[Megan Hsiao]

This indeed is a very fascinating topic and the presentation videos are very thorough in explaining the history of the development of how classical music has been growing in China. As a classical music fan and musician, my son has been learning piano since 6 years old and then started playing violin later at third grade. He later became a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra for two year at high school. Accompanying him in his music lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music, I have always wondered why there are so many Asian students learning classical music when I see these Asian faces in the institute. During recitals, it’s also very normal that the recital room was filled with Chinese families while others might be Korean or Japanese families. I agree with Tom that it’s interesting to realize classical music was brought into China as a tool for the Catholic missionaries to preach Catholisim but then ending up that Chinese loved the music part so much more than their original purpose. As an Asian parent, I personally think that learning to play a classical music instrument, especially piano or the string instrument, has become a socially admired culture in East Asian society. With much government funding to these well-known conservatories in China, it is true that the love for classical music is powerfully strong in China (and other countries in East Asia I believe) as stated in the article referenced from the UCLA music professor. 

[Megan Hsiao]

As a lesson plan idea, I am planning to use the Chinese animation A Jewish Girl in Shanghai ( 犹太女孩在上海) as a teaching resource and have students further discuss the topic of the Jewish group in China. I have used this film as a language learning material in class before, but after the lectures and discussions, I am interested in embedding more background information, such as the existence of Kaifeng Jews related to the silk road and the minority ethnic groups in Xinjang, before showing the film in class. A Jewish Girl in Shanghai ( 犹太女孩在上海) is a 2010 Chinese animated family film written by Wu Lin based on his graphic novel of the same name. The story is about two young Jewish refugees who escaped Europe and lived in Shanghai without their parents. A Chinese orphan boy later formed strong friendships with them while they adventured together and tried to fend off the Japanese army occupying the city, and their allies, the Nazis. I did have my school library purchase a DVD copy of this film but didn’t use it very well in class. I am glad that now I have an inspiration to better use this film thanks to this session and I am planning to write a review essay for this film later in the forum. This film is actually being considered as an important step toward improving China’s relations with Israel. It is available on Amazon Prime video if anyone would be interested. 

 

[Megan Hsiao]

After viewing the two lecture videos about the Xinjang Problem: The Uyghur and the Belt and Road Initiative and China and Central Asia: Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, I appreciate being able to have a comprehensive overview in regards to this topic. In the video of the Xinjang Problem, it is interesting to hear an introduction about the Chinese ethnic groups, especially the idea of the Nationalist Policy in China and Sun Yasen’s Five Peoples (Minzu). Although this is not a new concept for me, I am surprised that I actually forgot what exactly are the five peoples, except for remembering Han as the majority group. Based on its percentage in the country, the second largest group is Manchu, the third is Tibetan, the fourth is Mongolian, and the fifth one is Hui. Particularly, being reminded that Hui group refers to the Muslim people in western China is very meaningful in terms of learning about the spread of Muslim in China in relation to the silk road. Moreover, with 91% of Han people, the minority groups in China actually takes about 9%. The continuing efforts from the minority groups to get the recognition shows that the ethnic issues did exist in China and they were being suppressed for a long time. This indeed is a very complex political issue because without this Nationalist or Accommodationist policy in China, China might lack a national force to govern the country. I am thinking when I introduce this ethnic background in class, I would like to address the unique history in China and make students aware of the existence of the minority groups and how they are trying to gain support from the world. In addition to the minority group issue, I think showing the students the map of the historical silk road and the Belt Road Initiative and discussing the importance of BRI will also give students an idea of how China has risen globally. The article of BRI After Covid 19 is also a very good reference which I will use as a supplemental material when teaching about BRI in class.

[Megan Hsiao]

It’s really inspiring to learn about the Jewish group in China and see many comments in regards to this topic, participating in the live discussion on Monday. Before this lecture, I really don’t have any prior knowledge about the Jewish population in China although I am aware of the fact that there are 56 ethnic groups in China while Han is the dominant one. It is very helpful to view Professor Gladney’s lectures and all the articles referenced here. With the racial issue being such a major problem here in the U.S, I wonder how Chinese government has suppressed the minority groups in Xinjang and controlled their original culture and lifestyles. I think it is important that we engage students in discussions regarding the minority groups as well as the Jewish population in China, encouraging them to have an objective and global mindset.

[Megan Hsiao]

Heather, thanks for sharing your experience and I agree that as a teacher, we need to let the students understand respecting different cultural or religious practices is very important. Additionally, sharing personal experiences is a very engaging way to introduce a serious topic such as region. I personally feel it is hard to talk about Buddhism in my Chinese class mainly because of my christianity background and teaching at a Catholic high school. Also, my knowledge of Buddhism is very limited although I grew up in Taiwan where Buddhism practices are nothing new to me. In order to make teaching this topic in a more friendly and cultural way, I normally like to use movies as a discussion hook. For example, when showing the Disney movie “Mulan” in class, I usually pause at the part when Mulan went to the ancestors to get their “blessings” and ask students to write down what they have observed as Chinese cultural practices and it’s interesting to find that some students will wonder about whether Chinese people worship ancestors and what is the religion in China. Filial piety is also a common theme that could be found in many Chinese legends and stories. For teaching in an area where students have little exposure to other cultures, using movies (Kung Fu Panda might be a good one regarding Chinese culture) that they are familiar with might be a good option.

[Megan Hsiao]

Because the topic of religion is very broad, I have never really tried to incorporate a unit of religion in my Chinese curriculum. After viewing the lectures and readings, my knowledge of religion has been enhanced by having an overview of the origin and the foundation of Buddhism. I especially like the idea that Prof. Meeks mentioned in the lecture about the challenges of spreading Buddhism in China. In particular, how Buddhism could cross the boundaries of the pre-existing Chinese traditions such as Confucianism and Daoism and later became accepted in Chinese society was interesting. In my opinion, the conflict of practicing filial piety and becoming a monk in Buddhism still exists in the Chinese society. Narrowing down teaching Buddhism in a Chinese class, I think I would start from the focus of the concept of Chinese “filial piety” by letting the students talk about why Chinese people emphasize on hierarchical relationships in the family and how they practice filial piety and the roles of ancestors in Chinese culture. After knowing the concept of Confucianism/filial piety, I will give the students a brief overview of the religions in China and then have students reflect upon these pre-existing traditions as the challenges for Buddhism in China.

[Megan Hsiao]

Thanks to Dr. Jung-Kim’s presentation, reading/video resource and the live discussion on Monday, now I have a better and more comprehensive understanding of Korean popular culture and soft power. I am planning to use the “What is K-pop” video ( and some parts of Dr. Jung-Kim’s presentation if permitted and possible) as the introduction background in the lesson. On the one hand, Korean Wave as a soft power successfully promotes Korean globalization internationally. On the other hand, the scandals behind the K-pop companies and the Korean entertaining industries (many Korean female singers/actresses are suffering from sexual abuses) might not be bringing people’s attention as it should be. Teaching at an all-girls high school, I think I would like to address these negative issues of K-pop and make these girls be aware of it. The other article mentioned by Jiaxing in the forum, which discussed C-pop versus K-pop, is also very relevant for my Chinese class students.(Thank you, Jiaxing!) Further studying about the Chinese members in K-pop groups will help them understand the relations between South Korea and China. There are a few super K-pop fans in my class and whenever k-pop music is played in class, they seem to dominate the discussion and could go off topic, which also makes the other students who don’t like or don’t know k-pop feel uncomfortable. As a teacher, I think it’s important to respect both groups--the k-pop fans and the non-kpop fans. Teaching K-pop as a project is especially engaging in the Chinese language class, but it’s more meaningful if learning about this topic enhances their critical thinking in terms of knowing the country of Korea, China and the US but not merely enjoying the music.

[Megan Hsiao]

Natalie, thanks for sharing your mom’s experience of Hallyu. It’s fascinating to see how middle aged women fall into Hallyu and chase these K-stars by attending concerts and K-clubs. It’s amazing to see the power coming from the community of these k-pop fans. When I was at college, I used to watch K-dramas but then found the stories and the actors/actresses were all too beautiful to ressit. You could end up spending hours and hours watching these dramas because once you started, you couldn’t help but keep watching it until the end. Feeling tired of spending long hours sticking to the screen, I stopped watching K-dramas a long time ago and it really helped to not fall for Hallyu. I think it will be interesting to have the students talk about what the U.S soft power is. For example, we have Disney/Hollywood movies, prestige US.colleges, fast food chains, etc. It will also be important for the students to reflect about how the US could do more to promote our country.

 

[Megan Hsiao]

Tom and Cheryl, 

Thanks for your responses and thoughts! I have exactly the similar experiences with Tom regarding feeling awkward while socializing under budget. The years at graduate school were financially tight for me and my husband, so I can totally relate to Bao's story. Even today, when hanging out with my co-workers, I can still feel the cultural difference due to being used to saving money than spending it. I am not sure how high schoolers can appreciate this experience, but this article is worth their reading and contemplating. 

[Megan Hsiao]

Hi, Cheryl, 

Great points! These are all hot topics that we could futher study with our students. Thank you! 

 

[Megan Hsiao]

It is really inspiring after viewing the presentation videos as well as checking out these resources. I don't personally listen to K-pop, but it has gotten my attention that many of my students, who are non-Asian, are K-pop fans. I never realized that all of these Korean cultures that I have been enjoying more or less, such as Korean foods, clothing, beauty products, movies, TV dramas, music, etc, are making me influenced by Korean waves and they are part of Korean soft power to attract the world. The power of the cultural attraction comes from making people like the country subconsciously. In Taiwan, there are many Korean cosmetics shops, clothing stores, Korean restaurants, and even eyewears is Korean style. I can definitely feel the Korean influence in Taiwan, but not much here in Ohio, a midwest state. Compared with California, Cleveland is not as diverse in terms of the influence of East Asian culture. That is why it surprised me when noticing many students are actually K-Pop fans in my class. I am wondering how much does Koeran government get involved in using Korean culture as a global soft power? In a digital world today, I think soft power will become more and more powerful and we should consider how to better utilize it in positive ways.

[Megan Hsiao]

"Surviving on $39 a Month" is a very interesting article that I think I can use it as a cultural discussion reading material in my Chinese class. Although this article shows a vivid description about how a Chinese journalist lived in the U.S twenty years ago, it also reflects the economic growth in China today. The students can discuss various aspects regarding Chinese society such as the values of saving and spending money, Chinese international students studying abroad, and China-US cultural comparison in terms of social life/leisure activity, etc. It is particularly interesting to see Bao's description about how he wasn't able to socialize with other American friends because he couldn't afford to pay for the dinner at the restaurant. Living on a tight budget not only demonstrates Chinese virtue of saving money, but also exemplifies the strategy of govenment control. I would defenitely plan to use it in my class! 

[Megan Hsiao]

The discussion of crossing boundaries on Friday was very insighful. As a world language teacher, I am encouraging my students to cross the language boundary to learn another language. While they are learning a foreign language, they are also crossing the cultural boundariy to learn about the culture and history in another country. Today, discussing the concept of crossing the boundaries with our students during COVID-19 pandemic time seems to be more relevant and meaningful since living in an environment where following social distancing and wearing a mask has become the physical boundaries to keep us safe. At this difficult time, we might not be able to cross the physical boundaries to travel across different states or countries and we have even become sensative to the air that we breathe. As these physical boundaries are set for health measures, many people argue the value of these restrictions and deem it as unnecessary. Therefore, we could discuss with our students with the concept of "crossing" the boundaries, meaning even our own unwilingness of wearing a mask could be a phychological boundary that we should cross first in order to resume our daily activities as we shop or go back to school. I hope that the discussion of crossing the boundaries would help our students to adjust to many new "normals" in this unprecedented period of time. 

[Megan Hsiao]

Hello! I am Megan Hsiao. I teach Mandarin Chinese at Saint Joseph Academy, an all girls Catholic High School, in Cleveland Ohio. My students are from 9th-12th grades, learning Chinese from beginning level I to the advanced placement AP Chinese. This summer I just completed a NCTA-Ohio 2020 seminars, National Consortium for Teaching About Asia coordinated by the East Asian Study Center at the Ohio State University and I am excited to learn more in this program by USC. I am looking forward to joining the discussions and exchanging ideas of teaching about East Asia here! 

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