Final Essay

[cgao]

Please post your final essay here. 

 

 

[Tom Mueller]

This was a very interesting workshop.  My favorite course to teach is Introduction to Geography.  The course is taught as a World Regional Geography course, in which students learn the basics of geography by examining different regions of the Earth.  My two major goals for this course are increasing students’ spatial awareness and having them become more informed global citizens. 

There was a lot of information that I could apply to my Introduction to Geography.  The Korean culture could be integrated into my first couple of classes when we discuss culture and then could also be helpful in the discussion of East Asia.  The classical music in China would also be very helpful in both of these sections.  It would also be a nice change of pace in the course.  Unfortunately sometimes in this course we discuss a lot of doom and gloom examples – India vs Pakistan (both have nuclear weapons), Conflict Minerals in Democratic Republic of the Congo, etc. The two sections that I will probably dive into with a little more in my class is the migration of Buddhism and the Belt and Road Initiative. In fact, I will build my multi – lesson on these two topics. I think I can link them by starting with Silk Road and show the connection to the migration of Buddhism in my cultural lecture.  Then when we discuss East Asia we can make connections with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

First as discussed in the previous discussion, I want to use the Travels of Xuanzang – Ten Thousand miles along the Silk Road website - https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/travels-of-xuanzang-629-645-ce-xuanzang-memorial-nava-nalanda-mahavihara/nQJS3GyICUOmKg?hl=en Students would examine the text and the landscape of the trip.  They would have to identify the different landscapes of the travels (mountains, deserts, etc.). I would ask students to use Google Maps or ArcGIS online through satellite imagery of this area to discuss the current transportation routes that are now available.  Did they follow the old Silk Road (or travels, etc.)? Then I would ask students if they would make this trip (back them and now).  Why or Why Not?

When we discuss East Asia, I definitely want to discuss the Uyghur’s situation. So after showing a map of their location and discussing very generally the Belt and Road initiative, I would then ask students to read 4 – to 5 stories from the Radio Free Asia site - https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur.  Students would then come to class to present their knowledge of the situation - what they learned, how they felt reading them, etc. Then when we move to the BRI discussion. I want to use the China Pakistan Economic Corridor maps http://cpec.gov.pk/maps .  The maps are great, but I want to create some that are more interactive.  So I may take the maps and create them on ArcGIS online.  Students would examine the landscape of the routes, etc. It would be a great discussion on physical landscape and infrastructure.

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[Rebecca Blankenship]

This was a wonderful seminar and I learned so much. For my Gender and Women’s Studies class I would really like to use students’ interest in KPOP to explore issues of beauty norms.  Specifically, I was not aware of the escape the corset movement before this class.  I would like to have students examine the tension between Korean beauty industry and the glass skin standard with the escape the coreset movement.  I would also like to have students look at Korean vs American standards of masculinity.  Specifically looking at KPOP groups such as BTS and the Flower Boy standard in Korea vs American views on masculinity.

 

Furthermore, the story of the Uyghurs seems to be intricately woven into the history of the Silk Road and the modern BRI. As much as I understood the modern persecution, I really did not understand the historical roots of the Uyghurs in China.  Dr. Gladney’s lecture helped me to understand the key role Uygyrs played in the Silk Road trade and how they are responsible for the transmission of ideas such as Buddhism into China.

Finally, I love using the arts into the classroom.  I was not familiar with the traditional Chinese musical instruments and based on the recommendations of this course. I found a wonderful erhu concerto of the Chinese tale of the Butterfly lovers.  I had already planned to use a modern retelling of this story with my students. Now I have added looking at how the music is also a retelling of the story.  I think this will be very powerful for students.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu5XohUR3Pg&t=78s

[Marina Forbes]

I was re-watching some episodes of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, because I missed the spectacular dramatization of the voyages of Zhen He, mentioned by Dr. Gladney in his lecture.  So I decided to have a close look on different kinds of music which were performed during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, because Olympics are such a wonderful opportunity to showcase the host country’s rich tapestry of the arts, history, culture and traditions. I found some episodes with great Chinese classical and traditional music, which can be a great way to introduce Chinese culture to my students, I particularly like that “the art was dancing with the music” and “the music was playing with the arts”.

[Marina Forbes]

I was very impressed with the quality of the Institute, the fascinating presenters with encyclopedic knowledge of their subjects and meaningful topics I can use in my classroom today!

I. I will be using the knowledge I acquired and the model of the presentation on Korea as a great introduction to any country of study. It will be helpful to my students to learn how to identify the following information regarding soft power and diplomacy while comparing and contrasting each country with Korea:

1. Soft power – using non-military power to get other countries to want what you have.

NGO, international relief, the image of the country that is put forward.

2. State diplomacy – how many countries does this country have diplomatic ties with?
3. Economic diplomacy – use of economic tools (import, export, investments, free trade agreements) for national interests.
4. Public diplomacy – sharing history, traditions, culture, arts, values, policies through direct communication with foreign nationals.
5. Cultural diplomacy – soft power + public diplomacy, which relies on privately produced cultural content.
6. Public diplomacy – to fascinate the world with the country’s charm to deepen understanding of the country’s culture (language, tourism, fashion, food, cosmetics, films, sports, theater, music festivals, traditional and contemporary arts, consumer goods, fighting Covid 2019)
7. Popular culture can emerge as a core component of the nation’s economic competiveness which extends to the interests in cultural influences and cultural diplomacy. Popular culture can generate a new version of cultural imperialism that is deeply imbedded in cultural nationalism and a country’s ideological position. Popular culture can be a vehicle driven by the nation’s determination to sprint to the stage of wealth, autonomy and pride.

II. Dr. Gladney mentioned that the dramatization of the Zhen He voyages, was part of the opening reception of the Olympic Games hosted by China in 2008 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bufV3EgyPGU). I somehow missed that episode when I was watching the Olympics back in 2008.

I was re-watching some episodes of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, because I missed the spectacular dramatization of the voyages of Zhen He (which signify very important time of the Chinese history), mentioned by Dr. Gladney in his lecture. I was glad that I had a chance to watch it again. This episode could be a great visual and very impressive conversation starter to introduce my students to Zhen He.

 So I decided to have a close look on different kinds of music which were performed during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic games hosted by China and Korea and theatrical dramatization of the important historical events of these two countries, because Olympics are such a wonderful opportunity to showcase the host country’s rich tapestry of the arts, history, culture and traditions. I found some episodes with great classical and traditional music, which can be a great way to introduce Chinese and Korean culture to my students, I particularly like that “the art was dancing with the music” and “the music was playing with the arts”.

III. Dr. Gladney mentioned that during Mongol domination, achieved by their technology and strategy of nomadic warfare, Mongols opened silk roads for travel and trade, they opened their land to trade and exchange…

I did some research, but I still have some questions we can address with my students:

The Mongols conquered vast areas of Asia in the 13th and 14th century CE thanks to their fast light cavalry and excellent bowmen, but another significant contribution to their success was the adoption of their enemies’ tactics and technology. Their ruthlessness in battle would cast a long shadow of fear over those they conquered with generals earning fearsome nicknames such as the ‘hounds of war’ and their soldiers being labeled ‘the devil’s horsemen.’ In addition, diplomacy, espionage, and terror were used in equal measure to win many battles before it had even begun.

The Mongol weapon of choice was the composite bow, which could fire arrows double the distance of those in competing armies. In addition, warriors could shoot with accuracy while riding their horses at speed thanks to stirrups and wooden saddles with a high back and front which gave better stability so that an archer could turn and fire in any direction, including behind him.

Warriors were prepared from childhood thanks to the Mongol tradition of having both young boys and girls participate in competitions of athletics, horse racing, wrestling, hunting, and archery. The Mongol warriors - mostly men but also sometimes women too - were, then, already proficient at using battle axes, lances (often hooked to pull enemy riders from their mounts), spears, daggers, long knives, and sometimes swords which were typically short, light, and with a single cutting edge. A typical mounted archer carried two or three bows and around 30 light and 30 heavier arrows in a quiver. Additional standard equipment included a horsehair lasso, a coil of rope, an axe, a file for making arrowheads, a sewing repair kit, a leather bag for food and to use as a float when crossing rivers, two leather bottles for liquids, and a cooking pot.

Mongol leaders ensured loyalty and increased their chances of success by promoting commanders based on merit rather than the use of clan seniority, awarding rewards and insisting on strict discipline, planning and logistics were another carefully considered area.

Mongolian saddle

Mongol armor was light so as to not impede the speed of cavalry riders, but if worn, it was typically made of thick quilted felt or leather. Sometimes this soft armor, like the heavy coats many riders wore, could be strengthened by adding strips of metal, bone or hardened/lacquered leather but plate armor and chainmail were rare, although that captured from the enemy was sometimes worn. Learning from the Chinese, a silk undershirt might be worn as this had the handy consequence of wrapping around the arrowhead if one was struck, protecting the wound and making the arrow easier to withdraw. Silk was also an excellent light insulator.

Shields, if used, were most commonly small, circular, and made of wicker or hardened leather.

I am eager to conduct research on the evolution of the military uniforms in the middle ages comparing and contrast Mongolian warriors (11^th – 14^th cc), the terracotta army (210–209 BCE) and the icons of St. George depicted in Byzantine style Russia in the 12^th century (Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος, Latin: Georgius, Arabic: جرجس Cercis, Turkish: Yorgi; d. 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, is a Christian who is accepted as a saint in Christianity and Islam. According to traditional rumors, he was a soldier in the Roman army. His parents were Christians of Greek origin. His father, Gerontius, was a Cappadocian serving in the Roman army. His mother Polikronya was a Christian from the city of Lod in Palestine. Saint George was a soldier of Cappadocian Greek origins, member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, who was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades.) (please see some pictures below).

The statue of the Mongolian general Bo'orchu (c. 13th Century CE), in front of the Mongolian Parliament House.

  The Terracotta Army (a collection of  terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.  It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.) The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xian, Shaanxi, China.

  

 

IV. I hope order Travels by Marco Polo through the interlibrary loan, to get a better understanding under what terms and conditions Marco Polo served Kublai Khan.

Marco Polo (1254-1324 CE), the Venetian traveler who served Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1294 CE) and wrote of his experiences in his Travels (circulated from c. 1298 CE), gives the following description of the sumptuous clothes worn at the Mongol Yuan Dynasty court during important religious festivals:

Kublai Khan (Qubilai-Qan) was the ruler of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 CE. Kublai Khan’s accomplishments include taking over China and establishing Mongol rule there under the new name of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE), and thus becoming the first non-Chinese to rule the whole of that country. He created the new capital city of Xanadu (Shangdu), established Daidu (Beijing) as its successor, and expanded the empire to its greatest ever size so that it stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Korean peninsula. There were setbacks along the way, including a series of campaigns with mixed results in South East Asia and two failed invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 CE. Kublai, the last of the great Mongol rulers, died of illness exacerbated by his repeated overindulgence in food and alcohol; his tomb has never been found.

[Marina Forbes]

I was very impressed with the quality of the Institute, the fascinating presenters with encyclopedic knowledge of their subjects and meaningful topics I can use in my classroom today!

I. I will be using the knowledge I acquired and the model of the presentation on Korea as a great introduction to any country of study. It will be helpful to my students to learn how to identify the following information regarding soft power and diplomacy while comparing and contrasting each country with Korea:

1. Soft power – using non-military power to get other countries to want what you have.

NGO, international relief, the image of the country that is put forward.

2. State diplomacy – how many countries does this country have diplomatic ties with?
3. Economic diplomacy – use of economic tools (import, export, investments, free trade agreements) for national interests.
4. Public diplomacy – sharing history, traditions, culture, arts, values, policies through direct communication with foreign nationals.
5. Cultural diplomacy – soft power + public diplomacy, which relies on privately produced cultural content.
6. Public diplomacy – to fascinate the world with the country’s charm to deepen understanding of the country’s culture (language, tourism, fashion, food, cosmetics, films, sports, theater, music festivals, traditional and contemporary arts, consumer goods, fighting Covid 2019)
7. Popular culture can emerge as a core component of the nation’s economic competiveness which extends to the interests in cultural influences and cultural diplomacy. Popular culture can generate a new version of cultural imperialism that is deeply imbedded in cultural nationalism and a country’s ideological position. Popular culture can be a vehicle driven by the nation’s determination to sprint to the stage of wealth, autonomy and pride.

II. Dr. Gladney mentioned that the dramatization of the Zhen He voyages, was part of the opening reception of the Olympic Games hosted by China in 2008 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bufV3EgyPGU). I somehow missed that episode when I was watching the Olympics back in 2008.

I was re-watching some episodes of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, because I missed the spectacular dramatization of the voyages of Zhen He (which signify very important time of the Chinese history), mentioned by Dr. Gladney in his lecture. I was glad that I had a chance to watch it again. This episode could be a great visual and very impressive conversation starter to introduce my students to Zhen He.

 So I decided to have a close look on different kinds of music which were performed during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic games hosted by China and Korea and theatrical dramatization of the important historical events of these two countries, because Olympics are such a wonderful opportunity to showcase the host country’s rich tapestry of the arts, history, culture and traditions. I found some episodes with great classical and traditional music, which can be a great way to introduce Chinese and Korean culture to my students, I particularly like that “the art was dancing with the music” and “the music was playing with the arts”.

III. Dr. Gladney mentioned that during Mongol domination, achieved by their technology and strategy of nomadic warfare, Mongols opened silk roads for travel and trade, they opened their land to trade and exchange…

I did some research, but I still have some questions we can address with my students:

The Mongols conquered vast areas of Asia in the 13th and 14th century CE thanks to their fast light cavalry and excellent bowmen, but another significant contribution to their success was the adoption of their enemies’ tactics and technology. Their ruthlessness in battle would cast a long shadow of fear over those they conquered with generals earning fearsome nicknames such as the ‘hounds of war’ and their soldiers being labeled ‘the devil’s horsemen.’ In addition, diplomacy, espionage, and terror were used in equal measure to win many battles before it had even begun.

The Mongol weapon of choice was the composite bow, which could fire arrows double the distance of those in competing armies. In addition, warriors could shoot with accuracy while riding their horses at speed thanks to stirrups and wooden saddles with a high back and front which gave better stability so that an archer could turn and fire in any direction, including behind him.

Warriors were prepared from childhood thanks to the Mongol tradition of having both young boys and girls participate in competitions of athletics, horse racing, wrestling, hunting, and archery. The Mongol warriors - mostly men but also sometimes women too - were, then, already proficient at using battle axes, lances (often hooked to pull enemy riders from their mounts), spears, daggers, long knives, and sometimes swords which were typically short, light, and with a single cutting edge. A typical mounted archer carried two or three bows and around 30 light and 30 heavier arrows in a quiver. Additional standard equipment included a horsehair lasso, a coil of rope, an axe, a file for making arrowheads, a sewing repair kit, a leather bag for food and to use as a float when crossing rivers, two leather bottles for liquids, and a cooking pot.

Mongol leaders ensured loyalty and increased their chances of success by promoting commanders based on merit rather than the use of clan seniority, awarding rewards and insisting on strict discipline, planning and logistics were another carefully considered area.

Mongolian saddle

Mongol armor was light so as to not impede the speed of cavalry riders, but if worn, it was typically made of thick quilted felt or leather. Sometimes this soft armor, like the heavy coats many riders wore, could be strengthened by adding strips of metal, bone or hardened/lacquered leather but plate armor and chainmail were rare, although that captured from the enemy was sometimes worn. Learning from the Chinese, a silk undershirt might be worn as this had the handy consequence of wrapping around the arrowhead if one was struck, protecting the wound and making the arrow easier to withdraw. Silk was also an excellent light insulator.

Shields, if used, were most commonly small, circular, and made of wicker or hardened leather.

I am eager to conduct research on the evolution of the military uniforms in the middle ages comparing and contrast Mongolian warriors (11^th – 14^th cc), the terracotta army (210–209 BCE) and the icons of St. George depicted in Byzantine style Russia in the 12^th century (Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος, Latin: Georgius, Arabic: جرجس Cercis, Turkish: Yorgi; d. 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, is a Christian who is accepted as a saint in Christianity and Islam. According to traditional rumors, he was a soldier in the Roman army. His parents were Christians of Greek origin. His father, Gerontius, was a Cappadocian serving in the Roman army. His mother Polikronya was a Christian from the city of Lod in Palestine. Saint George was a soldier of Cappadocian Greek origins, member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, who was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades.) (please see some pictures below).

The statue of the Mongolian general Bo'orchu (c. 13th Century CE), in front of the Mongolian Parliament House.

  The Terracotta Army (a collection of  terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.  It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.) The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xian, Shaanxi, China.

  

 

IV. I hope order Travels by Marco Polo through the interlibrary loan, to get a better understanding under what terms and conditions Marco Polo served Kublai Khan.

Marco Polo (1254-1324 CE), the Venetian traveler who served Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1294 CE) and wrote of his experiences in his Travels (circulated from c. 1298 CE), gives the following description of the sumptuous clothes worn at the Mongol Yuan Dynasty court during important religious festivals:

Kublai Khan (Qubilai-Qan) was the ruler of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 CE. Kublai Khan’s accomplishments include taking over China and establishing Mongol rule there under the new name of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE), and thus becoming the first non-Chinese to rule the whole of that country. He created the new capital city of Xanadu (Shangdu), established Daidu (Beijing) as its successor, and expanded the empire to its greatest ever size so that it stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Korean peninsula. There were setbacks along the way, including a series of campaigns with mixed results in South East Asia and two failed invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 CE. Kublai, the last of the great Mongol rulers, died of illness exacerbated by his repeated overindulgence in food and alcohol; his tomb has never been found.

[Alma Ochoa]

The USC Seminar Crossing Boundaries in East Asia, Summer 2020 was not only enjoyable but very eye opening.  It was extremely interesting learning about soft-power.  More often than not we think we have the power of choice when the reality is that we are conditioned and manipulated into liking and doing certain things through propaganda.  It makes me think that as a society we should demand more from the government to make sure that voices are not silenced and information is not censored and is more readily available. 

 

I also really enjoyed learning about Asian religions.  As a Christian, I especially liked noticing the similarities between Buddhism and Christianity.  I had briefly learned about Buddhism in my undergrad education but had never looked at it side by side with Christianity.  For example Buddhism has monks and nuns and Christianity has priest or pastors and nuns and they both take a vow of poverty.      

 

On another note, I am a big advocate for human rights and after learning for the first time about what is happening with the Uyghur population after taking USC Spring 2020 – East Asia Origins to 1800, last semester, I have done more research on the topic.  Now taking this course I have learned even more about their situation, the concentration camps as well as about their organ harvesting in the camps.  I think that it is extremely important to shed light on this unjust and inhumane practice.  It is so hard to comprehend how anyone can try to justify this.  I think the more people know about this issue the more we can help end this and as a teacher I have the opportunity to share this information with my students.  

 

On a lighter note I really enjoyed going over the K-Pop culture with Professor Jennifer Jung-Kim from UCLA.  I don’t watch much TV but do know about some of the programs that we have airing here the U.S. so it was really cool that Kora has the same type of programs.  If I weren’t a math teacher and maybe taught English or History and could do more cultural comparison assignments it would be cool to compare and contrast American vs. Asian television programs. 

 

Overall this was a great course and experience.  As a high school math teacher studying any topic that is not math related is out of my comfort zone.  I feel extremely inadequate when discussing anything that is not numbers or in this case anything to do with Asia as it is not an area of expertise and a topic I have little knowledge of.  However, I am learning more which I find interesting and exciting. 

Thank you Professor Dube and Catherine for everything : )  

[Jiaxing Weng-Zhang]

I greatly enjoyed the Crossing Boundaries in East Asia seminar.  All the videos of lectures are very well presented and the reading materials are very insightful and interesting.  The live discussions deepen my understanding.  The only recommendation I have is to have opportunities for socialization among the participants. 

I teach Chinese level 1 to 4 in a public high school in Atlanta GA.  Many of my students took Chinese because they are anime fans.  Some of them also love Korea and Japanese cultures.  While the material in this seminar may not be very applicable to my beginning level students, I think some of them will be very interesting to my upper level students.  I intend to incorporate the concept of Buddhism vs Taoism vs Confucianism  and the topic of music and China into my teaching. I also found a few movies that I could share with my students.

One of the possible topics would be “How did Buddhism spread to China”.  I will have my students watch Ms. Meeks presentation on how Buddhism spread to China,  and have my students compare and contrast Buddhism vs. Taoism vs Confucianism and understand how Buddhism has to cater to the local existing philosophy in order to be accepted.  Such discussion and exercise will help my students understand the guiding Chinese philosophy deeper.  This is the video I would use. https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/125662/uiconf_id/44937212/entry_id/0_g3bw05nm/embed/dynamic

Another possible topic would be “Understanding of Confucian self-cultivation, self-discipline, and classical music”.  I can have my students read from page 8 in the article “Why Chinese people play Western classical music: Transcultural roots of music philosophy. Hao Huang, Scripps College”, and summarize Confucian’s theory regarding music.

I can also have them learn more about “Classical music in China” and have them watched the presentations from professor Cai and Ms. Melvin. 

 In terms of movies, I think the “American Factory” would be a good one for my students to compare and contrast Chinese and American work ethics.  “Farewell” is a good movie to understand the family bond in China.

I feel that these are topics of the greatest relevance to my Chinese language and culture class to my students.

 

[Brigid Schmidt]

With this being the second class I have participated in from the China Institute, I was excited to be in one of Professor Dube's class again. While my first course was mostly about Ancient Asia, this course dealt with Asia in a more modern sense and I really enjoyed it. I am grateful for the opportunity to take this course over the summer and devote my time to the readings and learning from the guest speakers. As always, Professor Dube offers a depth of knowledge of the material and constantly leaves me wanting to know more. Each of the lectures provided topics that I can blend into my middle school English classes: Korean novels, informational text about any of these topics to provide reading comprehension practice, research opportunities, compare and contrast ideas, and beautiful music to open my classes with or to play during independent work. Because of this course, I was able to add many songs to my classroom play list and even used one of the classical pieces during our class mindfulness activity last week. That lecture really stood out to me and touched my love of music. 

Prior to this class, I did not have much of an understanding about the Uyghyr people or China's re-education camps. I have been watching more and reading up on this and trying to talk to others to bring about awareness. Maybe I can bridge this topic when I talk about human rights with my students. 

Thank you to Catherine for the many extra materials and resources she posted for us to continue our own research of the topics and take to our classrooms. I am grateful to be able to learn for about Asia to relate it to my students and what they are studying. I consider myself a life-long learner and know that I am becoming a stronger teacher for participating in this class. I look forward to another one! 

[Jessica Ng]

The discussions and information from this seminar were invaluable. I had gained considerable knowledge of some of these topics from a previous seminar by the US-China Institute, but this time the presenters expanded my understanding of how K-pop, minorities in China, and Buddhism existed (and continue to do so) in different spaces and contexts.

For example, living in Koreatown in Los Angeles, I was naturally exposed to K-pop and thought its popularity was limited to local coffeehouses and other businesses. I had not noticed it as part of a larger pattern of the deliberate dissemination of Korean culture, also known as the Hallyu wave. If I were to teach older students, I would use K-pop to explore about how popular culture is adopted in different countries, as well as ways the genre is similar and different from American pop music. I wonder how I would also help students explore the darker side of K-pop (and pop from many countries, really), like the exploitation of artists and how it upholds intimidating beauty standards.

Prof. Gladney expanded my understanding of Uyghurs’ role in the spread of Buddhism into China, as well as how they fit in Xi Jinping’s economic and political development strategies known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The the treatment of Muslim and other minorities in China should absolutely be discussed with high school students, perhaps alongside study of the Holocaust and other examples of widespread violations of human rights.

The lectures and discussion regarding music in China was fascinating. I just realized one of my aunts, who is now in her 70s, was a participant in the classical music scene in China during a key moment. As a teenager in the late 1950s, she left Hong Kong to study at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music (formerly known as the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music). According to her, she is in a group photo displayed in the lobby. She did not finish her studies there: she passed out from hunger in the girls’ bathroom and chipped a tooth, prompting my grandmother to bring her back to Hong Kong and subsequently send her to Australia instead, where she still ives! I suppose I’d better give her a call to pick her brain about Western classical music in China when she was studying there.

 

[Shane Markowitz]

Having already incorporated units on East Asia in my World Geography and International Relations courses, my primary aim from the seminar was to deepen and enhance this engagement for students by improving my mastery of content and finding novel ways to teach this content. And the assortment of excellent materials including lectures, readings, live discussions, and forum conversations have helped solidify my own background knowledge and provide inspiration for a variety of activities.

The Crossing Boundaries theme is an element that I have integrated into my World History course through, for example, exploration of the encounters between the Arab and European worlds and between indigenous societies of the “New World” and Europeans. The text from Carr on Asia and the New World, however, will provide a visually stimulating example for students to explore some of the complex webs involved in global exchange and cultural diffusion already in 16^th-18^th century Americas beyond the self-evident connections.

The content on South Korea’s rising soft power, meanwhile, will provide a constructive supplement to my cultural patterns unit. Students can, for example, research different components of South Korean culture (e.g. dramas, K-Pop, etc…) and explore what these outputs say about the country.

A thematic emphasis on crossing boundaries is indeed a constructive paradigm to think through the world and the different ways that we are, in fact, joined together as global citizens. This is the type of student engagement necessary to decolonize and liberate the curriculum.

[Megan Hsiao]

How I intend to incorporate the course into my teaching:

After completing the Crossing Boundaries program, I am planning to add more East Asian cultural discussion topics which I learned in the program in my Madarin Chinese curriculum. As in most of the Mandarin Chinese programs in the U.S, the students normally focus on learning Chinese language and the assessments also reflect high percentage in assassin students’ language proficiency. However, due to the challenges of Chinese language learning, it has shown over the years that the Chinese course enrollment in the nation has been declining. Therefore, I have been thinking of adding more cultural learning in the program to balance with linguistic study. Taking Chinese level I as the example, it would be a great stage to introduce East Asian culture and history in this level as a result to lay the beginning foundation of learning. Specifically, I am planning to relate Chinese culture/history with the East Asian countries. For instance, one curriculum project I am planning to incorporate in my unit is to have students further study about Korean wave and its impacts on East Asia (see details in my post on the Lesson Plan forum). I hope the resources and the lecture videos are permitted for us to use in our classroom. 

The other projects students can do is to research on the Silk Road & Belt Road Initiative, and Western Classical Music in China by using the resources provided by USC China-Institute. Adding different cultural research projects and relating the projects with East Asian cultures in each unit will let students have opportunities to conduct research using English resources and they can present their cultural projects in English in addition to the target language usage in class as an end product. The cultural presentation and discussion as assessments will also provide credits and grades for the students to earn. I think the integration of implementing the resources from Crossing Boundaries will support the Chinese program with global studies and will increase students’ learning motivation and broaden their language learning with culture. 

 

[Megan Hsiao]

How I intend to incorporate the course into my teaching:

After completing the Crossing Boundaries program, I am planning to add more East Asian cultural discussion topics which I learned in the program in my Madarin Chinese curriculum. As in most of the Mandarin Chinese programs in the U.S, the students normally focus on learning Chinese language and the assessments also reflect high percentage in assassin students’ language proficiency. However, due to the challenges of Chinese language learning, it has shown over the years that the Chinese course enrollment in the nation has been declining. Therefore, I have been thinking of adding more cultural learning in the program to balance with linguistic study. Taking Chinese level I as the example, it would be a great stage to introduce East Asian culture and history in this level as a result to lay the beginning foundation of learning. Specifically, I am planning to relate Chinese culture/history with the East Asian countries. For instance, one curriculum project I am planning to incorporate in my unit is to have students further study about Korean wave and its impacts on East Asia (see details in my post on the Lesson Plan forum). I hope the resources and the lecture videos are permitted for us to use in our classroom. 

The other projects students can do is to research on the Silk Road & Belt Road Initiative, and Western Classical Music in China by using the resources provided by USC China-Institute. Adding different cultural research projects and relating the projects with East Asian cultures in each unit will let students have opportunities to conduct research using English resources and they can present their cultural projects in English in addition to the target language usage in class as an end product. The cultural presentation and discussion as assessments will also provide credits and grades for the students to earn. I think the integration of implementing the resources from Crossing Boundaries will support the Chinese program with global studies and will increase students’ learning motivation and broaden their language learning with culture. 

 

[Maria Cardenas]

Final Essay:

 

         Crossing Boundaries in East Asia seminar from USC was very interesting. I learned a lot from the readings, discussions, videos, and my peers. I believe everybody is always learning there is something out there that you still have not learned. I know that I learned a lot in this seminar for example that the Chinese were the original founders of Mexicali, that Jews fled Vienna and went to Shanghai, about Buddhism, western classical music coming to China, to list just a few things.  

         There are many different sources that can be used for middle school students from this course. The reading of Buddhism about China, Japan, and Korea, they may have to be modified or be read as a whole group with annotations and discussion about what was read. When talking about China we can play the classical music from the videos from Sheila Melvin and Jindong Cai. Geography course you can lesson plan about present time so we can talk about what is happening to Muslims from China. Students can realize the East Asia like Europe has rich history and we can all learn about what happened in the past. They can analyze the situation about the Chinese Muslims.  

         I am not sure if I would show the documentary “Above the Drowning Sea.” Students would benefit to see that anybody can be a refugee it doesn’t have to be just the image the news project. They can also connect with the people from the documentary based on the loss they experience during this time period. Some students from my school have left their countries because of the violence. The reason why I may not show it is because I am not sure students would be engaged with it. Maybe I will show 20 minutes.

I can include the article from Dennis Carr, “Asia and the New World” Which I decided to include for the curriculum project for this course. I am using the California standard 7.11.2 to review the topic of global exchange between the continents with 8^th graders. They will be comparing the information grabbed from their history textbook with the Carr article.

I will be teaching geography so I can teach students about geography topics about the different East Asian countries.    

[Mike Hagiwara]

Going into my third or forth USC US-China Institute, I wasn’t sure what to expect since the previous seminars were quite dense, in a positive way, with information. To my pleasant surprise this several of  the sessions touched on issues which are currently encompassing not just the nation, but the entire world. Though I found all the speakers, and their topics, very interesting and informative, I especially enjoyed Professor Jung-Kim’s lectures and readings. It is obvious that the “Korean Wave” isn’t going anywhere soon. Our students, across all grade levels, have become experts in Korean music, food, and even dramas! It is vital that we use this interest to our advantage to really push our students to learn more about not only Korean history and culture, but other cultures as well. 

When teachers go through their pedagogical classes during teacher training we are taught to engage prior learning and to use anticipatory sets to hook our students into learning about the subject matter; this is not an easy feat as it is difficult for students to engage in historical content. Teachers then have to find more creative and modern solutions to this obstacle. Professor Jung-Kim addresses the somewhat-recent popularity of Korean culture with a focus on Korean pop music. In my dozen-plus years of teaching at two inner-city schools, I would never have imagined how popular Korean culture, especially music, would become among my Latino/a and African American students. Anytime we would begin our unit about Korea or Japan, I would get questions about pop music, food, music videos, or anime. When Professor Jung-Kim posted the reading (https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-k-pop-industrys-silence-during-the-black-lives-matter-movement-141025) during the summer I was actually surprised to find that 1) K-pop was influenced by hip-hop, rap, and R & B and 2) K-pop’s popularity can be credited to the small minority audiences of people of color. With this knowledge in mind, I would definitely focus on the importance of communities of color in propagating culture, as well as their role in raising social awareness about issues such as Black Lives Matter. For a more advanced class, or even an elective, I would also want to use the reading from The Guardian about the relationship between K-pop musicians, who are “the face” and those that write/produce the music-many of whom are Black. It would be an interesting discussion to have the students engage in and even debate over, especially in this very unique time in our world history.

 

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