Final Reflective Essay

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

I apologize in advance for my frankness, but if I am to discuss what I learned through this seminar I must begin by confessing to a change of heart about the peoples of Asia, particularly the Chinese. You see, as a result of the Free Trade and the globalization, small businesses and artisans in Latin America were forced out of their only source of income and were thereby either forced to migrate or to live in dire poverty because they simply found it impossible to compete with the fierce Chinese manufacturers. Consequently, my resentment against the Chinese grew every time I shopped and found the market shelves saturated with products originating from China. My personal views were evidently negative as a result of my ignorance of China’s rich cultural history, but most importantly, as a result of my being unaware about the fact that the Chinese, very much like the Mexican people, have been subjected to centuries of oppression and have thrived in spite of all the odds because they, like the Mexicans, are very laborious, patriotic, and sincere people. In fact, what I found striking similarities between the two cultures, which have given me a healthier respect and appreciation for the Chinese people’s endurance.
For instance, I found the case of Zhu Yuanzhang to be very similar to that of Benito Juarez, the first indigenous Mexican president, who like Yanzhang was a very controversial, nevertheless respectable man for being a self-made man who despite his very humble origins changed the country forever, not only by changing the constitution, but also by challenging the status quo and especially the foreigners who had left the country in shambles. I also found Mao’s doctrines quite fascinating and was very shocked by the striking similarities between the cultural revolutions in China and Mexico, specifically the massacre of the students at Tiananmen Square and that of the Plaza of Tlatelolco, which took place in Mexico City back in the 70’s under the exact same circumstances. I’m not surprised by the level of control Mao and his communist party had over his subjects because that is precisely what the PRI, the leading political party in Mexico, has done for decades – remain in power through manipulation and fear tactics.
Evidently, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Mexican and the Chinese have a lot in common and unfortunately I cannot address all the similarities in a small 500 word essay. All I can say is that I enjoyed this seminar tremendously and I feel privileged for the opportunity to learn about the Koreas, Japan and China. I found the lectures on the Jesuits in China, the Great Leap Forward (Land Reform & Marriage Laws) extremely fascinating, but I especially enjoyed learning about Zheng He (1371-1433), the only Muslim eunuch sailor entrusted with the task of exploring the world and the fact that his armada was the greatest in the world at the time and that it has been suggested that his armada actually explored a greater territory than any of the other “great explorers” ever did. I am especially grateful to Dr. Dube for his candidly responding to my sometimes very personal questions about his experiences in China. I am certain that my students’ attitudes and preconceived notions about south East Asia will change as mine did when I share all I learned with them. I strongly feel that one cannot teach literature without talking about the historical events that shaped the authors’ philosophical values and this class has certainly provided me with a strong enough historical background to do a better job at teaching about Asia the next time I teach my “Religions of the World” unit or the World Literature Class.

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