Thank you!

First, I would like to thank Dr. Dube, Catherine, and the professors for a very informative and thought provoking course. I really enjoyed learning about the history of East Asia from a gender perspective.  It was a very interesting view, a lens I have not looked through before. One of the most impactful lectures for me personally was Professor Yasar’s from USC and his analysis of Yasujiro Ozu’s film, Late Spring.  Ozu is very effective in emphasizing the happenings that are not at all obvious while leaving much to the imagination.  Prof. Yasar mentions the unique cinematographic style of Ozu with a suggestion for a lesson which had me pondering until now.  The powerful scenes in the movie would present a great lesson for today’s middle and/or high school students as watching them requires a lot of patience.  I believe the challenges these students would be faced with (black and white, slow, subtitles, weird acting) will be beneficial for this age group to overcome today.  I will incorporate this into my curriculum.

Prof. Yunxiang Yan’s presentation fascinated me mainly because his explanation of the relationship of this course and the movie Crazy, Rich Asians.  The clever title instantly became very clear to me.  As part of the zuoren, it is important to be sensitive to someone else’s needs and to proactively help them. As Prof. Yunxiang Yan explains women suffered from inequality in traditional Chinese familism.  In the movie, Rachel needs to win Nick’s mother’s approval. According to our presentation, Rachel loses a game of Mahjong on purpose to allow Nick’s mom to win. This is part of zuoren which Rachel understands and which Nick’s mom ultimately appreciates.  Prior to this course, I have not been aware of zuoren I reluctantly admit.

These two presentations helped me understand the rich history of East Asia through the lens of traditions of gender, especially through the eyes of females.  I am planning to incorporate this perspective not only into my lessons, but challenge my students into debates. I enjoyed the forum discussions and many resources my colleagues have posted and am very grateful to have made new friends and seen old ones!  I am always grateful to participate in these seminars as I leave with a wealth of new materials, ideas, and resources! Thank you!