just hit me so hard that the Chinese workers who are at the bottom of the social class, had to fight so hard, even with the cost of their young lives for their basic right. The battle has been so tough, they had to overcome variety of obstacles from their employers, from their peers and even from their own fear of loosing their jobs or revenges.
These workers are fighting with their lives for dignity. They claimed for respects as the same human beings.
Even though workers in the Lide company won the fight with 120 million compensation from their employers, but as Han DongFang said that they were hard to reach later.
I personally resonate the pains the workers been through due to my own experience working as a teacher assistant in America. As the bottom layer in a classroom, a TA earns only 10% of the teacher working in the same classroom facing the same students, however, they were not included in any of the teachers' union, no one stands for their right. As a general aid, paid with hourly minumum wages, no benefits at all, I had to worry about my rent during the reserved hollidays. And summer vacation, which is the most enjoyable time for a teacher was the nighmare for me.
So I would like to say, as the very bottom laobr workers, no matter where or which system, it is a tough battle to fight for their rights.
Jane ShenHi everyone! I am Jane Shen, nice to meet all of you here. I am 4th generation Korean born in China, then immigrated to USA 20 years ago. I am currently teaching Mandarin in High school.
I love camping, hiking and playing pingpong.
