Did your elementary/middle school teachers wax philosophic about American culture demeaning the individual by focusing on occupation? More than one of mine did. Again and again, in school or in Church I would hear people talk about how we should find other ways to describe ourselves outside of our occupations. I won't argue that Americans tend to define themselves by their jobs but it is worth pointing out that other cultures fixate on aspects of a person that are at least as constraining.
In Taiwan it's very common for "get to know you conversations" to include detailed questions about your hometown/homeland and your family background. This stems from the understandable belief that who your parents are greatly influence who you are. This is different from the American emphasis on occupation. In the American perspective the choices you've made with your life are viewed as the most vital information about a person- while in the Taiwanese/Chinese paradigm the most important parts of you (where you grew up/what your parents are like) are outside of your control.
The Taiwanese/Chinese fixation on race as an indicator of who you are stems from this cultural preference. Until a couple hundred years ago (which only seems like a long time to Westerners) where you grew up and what your parents were like was easily guessed based upon your skin tone and hair/eye color. Where do brown skinned people come from? India. What do they eat? Curry. Therefore the brown skinned person in front of me is probably from India and probably likes curry- therefore I should assume she speaks Hindi and needs my help getting to the nearest curry house and I should probably not insult her by offering her Chinese food. You can apply this formula to lots of situations.
A lot of visitors/foreign residents in East Asia get frustrated at this paradigm because it impinges upon our sense of individuality. Sure I'm white, American, and of English descent but if you direct me to the nearest McDonald's (which more than one Taiwanese person has done without me asking for it) I will not respond graciously.
Of course you could find this focus upon family background and hometown in many pre-industrial societies- which is exactly what Taiwan was last century and what much of China still us. What puzzles foreigners is how modern Taiwan can seem on one hand- High Speed Rail, internet everywhere, 2nd tallest building on Earth, etc etc etc, and yet how concerned a person on the street can be about where my grandparents were born. Whether Eastern culture will change to focus on the individual as a result of the surplus options that are being shoveled at them thanks to globalization is anyone's guess.
One of the most rewarding parts of international travel is discovering my own culture. Had I lived in Colorado all my life I may never have seriously considered that large groups of people define themselves in the way many East Asians do. Beyond merely understanding this specific part of my culture I also increasingly appreciate it- I am an American, through and through. When I am getting to know you I will respectfully ask about your hometown- but what I really want to know is what you've chosen to do with your life.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
White Men I Love, White Men I Hate by Chuck Snowden
Chuck Snowden (formerly of Casey Middle School and Fairview High School) is one man I will never forget. He was my PE teacher for all three years of Middle School. At the time he was known as the hard gym teacher (there was an alternative who taught PE at the same time) and anyone that wanted to switch into or out of his class was welcome to. I always chose to be in his class because he was one of the only teachers I've ever met who clearly loved his students. He loved his students so much that I was always exhausted from his class and he loved us enough to force us to write weekly reports to him about what was going on in our lives. He would read those reports in class and make comments, appreciative and instructive, right after we handed them to him.
Anyhow, I'm mentioning this story because I just finished his book White Men I Love, White Men I Hate. The prologue has an impassioned warning that the book is about LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and he means it. Despite the title most of the book is about white men, both his friends and historical figures, that he loves and only occasionally will he focus on the ones he hates. Of course every other third story (at least!) involves his wife, May, whom is obviously the primary desire of his over-sized heart.
He delves into history (his field of study) in a sort of uneven manner. It's vital to him to understand America's past and his determination to love people results in some unexpected people of affection. There's not a hint of resentment towards Thomas Jefferson, for instance. Coach Snowden is convinced that the Jefferson loved the slave he fathered a child with and even goes so far to suggest that a great man like Jefferson should be thanked for spreading his genes around. Snowden also heaps praise upon Winston Churchill (for the obvious reason) but doesn't mention any criticism at all of Churchill's questionable post WWII decisions. In Coach Snowden's eyes a man who was great enough to stop Hitler can be forgiven for his other sins. The author calls this kind of judgment the work of a "Wise Barbarian" and I am not about to argue with him.
His writing style is so straightforward I could hear his voice and his message so inclusive that you'd have to be an angry and sullen person to take offense at his observations about white people, black people, and America. He states again and again that he's an unabashed Christian, a lifelong Democrat, and a patriot so unless you're angry atheist Republican who hates America (I know you're out there) there's something in the book for you. I can't recommend it enough.
Despite how horrible Middle School was I can always rely on memories of him and how much he cared to make it seem a little brighter. One of the primary reasons I always opted for his class was because it was the only place in Boulder where my twelve year old self could walk into a gym and have a giant African American bellow out "Hello, Mr. Ford! How are you today?" I was an awkward, Star Trek loving, mid-pubescent*, drama nerd, whose home life was imploding- having a guy like Coach Snowden interested in me nearly every day could be the difference between self-worth and self-pity. That's a debt I can only pay forward.
*Even if little else has changed at least I am done with puberty.
Anyhow, I'm mentioning this story because I just finished his book White Men I Love, White Men I Hate. The prologue has an impassioned warning that the book is about LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and he means it. Despite the title most of the book is about white men, both his friends and historical figures, that he loves and only occasionally will he focus on the ones he hates. Of course every other third story (at least!) involves his wife, May, whom is obviously the primary desire of his over-sized heart.
He delves into history (his field of study) in a sort of uneven manner. It's vital to him to understand America's past and his determination to love people results in some unexpected people of affection. There's not a hint of resentment towards Thomas Jefferson, for instance. Coach Snowden is convinced that the Jefferson loved the slave he fathered a child with and even goes so far to suggest that a great man like Jefferson should be thanked for spreading his genes around. Snowden also heaps praise upon Winston Churchill (for the obvious reason) but doesn't mention any criticism at all of Churchill's questionable post WWII decisions. In Coach Snowden's eyes a man who was great enough to stop Hitler can be forgiven for his other sins. The author calls this kind of judgment the work of a "Wise Barbarian" and I am not about to argue with him.
His writing style is so straightforward I could hear his voice and his message so inclusive that you'd have to be an angry and sullen person to take offense at his observations about white people, black people, and America. He states again and again that he's an unabashed Christian, a lifelong Democrat, and a patriot so unless you're angry atheist Republican who hates America (I know you're out there) there's something in the book for you. I can't recommend it enough.
Despite how horrible Middle School was I can always rely on memories of him and how much he cared to make it seem a little brighter. One of the primary reasons I always opted for his class was because it was the only place in Boulder where my twelve year old self could walk into a gym and have a giant African American bellow out "Hello, Mr. Ford! How are you today?" I was an awkward, Star Trek loving, mid-pubescent*, drama nerd, whose home life was imploding- having a guy like Coach Snowden interested in me nearly every day could be the difference between self-worth and self-pity. That's a debt I can only pay forward.
*Even if little else has changed at least I am done with puberty.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
We made the front page of CNN.com!
Recently President Ma of Taiwan made some surprisingly frank statements regarding Taiwan's relationship with the US (article here). He stated that Taiwan would never ask the Americans to fight China for Taiwan. This of course was met with a hail of criticism from pro-Independence Taiwanese groups. Some said this indicated his attention to reunify with China and others simply accused him of damaging relations with the US. I think he did neither- but first a little background.
Taiwan has a celebrated and storied "ambiguous relationship" with the United States. For most of the 20th century America never expressly stated whether it would come to the aid of Taiwan if the Chinese attempted an invasion. George W. Bush was the first American President to say what we would actually do (article here). No points for guessing whether he promised to turn tail and run or stand and fight for our tiny democratic ally. Anyhow, that was just one statement and measured over sixty years of ambiguity it don't amount to much. Plus, when Pres. Bush said that it was before we were in Afghanistan + Iraq x unsustainable debt.
So- as for President Ma... when he mentioned that he was not going to ask the Americans to fight the Chinese he also mentioned that Taiwan was capable of defending itself BUT it required American weapons to do so. The chances of America starting World War III with the Chinese over Taiwan (when a negotiated settlement would be much easier, cheaper, and less bloody) are minute; the chances of the Americans continuing to sell weapons to a tiny island ally whose very existence prevents the Chinese navy from wondering to far into the West Pacific is very high. President Ma was probably just reassuring the leadership in Beijing that he was not out to start World War III and to reassure the Obama administration that the weapon sales are appreciated AND they are worthwhile. A Taiwan that can defend itself well against a Chinese incursion is less likely to need American assistance in the end anyway.
Anyhow- a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would take months to pull off. First the Chinese would have to win an air war. Then they would have to invade Jinmen, Matsu, and Penghu. Then they would have to isolate Taiwan proper. It would take weeks before the troop transports were even loaded (assuming China had enough troop transports for the 70,000 soldiers it would minimally need... and it doesn't have those troop transports because most of its spare steel goes to apartment buildings for its rapidly urbanizing population.)
During those weeks America might decide to get involved regardless of what Pres. Ma says, the Japanese might decide to get involved, but bare minimum China's trade with the outside world would plummet and the possibility of a domestic revolution would dramatically increase. All this to assert political control over an island whose political and economic freedom have actually benefited the mainland via trade with the outside world?
The Chinese government is very savvy, they aren't going to plunge the world or their country into a war they don't need.
Taiwan has a celebrated and storied "ambiguous relationship" with the United States. For most of the 20th century America never expressly stated whether it would come to the aid of Taiwan if the Chinese attempted an invasion. George W. Bush was the first American President to say what we would actually do (article here). No points for guessing whether he promised to turn tail and run or stand and fight for our tiny democratic ally. Anyhow, that was just one statement and measured over sixty years of ambiguity it don't amount to much. Plus, when Pres. Bush said that it was before we were in Afghanistan + Iraq x unsustainable debt.
So- as for President Ma... when he mentioned that he was not going to ask the Americans to fight the Chinese he also mentioned that Taiwan was capable of defending itself BUT it required American weapons to do so. The chances of America starting World War III with the Chinese over Taiwan (when a negotiated settlement would be much easier, cheaper, and less bloody) are minute; the chances of the Americans continuing to sell weapons to a tiny island ally whose very existence prevents the Chinese navy from wondering to far into the West Pacific is very high. President Ma was probably just reassuring the leadership in Beijing that he was not out to start World War III and to reassure the Obama administration that the weapon sales are appreciated AND they are worthwhile. A Taiwan that can defend itself well against a Chinese incursion is less likely to need American assistance in the end anyway.
Anyhow- a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would take months to pull off. First the Chinese would have to win an air war. Then they would have to invade Jinmen, Matsu, and Penghu. Then they would have to isolate Taiwan proper. It would take weeks before the troop transports were even loaded (assuming China had enough troop transports for the 70,000 soldiers it would minimally need... and it doesn't have those troop transports because most of its spare steel goes to apartment buildings for its rapidly urbanizing population.)
During those weeks America might decide to get involved regardless of what Pres. Ma says, the Japanese might decide to get involved, but bare minimum China's trade with the outside world would plummet and the possibility of a domestic revolution would dramatically increase. All this to assert political control over an island whose political and economic freedom have actually benefited the mainland via trade with the outside world?
The Chinese government is very savvy, they aren't going to plunge the world or their country into a war they don't need.
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