[Joel Jimenez]

The seminar helped me to learn about historical and contemporary Korean, Chinese, and Japanese gender and generation. I was already familiar with many ideas about traditional gender and generational roles in Korea and Japan because I had lived on Saipan, where there was a melting pot of Chinese, Korean and Japanese living there and as a result, I was able to learn about East Asian culture and gender roles.  I was fortunate enough to have many conversations with friends and tourists over a span of 5 years.  However, I wasn’t familiar with these elements in Korean and Japanese culture and history. It was a good opportunity for me to learn as a person and as a teacher.

            What I found especially fascinating, was the dynamic between genders throughout different time periods in East Asia.  I especially appreciated when the professors used contemporary films/tv shows to show how gender roles and gender mentality is changing throughout Asia.  For example, whether they used the film, ‘Crazy, Rich Asians’ or the Korean Drama, ‘The Last Empress’, they exemplify how women are becoming more important in neo-familism and contemporary East Asia.  I learned a great deal from the lecture from Professor Yunxiang Yan, on Neo-Familism and the state of Contemporary China.  While there were direct gender roles established for women in the workplace, caretakers, mistresses in the imperial palace, or members of the royal court, these roles began to quickly change as communism became the norm in China under Mao Zedong.  Roles again have changed post-1990’s as policies in china change to promote fertility and having bigger families, moving from the controversial one-child policy in China.

            This is different from the roles that have emerged in Korea and Japan, where women are becoming the matriarch of the family and making their mark in popular culture, music and fasion.

 

[Joel Jimenez]

I hope to one day visit the Japanese concentration camps as well.  I think it is a very humbling experience and everyone should take this tour at least once in their lifetime.  We would be much more empathetic towards minorities and the pains and struggles that different cultural groups have had to endure here in the U.S.  I also visitied Auschwitz in Poland two years ago and that was truly an eye opening experience, one that would be very impactful on my high school studetns.

[Joel Jimenez]

I also found this very interesting.  Not only did our guide have a very vivid memory on his time in the internment camps and when he was a child, but due to the shame and embarrasment that he felt by being Japanese as well as the stigma that many Americans had on Japanese cutlure, he did not want to learn the Japanese language.  To this day, he doesn't speak Japanese, I find it fascninating that even up to today, he didn't want to learn Japanese language.  

[Joel Jimenez]

My students would really love coming to the Japanese Museum.  They could visit the museum and then visit Little Tokyo after.  What I found most interesting was learning about the interment camps here in the United States.  I knew that there were sevearl camps throughout California, but I did not know that there were also many camps throughout the country.  Very sad time period in the U.S.  It reminded me of the show, 'The Man in the High Castle' on Amazon Prime.  Except in the show, Japan and Germany had won WWII, and Americans were the ones who were segregated in certain areas of the U.S.   I wonder where the writers got their idea for the show??

[Joel Jimenez]

I also agree that the KCC can be a fun way to introduce students to South Korea.  I think they would have a blast trying on traditional Hanbock and playing the drums and trying Korean Food!  I took my students to Little Tokyo last year and they really enjoyed the visit, checking out the Japanese stores, and trying Japanese treats.  I think they could really benefit from a similar visit to the KCC and Koreatown!

[Joel Jimenez]

I agree that some of the presentation material was outdated and should be updated.  I actually did the week long seminar on Korean Culture in the KCC in June and the material that they presented there was much more robust and engaging, they even had new videos on K-pop that were really good, it seemed like they just gave us a really quick overview.  It's hard to really grasp the culture over a two hour period.

[Joel Jimenez]

I have been to the Korean Culture Center before so this was the second time that I visited the center.  It's a fabulous place to learn about Korean culture, both historical and contemporary.  It was especially interesting getting an insight into K-Beauty and K-Beauty products.  I was not aware that South Korea has become the new Silicon valley, and that behind the United States, plastic surgery is biggest in S. korea.  It is not just a phenomenon that is sweeping through S. Korea, but it has become ingrained as part of the culture.

What I also appreciated and liked was all the travel information that the center had regarding visiting S. Korea.  I especially liked the information on Jeju island.  I was not aware that one could drive around the entire island.

[Joel Jimenez]

Nice analysis on what makes a beautiful woman.  Yes, while physical attributes are attractive on a woman and throughout historyl physically beautiful women have enjoyed great benefits, I truly believe it is the inner qualities along with intelligence, skill and big heart that makes a woman beautiful.  Given communism in China and the social, economical and cultural consequences of The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, it is very hopeful to see that women in China have taken up differnet gender roles and are cutting the way for future generations of women to pave their own path in life, not to just rely on the male.

[Joel Jimenez]

Daoism is a very interesting philisophical religious tradition.  I am very familiar with Buddhism and the practices of Buddhism.  However, I was not familiar with Daoism.  Daoism also has parallels to Confucianism, and relies heavily on the concept of balance of YinYang.  What I wasn't aware of is how YinYang is an energy source that is ever evolving, that although a woman can be a yin and a man can be a yang, YinYang is interchangeable and depending on a life even or situation both genders can be the yin or the yang.

What I also found interesting was how Daoist monks in China have surpassed several gender roles.  While there are some female Daoist monks who live full time in a Daoist temple and dedicate their lives to their philosophy, arts and sense of community, there are other female Daoist monks who attend the temple during the day, just as if it were a job, and then return home to their husband and family.  With changing times and more progressive ways of thinking, China is adapting to the 21st century philisophical and cultural norms.

[Joel Jimenez]

I also chose this story.  I think it is a great story to use whether it's used in Chinese or English.  I also have had students like this and it has caused me to be creative in my approach to these struggling students.  They may not be able to thrive in all areas of a subject, but it's when a teacher is able to find common ground and build trust with that student that they will listen and try.  'Pets' is a wonderful story and I'm happy that I can add it to arsenal of resources.

[Joel Jimenez]

I chose the story 'Pets'.  I believe it provides a wonderful account of the power of a teacher caring for a disgruntled, or troubled student.  The teacher could have easily written of Wen Li as all her other Chinese language teachers did.  However, this teacher took it upon herself and went out of her way to get to know Wen Li and help her.  The teacher was able to find common ground with Wen Li over turtles and she used a pet turtle to build raport with her.  This is reflective of a what happens every day with teachers and students.  It's those teachers who take time to get to know their students and build a relationship with them that makes a difference and can lead to students being attentive and engaged as supposed to not being engaged and disruptive.  

Because of it's easy read and shortness, this would be a great story to use with my students.  I think that they would really be able to relate to Wen Li and hopefully see that just because they struggle in one or multiple subjects, all hope is not lost.

[Joel Jimenez]

Yes, this part of the film was powerful.  In a very Japanese patriarchal manner, her father gives reasons why Noriko should marry.  What was iteresting, is that prior to this scene, the father had not really given any thought to Noriko getting married until the aunt brought up the issue.  Like Noriko, he had been very content having Noriko at home, tending to the father's needs, almost taking the place of her mother.  Great couple of scenes.

[Joel Jimenez]

The video clips from Ozu's Late Spring portrayed a great story of every day Japanese people post-WWII and how they deal with every day issues.  The manner in which Ozu films 'Late Spring' revolves around being subtle, yet emotional, in which the audience (especially Asian and Japanese people) are able to directly relate to the characters and the story line.  There are many themes such as traditional gender roles, progressive rights and cultural nuances for women and for post-WWII, comedy and nostalgia. 

The theme that drew me was the character of Aya and her progressive behaviours and the way her character differs from Naroko.  The fact that this film was done in 1949, in a country that is very homogeneous and traditional, Ozu pushes the envelope to show that even women post-WWII, even if rare, were taking up different gender roles and differed than the previous generation when it comes to marriage, relationships, divorce and the western culture.

[Joel Jimenez]

What came first, J-Pop or K-Pop?  In terms of K beauty, I've seen sections at beauty stores and salons that sell K Beauty products and it's fascinating.  Even women that I know who use beauty products are using Korean products of which I was not aware that they knew anything about Korean Culture or products.  A great example of capitalism.

[Joel Jimenez]

I found 2 most interesting topics during this lecutre.  the first one are the anti-discriminatory laws of 1999 in South Korea as well as other progressive movements for women's rights in the last 30 years.  It is a direct result of the U.S. - Korean relations post Korean War.  Also a cause of more progressive laws on gender equality is due to high quality education throughout the entire country.

The second topic that I found really interesting was Korean Beauty and how beauty is seen in Korea.  Korea has become the plastic surgery capital in the world, also known as the new Silicon Valley.  Not only is it big in Korea, but here in the U.S. and globally.  International companies like Sephora and Planet Beauty now have sections on Korean beauty products.  Korean Pop and Korean Drama actors/actresses/influencers and athletes are also being used to market such beauty products.  Over $2 billion dollars in Korean beauty products was generated.

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