Why take an East Asia Seminar?

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Why should we devote our time and effort to learn about people and cultures from the other side of the globe?

How about...
We need to embrace ethnicity
We need to learn about the innovative past
We need to learn about the growing economical powers in the East
We need discussions across boundries of time and space
Our world is increasingly interconnected
We learn about ourselves by learning about others
We share the same world
Differences are beautiful
We learn from each other
(Teachers/Students) It's state mandated
All knowledge is power
Because exploring is fun
How can we change the world if we don't know about it?
Because we are all brothers and sisters
To pass on the knowledge to younger generations
To pass on the message of tolerance and acceptance
To pass on the message of peace and love
Because I want you to know about me, too
Because in learning and knowing we learn respect
Because we're more alike than we are different

WHY NOT? We can all afford to learn a little something new...

"We love over-emphasizing our little differences, our hatreds, and that is wrong. If humanity is to be saved, we must focus on our affinities, the points of contact with all other human beings; by all means we must avoid accentuating our differences."
-Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Peace and Love[Edit by="rflores on Jul 27, 8:22:37 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Rflores is right on with all the recommendations as to why one should take the East Asia seminar. State mandates and love of culutral diversity aside, I believe we in LA have an important buisness and cultural link to Asia.

In terms of buissness, one only need look at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to see the sheer volume of merchandise and material both imported and exported to Asia. The Commerce intermodal shipping yard off the 710 and Washington is full of containers entering from asia and containers taking used raw material to asia for processing and remanufacture. This volume of trade generates countless revenue and jobs for our area. It is important to share Asian history and culture with our students as much of the buisness in LA is increasingly tied to asian markets.

In terms of cultural links, Asians have played an important part in the development and success of the west. Chinese workers started some of the first west cost fisheries, and were totally exploited in many an early western construction project such as railroads and bridges. Furthermore, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean agriculturalists helped push forward California's agricultural economy. Today this old guard of mostly Japanese, and to a smaller extent Chinese and Korean, farmers are passing the torch if you would to a new generation of Lao, Vietmaese, and Cambodian farmers--particullarly around Fresno. Asia and asians have contributed and continue to contribute to the rich social and economic fabric of our state. State mandates and cultural diversity are good reasons, but as residents of California we must recognize our lasting bond with Asia and her history.

[Anonymous]

Not to mention the fact that every year we are becoming more and more of a global economy. long ago are the day, where countreis dealt only with themselves and a few other countries. In todays' world you must get to know all your neighbors to be successful. Now more than ever is it truer to say that you are a citizen of the world. Every day we are buying products form all over the world, especially China. In addition, one out of ever five people in the world are chinese, that alone shows the importance if understading Eastern Asia. Whether your involved in finance and business or LIberal arts, you are going to come across eastern asians on a normal basis. Finally, our world can never be at peace until we start communicating with each other and understanding our differences. As cliche as that sounds it's as true today as it ever was.

[Anonymous]

I think you should take an East Asia seminar because the world needs more understanding. What better people then teachers to take a class and then to pass that information to students and pass that need for understanding and knowledge on to them and maybe one by one we might become a more tolerant society. That's someone should take an East Asia seminar.

Tolerance equals peace

When we begin to understand others we will stop fighting against them.

[Anonymous]

I definitely agree that it is important to take an East Asia Seminar to increase diversity to help create a more multicultural classroom that promotes tolerance and fairness. We live in an extremely diverse world in which technology such as television, and the internet make bringing people together much easier. The more I learn about different cultures, the more that I seek out the similarities instead of the differences amongst different cultures.

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