I was pleased my colleagues had suggested attending the US China Institute East Asia Seminar. The class revealed my own lack of understanding of the many issues that shaped that part of the world. As more and more of our world is mixing, it becomes increasingly important that we work to share this information with our students.
As a teacher, I am concerned that often our students have explored our own rich history so much that they fail to understand other systems. When we discuss communism, students come in with a clear decision about it. When we discuss the most important value, they spout out those of the American democracy ideals. When exploring the history of China, one can see the way that the many different philosophical thoughts for example have influenced this place into the nation it is today.
I look forward to being able to share with my students many of the articles that show Americans talking about the Chinese and the Chinese talking about the Americans. These articles had moments of humor as well as moments of profound truth. I hope to incorporate some of them into my teachings. This idea of perspective is of utmost importance in an English class. Discussions in class will also have to include some of the basic understandings that are different in the two cultures. This can lead to students creating great reflection questions as they explore why there might be different perceptions of the same event.
It also creates an interesting framework when looking at the “traditional” immigration/culture clash stories. Woman Warrior and The Joy Luck Club are two classics of American Literature and both explore some very complex issues. Many of my students can relate to the issues of two cultures colliding, but many of my students may not fully understand the cultural expectations reflected in the Chinese culture.
.
