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Many of us draw on Jung Chang's Wild Swans to teach about 20th century China. It's a wonderful look at the century through the perspective of generations of women in her family. Now she and her husband have published a massive (over 800 page) volume on Mao Zedong. It's title is Mao: The Unknown Story so from the outset they promise to explode ideas widely "known" about the leader of the Chinese Communist Party and for almost thirty years the leader of China.

Among the arguments they make:
Mao lacked personal courage, took sadistic pleasure in the cruel deaths of others, and enjoyed his privileged position immensely.

The Soviets were directly responsible for the founding of the Party and for its eventual success in the post-World War II civil war. Mao, in fact, was not a skilled military strategist and sometimes sent CCP forces against the Nationalists or the Japanese in ways designed to improve his position within the CCP leadership.

Reviews:
Guardian, June 4, 2005 -- Hinton

The Independent - Mirsky

The Economist

The Scotsman - Adair

Interview:
The Independent - Wheelwright

The Guardian - Allardice

Sydney Morning Herald

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Jung Chang's Wild Swans, a history of several generations of women in her family is a wonderful read and provides an illuminating view of 20th century Chinese history. Chang and her husband, Jon Halliday, have just published an enormous and apparently path-breaking study of Mao Zedong.

Chang/Halliday explode many myths about Mao and the Communist Party's rise to power. The book appears a couple years after new biographies by Jonathan Spence (a concise volume by one of the top historians of China) and Philip Short (a huge volume by a writer who is now coming out with a biography of Pol Pot).

I've attached a review of the book by political scientist Michael Yahuda.

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Hi Folks,

Here are some sources for information about how old people are in the US when they get married:

US
National Center for Health Statistics

US Census Bureau -- 2000 census/marriage

Stats from a West Virginia government agency

Can you locate similar statistics for the countries of East Asia?

1985 China data (after the first good census conducted in China in 1982)

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Here is a copy of the 5/8/05 LA Times article I mentioned in the Asia in My Classroom forum. I can' t circulate copywritten materials there, but among members of our seminar it's okay.

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Mark Magnier reported on May 8, 2005 in the Los Angeles Times on the rather weak coverage of recent history in Chinese history texts. Among the topics treated in misleading ways: World War II, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution. Among the topics not addressed at all: the 1989 student-initiated demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.

Here is one passage from the article:

"Yes, what Japan did in World War II is horrible," said Sam Crane, Asian studies professor at Williams College in Massachusetts. "But the embarrassing fact for the Communist Party, and one that is not taught in Chinese schools, is that the party itself is responsible for many more deaths of Chinese people than those caused by Japanese militarism."

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Jonathan Zimmerman, in an essay published in the Christian Science Monitor, writes:

"Should history textbooks make you love your country? Most people would say "yes." And that's why textbooks inevitably distort the past - even here, in the good old USA. Americans like to think they've reckoned with their history, while other nations remain mired in propaganda and distortion. Americans should think again."

For the full essay: http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0504/p09s01-coop.html

Zimmerman is a professor of education at New York University.

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Most Japanese feel that the Chinese government either encouraged or mishandled the recent anti-Japanese protests in China. They believe the Chinese government should apologize and pay compensation for damages suffered by Japanese individuals and firms.

See the May 18, 2005 Yomiuri Shimbun report:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050518wo42.htm
[Edit by="Clay Dube on May 21, 10:38:07 AM"][/Edit]

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Former Singaporean PM Lee Kuan Yew recently visited China and encouraged officials and educators to teach children that as China's power increases it must avoid causing its neighbors undue anxiety.

Reported in The Star (Malaysia) on May 17, 2005.

"They have to be imbued with the right values and attitudes to meet China's doctrine of peaceful emergence,'' Lee said.

He said young people should be "acutely conscious that China ... has the responsibility and self-interest to assure its neighbors and the world at large that this emergence is benign and not a threat but a plus to the world.''

"It is vital that the younger generation of Chinese who have only lived through a period of peace and growth in China and have no experience of China's tumultuous past are made aware of the mistakes China made as a result of hubris and excesses in ideology,''
Lee said.

Star

The Chinese news report of this talk omitted this part of Lee's talk:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/17/content_2967625.htm[Edit by="Clay Dube on May 21, 10:32:32 AM"][/Edit]

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UCLA History Professor Fred Notehelfer was recently interviewed on the public radio program "To the Point" on teaching about World War II in Japan.

Click here to listen to the interview using Real Player.

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UCLA history professor Fred Notehelfer commented on the KCRW program "To The Point" about the textbook controversy. You can hear his conversation with Warren Olney at:

http://play.rbn.com/?url=livecon/kcrw/g2demand/tp/tp050411Confirmation_Hearing.rm&start=00:42:22.254&end=00:50:13.764&proto=rtsp
[Edit by="Clay Dube on Jul 21, 5:09:57 PM"][/Edit]

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Here's a link to a resource page -- it would be terrific if teachers would visit these sites and write reviews of them:

Select Web Resources on Modern Japan

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Television and films rely on stereotypical images to quickly set scenes and convey a feel. How do such images get produced? Below is an email message I received yesterday from a local casting company. You'll note that the company seems fairly upright (not charging to look you over and not promising more than minimum wage -- well, for most assignments). At the same time, you'll see the most boiled down view of Asian Americans.

I've deleted the firm's email address. Everything else is exactly as it was sent to me.

***
From: --------
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 7:52 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Assistance needed - feature film seeking Asian extras

We're casting an independent feature film titled "BABY" to be shot in the Los Angeles area from 5/16/05 to 6/12/05. Any help you can provide in spreading the word to the local Asian community would be VERY helpful!
Extras need only be available for 1-2 days in this time frame.

We are holding an OPEN CALL for MOVIE EXTRAS and are seeking the following types ONLY:

NON-UNION EXTRAS: NON-UNION ONLY for this project. Pay rate $54 for 8 hours plus overtime (basically minimum wage plus time and 1/2 after 8 hours). Standard work day is approximately 8-12 hours. MUST be legal to work in US and have valid photo ID & social security number.
ASIAN - Chinese men 55-75
ASIAN - Upscale Korean, men & women, age range 30-50
ASIAN - All Asian types, neighbors, all ages
ASIAN - Hip & Trendy clubgoers, attractive, men & women, age range 18-35
ASIAN - Vietnamese gang types, thugs/punks, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - Male bodyguards, heavy set with multiple tattoos
ASIAN - Korean gang types, thugs, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - All Asian types, Male & Female, clubgoers age range 18-45
ASIAN - Nude, female, body doubles (higher rate $350-$400/8, MUST be willing to work completely nude in tasteful simulated sex scene)
ASIAN - Barely dressed Speakeasy customers, Female, all ages
ASIAN - Chinese gang types, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - Hookers, Female, all ages (MUST be comfortable with skimpy attire)
ASIAN - Female, Beautiful/attractive women, age range 18-40
ASIAN - Juvenile detention kids, male, age range 18-22 to look younger (MUST have shaved head or be willing to have head shaved)

Basically, we need a Non-Union ALL ASIAN Extras cast. If you are not Asian, please DO NOT attend this Open Call. We have other projects that will be posted at a later date.

WHEN: Sunday - May 15th, 2005
3:00p to 5:00pm

WHERE: Crossroads of the World Plaza (outside in the courtyard)
6671 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood
(at Sunset & Las Palmas. On street parking in area)

HOW: Just show up ready to fill out paperwork. If you have a 3x5 photo or
a headshot please bring one with you. If not, we will take a polaroid of you. This is a FREE Open Call for our paper files on this project only.
(If you would like to register for our digital files for other OLC projects, you will be able to do that at the open call also. For digital registration there is a $15.00 cash only fee. Digital registration NOT required to work on "BABY")

If you have questions, please email me at: ---------, otherwise I will see you on Sunday 5/15/05!!

Thanks!
~Tina Kerr
Extras Casting Director - "BABY"
ON LOCATION CASTING

[clay dube]

Anna's comments about images of Asians caused me to reach deep into my email inbox to retrieve this message. It came just after our class on Monday evening. As editorial director of Asia Pacific Arts and AsiaMedia, I get a lot of these invitations. You'll note that I didn't post it to the AI jobs page.

Stereotypes are obviously alive and well in Hollywood.

****
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 7:52 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Assistance needed - feature film seeking Asian extras

We're casting an independent feature film titled "BABY" to be shot in the Los Angeles area from 5/16/05 to 6/12/05. Any help you can provide in spreading the word to the local Asian community would be VERY helpful!
Extras need only be available for 1-2 days in this time frame.

We are holding an OPEN CALL for MOVIE EXTRAS and are seeking the following types ONLY:

NON-UNION EXTRAS: NON-UNION ONLY for this project. Pay rate $54 for 8 hours plus overtime (basically minimum wage plus time and 1/2 after 8 hours). Standard work day is approximately 8-12 hours. MUST be legal to work in US and have valid photo ID & social security number.
ASIAN - Chinese men 55-75
ASIAN - Upscale Korean, men & women, age range 30-50
ASIAN - All Asian types, neighbors, all ages
ASIAN - Hip & Trendy clubgoers, attractive, men & women, age range 18-35
ASIAN - Vietnamese gang types, thugs/punks, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - Male bodyguards, heavy set with multiple tattoos
ASIAN - Korean gang types, thugs, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - All Asian types, Male & Female, clubgoers age range 18-45
ASIAN - Nude, female, body doubles (higher rate $350-$400/8, MUST be willing to work completely nude in tasteful simulated sex scene)
ASIAN - Barely dressed Speakeasy customers, Female, all ages
ASIAN - Chinese gang types, male, age range 18-25
ASIAN - Hookers, Female, all ages (MUST be comfortable with skimpy attire)
ASIAN - Female, Beautiful/attractive women, age range 18-40
ASIAN - Juvenile detention kids, male, age range 18-22 to look younger (MUST have shaved head or be willing to have head shaved)

Basically, we need a Non-Union ALL ASIAN Extras cast. If you are not Asian, please DO NOT attend this Open Call. We have other projects that will be posted at a later date.

WHEN: Sunday - May 15th, 2005
3:00p to 5:00pm

WHERE: Crossroads of the World Plaza (outside in the courtyard)
6671 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood
(at Sunset & Las Palmas. On street parking in area)

HOW: Just show up ready to fill out paperwork. If you have a 3x5 photo or
a headshot please bring one with you. If not, we will take a polaroid of you. This is a FREE Open Call for our paper files on this project only. (If you would like to register for our digital files for other OLC projects, you will be able to do that at the open call also. For digital registration there is a $15.00 cash only fee. Digital registration NOT required to work on "BABY")

If you have questions, please email me at: [email protected], otherwise I will see you on Sunday 5/15/05!!

Thanks!
~Tina Kerr
Extras Casting Director - "BABY"
ON LOCATION CASTING

[clay dube]

Attached is a May 3, 2005 Kyodo News Service (Japanese news organization) article about Chinese history textbooks and the treatment of Chinese-Japanese history.

In Dec. 2004, NY Times reporter Howard French reported on how China's textbooks cover recent history. It's been posted at a pro-Tibet website:

http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=494

Time Magazine carried a similar story in April 2005:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501050425/textbook.html

Last fall, Japan Focus published an essay on Chinese history education:

http://www.japanfocus.org/211.html[Edit by="Clay Dube on May 9, 2:06:01 PM"][/Edit]

[clay dube]

Well done, Amy!

For a history of when the term came into use and examples (including Shakespeare, etc.), click here. This is a link to the Oxford English Dictionary and will only work if you are logging in via the UCLA computer network or are using a Bruin Online proxy.

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