[Jonathan Tam]

I feel as though I will always find these seminars incredibly useful - perhaps not always directly to my classroom, but in ways that I think affect my perspective and allow me to approach my practice differently. Having gone through a lot of the seminar materials more than once, I think that there are certainly some urgent topics that can be effective topics to address this year (namely the role of Kpop in the BLM movement and the belt and road initiative). I hope to use the lesson that I designed with at least the 9th grade seminar classes that I lead, but I will see if I can convince other grade levels to pursue the subject. Regarding some of the other materials introduced, I will need to continue to think about how to best use them moving forward (namely the western classical music and buddhism materials) based on the notes that I have with each.

I found the website review to be the most difficult part, probably because I was looking for a really niche topic from chinese sources. But, the films that were recommended to me and reviewed by me were by far the biggest highlight of the seminar because I feel as though with quarantine, they’ll have the largest impact on students based on access and quarantine. I think that there’s definitely a certain education that only these films can bring but I liked some of the discussion points that I brought up in each film review that can push students’ understanding beyond the initial viewing of the film.

[Jonathan Tam]

The Farewell is directed by Beijing director, Lulu Wang, and tells the story of a wedding to take place as an effort for family members to see the grandmother of the family one last time. The film’s stars are both Chinese-American and Chinese actors and the film is by far one of the most empathetic looks at Chinese values compared to any other film I have watched. The distinction between Western and Eastern values meets its battlefront in how we deal with death. Whereas western values emphasize the importance of seeing your life as something distinct among your family members (in terms of life, love, career, etc.), the film portrays an eastern perspective which is that you are part of something far greater. It’s expressed in how the family interacts with one another, talks to one another, and lastly confronts the issue of telling the grandmother she has cancer.

Where films in the past have very distinctly portrayed Asian characters as villainous and emotionless, this film confronts why that is and perhaps how underneath our values, there are more common threads between us than we think. The film ends incredibly beautifully, has moments of incredible hilarity (such as the constant conversation between whether China or the US is better), and is a great gateway into enjoying other films with these actors and themes.

[Jonathan Tam]

I am very late to the Parasite train - watching it almost a year after its initial release and months after its academy award win. The plus to watching it this late though is that it is a film that I am assuming a lot of students have watched at this point. WIth its accessibility on Hulu as well as its appeal to thriller fans, Parasite seems to be a great gateway into foreign cinema for students and its implications are going to be what I talk about in this review.

It’s a well known fact that Parasite is a film about social class. Within minutes of starting the film or from talking about the film with other people, one of the more immediate things you’ll hear is that it’s a film about disparities in wealth and power. I think that for many students who are around the high school age and have seen this film will gather that. But, what I found much more interesting about the film is its title - parasite - and my thoughts on the film are actually similar to another film: Sorry to Bother You. If you watch the film closely enough, you’ll start asking yourself who is the parasite and who is the host. Was the main character’s family members parasites to him? His family members did use him to get jobs and a nice house. Were those bottom bunker dwellers parasites to the rich family? I think that this is the most apparent example. Or were the rich family members parasites to? They were hardly able to take care of themselves and fell so quickly to the rumors and lies that the poor family made.

By the climax of the film when murder is committed, you realize that the film does far more than paint the social issues of our society because it’s very clear that there are more than just wealth and power issues in our society.. There are exploitation issues. We are impulses away from stable relationships turning into unstable ones - and symbiotic relationships turning into parasitic ones. We are constantly looking to get ahead by whatever means necessary and it will be what kills us in the end. I think that this platform for discussing the film might be a far more interesting one.

It’s one thing to say that capitalism is the issue in societies where wealth is disparaged, but it’s another to also say that our mindsets in any system are far more important.

 

[Jonathan Tam]

Funnily enough, this film came on as I was writing my review to Parasite, but I was happy that it did because Mother was as much if not more entertaining. Mother is another film directed by Bong Joon Ho and is one of his earlier works. The film has less to do with the social issues posed in Parasite, but is a great thriller film for folks eager to explore foreign film.

As I was watching the film, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The plots both revolve around characters with intellectual disabilities that when not carefully looked after, commit murder of young sexual partners with only their close ones to pay the emotional price. I think that Bong Joon Ho’s choice to tell the story from a Mother-Son perspective rather than a friend-friend relationship (George and Lenny) definitely puts the mother in difficult positions that George didn’t have to face. Where as George was okay with murdering Lenny, upon finding out that her son really committed the murder, the mother (who throughout the film is nameless) does not quite know what to do. It’s because of this that I think when teaching Of Mice and Men, Mother would be a great work to juxtapose it with. It’s a work with similar themes, but with a different paradigm. And it’s told with a level of film making that feels reminiscent of David Fincher films and most post-2000 thrillers to appeal to more modern crowds.

 

[Jonathan Tam]

Thanks for sharing! This fascinated me too because as an art piece of the early 20th century, I have always been a fan of Turandot and yet have always struggled to fully appreciate it. When I heard the song used in the opera for the first time, I was definitely critical of its use and appropriation. But, I feel differently about it now, considering how much Italian and Chinese music have mixed together and taught each other. I particularly enjoyed hearing about Mario Paci's trip to Shanghai and how his efforts eventually led to the integration of Chinese audiences, the Tan Shuzhen and the Shanghai Conservatory.

[Jonathan Tam]

Thanks for sharing. I think you bring up a really great point that the situation has certainly felt different now compared to 2020 because I felt the same way. It seems like with a greater spotlight on the region, more media and narratives have come to light that have previously been hidden. And I think that years from now, we'll definitely be looking at this with a different perspectives when we have new evidence, resources and questions. I wonder if your questions were answered about how neighboring communities have approached the issue. Would be curious to hear.

[Jonathan Tam]

Whoa! Thanks for sharing. Your lesson idea actually sounds amazing and I think that mapping one of Xuanzang's routes would definitely give students an understanding of the endeavor that he underwent. It might also be a great cross-section for discussing trade and politics at the time as well.

[Jonathan Tam]

Thanks for sharing! Young adult literature didn't even cross my mind when it comes to the media that is present now a days, but I agree that it has a profound afffect on the upbringing of young people today. I still remember back to when Yang the Youngest was the book that all the Asian American folks read growing up and it left a lot of people between thinking they had to do music or sports. Now a days, with the push that these writers have made, the horizons definitely seem wider with the exploration of fantasy, romance, and adventure.

[Jonathan Tam]

I remember talking with a friend about this years ago and exploring why there was so much mainstream Chinese appeal towards Beethoven. I think that growing up as well, there was also a high amount of fascination among my relatives towards composers like Chopin. And the conversation that my friend and I had was largely about how the chord progressions and melodies appeal. Beethoven evokes a sense of tyranny and royalty. And Chopin has this flashiness as the notes run up and down the piano. I never had family members that asked for Schubert or Tchaikovsky. But, the readings in this article on Music Education had me thinking far more about some deeper reasons why that is and I am realizing now that perhaps Chopin and Beethoven were so prominent in my childhood was because Lang Lang produced so many albums on their songs. And that Lang Lang produced so many albums because of the music education and exposure to Western Classical.

 

I enjoyed reading about how the practice. discipline and skill cultivation of music appealed to Confucian values. Seeing music as far more of a skill that needs to be practiced over and over again rather than a sound that is simply enjoyed definitely expresses why Western music was so successful in China. The 20th century for Chinese Music is perhaps the most interesting point of this lecture for me because you can hear the influence of early classical musicians, the influence of Soviet music instructors and the ongoing struggle for traditional Chinese identity.

[Jonathan Tam]

Much like the United States - when we think about China, there are certain images that come to mind from pandas to large pagodas. And then there’s the less known parts of China which this seminar touches on are perhaps less known for a reason. The pursuit of a united China has long existed for quite some time - from arguably the era of dynasties. And yet for as long as attempts have been made, a united China has never fully brought together all cultures and ethnicities. The history of the Uyghur people and their long fight to be recognized as a people of the region is a story that I think more folks need to hear. And especially as medai brings to light more of this issue - I really liked the implications that Dr. Gladney suggests as well as his perception of the issue from both the Chinese, Muslim and even Western World because what seems more different is that there are so many influences on the issue now from revolutions happening on other sides of the world to the stance of other nations that actively trade with China.

The tension seems to only be thickening with the Belt and Road Initiative, which will build through much of these territories for the first time from East China to West China and countries in Europe. Beyond the cultural controversy, there are a ton of other controversies like the environmental (which was the topic of a previous curriculum project of mine) and labor-related implications that the construction would bring. Dr. Gladney also brings to light that the project doesn’t necessarily support local needs and has severely lacked transparency (and perhaps seems pretty harmless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0lJc3PMNIg).

[Jonathan Tam]

The spread of Buddhism is something that I found interesting in this seminar - especially its challenge to Confucianism and Daoism. It seems to have attracted all the benefits of pre-existing beliefs and challenge other aspects such as Confucianism’s hierarchical and definitive nature. The most interesting spread of Buddhism to me was in Japan where the emperor confided in local tribes to determine whether to allow the religion to spread. The occurrence (or lack of occurrence) of plagues in Japan allowed for Buddhism to flourish and thrive. And quite surprisingly something that I found remains today where Covid is constantly testing our country’s beliefs - in science, politics, and religion. Soon after, Japan established schools to increase the spread of Buddhism as well as its complexity in Japan which helped make it their own niche form of Buddhism.

[Jonathan Tam]

I feel so behind when it comes to Korean culture. It feels like Boys over Flowers just ended and that Girl’s Generation just broke up 2 / 3 years ago. But, something that I have certainly noticed in the examples that Dr. Jung-Kim provided, is that this wave seems noticeably bigger than previous ones - and that if trends continue, the waves will only get bigger into the 2020s. We have Korean artists on American talk shows, which was unheard of before. And the access to korean media from Meokbang on Youtube to fully produced shows on Netflix is so much greater now than having to go to sketchy websites and spend hours looking for subtitle files. This increased access has certainly welcomed criticism. I remember that gender norms and skin tone affinities were big criticisms of korean culture discussed in sessions prior. But, I also found Tiffany Red’s story and the influence of Black music on Korean music very enlightening because it seems to be creating a more international and common knowledge of discrimination and labor inequity. Korean culture now has to face issues of black exploitation and fair compensation, which are themes so common to industries in America. It will be an interesting new hurdle for everyone I think especially as cultures become so interconnected.

Also - Thanks for this Hyukoh recommendation! I love indie bands and they're great.

[Jonathan Tam]

This reading caught my eye the quickest because to survive on $39 a month seems almost unheard of. But, once I read that housing and food were covered, I soon realized that the article was less about survival in America and more so frugality in American culture. On top of the fact that the 1980's are foreign to me as is, this made the article very entertaining and also made Bao someone who I could empathize with. We explore Bao's desire for clothes in America as well as electronics like any 20-30 year old would typically desire. We see him shop at yard sales for clothes almost how we use ebay / craigslist / facebook to buy things nowadays. And we see him haggle a broken microphone only to replace the battery to have it fixed almost how we buy used electronics with slight scratches on them. A quick google equates $39 a month to about $122 to live off of outside of food / housing - which actually doesn't seem too bad because I remember a time where I only spent around that much each month. This was a very interesting read and I'm interested to see what the stories 40 years from now might sound like about how international folks spent what change they had.

[Jonathan Tam]

Hi everyone. My name is Jonathan Tam and I teach at the School of Social Justice in Downtown LA. I have taken a few courses with the institute before, but I enjoy coming back because they're so incredibly enriching. They're engagingly taught. And they're an excuse to rent films. I am really looking forward to hearing about some of these newer topics like buddhism and classical music as well as refreshing my knowledge on some of the topics that I'm more familiar with.

[Jonathan Tam]

Hi Anthony. You brought up a great point about why other countries might bring young people to the museum. It definitely makes you wonder whether it's meant to articulate the level of sacrifice that Japanese-Americans faced in order to maintain relations between Japan and America or to promote a sense of japanese nationalism or even just to learn about the events of history. It would be really interesting to look inside a textbook or primary source on the matter and to translate some of the language behind it to see what attitude this event in history is greeted with.

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