New Words in the Chinese Language

Last week the Ministry of Education and the National Committee on Language and Characters issued a report on newly added words to the Chinese language during the year 2009.  In total, there were 396 new words found commonly used in radio, print media and on the internet.  The news coverage can be viewed here in Chinese, and I will highlight a few of the top words below.  The new vocabulary illustrates the discussions in China that satirize life, society, and government. 

Bei Ju (cup set): this is homonymous with a word meaning tragedy and is used to often jokingly refer to something one feels is terrible or tragic.

Duo Mao Mao (hide and seek): the word originated when a 24 year old man name Li Qiaoming was arrested for illegally chopping down wood.  He was arrested on January 30th, and was released and hospitalized on February 8th.  He died four days later due to severe head injuries. The local police stated that his injuries were sustained while playing 'hide and seek' with a cellmate.  During the course of the game, he fell and hit his head against a wall.  The course of events spurred disbelief and anger among Chinese, and heated discussions filled online forums.  The widespread anger helped to encourage the local authorities to open a formal investigation, the result of which was that he was, in fact, beaten to death.  The word is synonymous with police abuse and official deception.  

Pin Er Dai (second-generation poor): similar to fu er dai (children from wealthy families, often spoiled and without a concept of money), this describes people born to poor families, often the migrant working communities who work in construction or services in Chinese cities.  These children often have very few options in life due to limitations in educational opportunities. 

Bei + verb (grammatical marker -passive voice): bei marks the passive voice in Chinese (bei + verb = was verb-ed). I have covered this topic previously here, as has the Language Log.  Currently, it is also used with words not commonly used with passive voice to criticize official cover ups and manipulation, i.e. bei+suicide implies being beaten to death by police and having it declared a suicide. 

Yi Zu (ants): this is a caricatured term to describe fresh graduates working in urban China.  This group characteristically works for low wages (a typical graduate can earn around 2000RMB/300USD per month), is unable to pay high rent charges, and shares crowded quarters with other recent graduates far away outside the city.  

Xian Yu Zu (salty fish): this is a play on words, xian (salty) is homonymous with xian (free/nothing to do), yu (fish) with yu (spare-as in spare time).  This describes the group of people at any given workplace with no ambition, no goals, and who is content doing the bare minimum and to have at least a job.  In China, those in this group stereotypically fill their days chatting online and playing online games.  For those who might find this an exaggerated claim should realized that the American Chamber of Commerce surveys for years found that HR is foreign companies' largest obstacle in China. 

Subway strategies

For a long time, Japan was known as the crowded country where people are prodded into subway cars by attendants armed with poles.  Truth be told, Beijing is no different.  A sprawling metropolis, Beijing's workers crowd into subways and buses from far away to travel downtown.  For most, the commute to work is a grueling process, in which one must muscle through crowds, wait pressed against others with questionable personal hygiene habits before emerging gasping for breath, all before the start of the work day. 

Recently, I discussed some strategies of riding the subway with a colleague.  

1. Do not stand in the middle of the car (in the  middle where all the seats are): the reasoning is simple, when it's your stop you are surrounded on both sides by crowds of people making it difficult to exit.

2. Do not stand in front of the door:  throughout the ride, there will be a lot of people entering and alighting, all of whom will push past you.  

3.  Do not stand next to someone with a large bag:  anyone carrying a bag of a significant size will fit awkwardly into the subway.  Anytime they turn or move, they will hit someone, most likely you if you are standing anywhere beside them. 

4. For girls or those of smaller stature, it is wise to stand next to a large man who is alighting:  in this case, he can push through, making an opening as you as you get off. 

The list leaves one with few options.  Of course, the best place to be is in a seat, if you are lucky enough to get one.  Otherwise, my favorite is leaning against the crevice next to the door.  You have a place to lean, and at the very least, it is easy to get out when you arrive at your destination.  

US Midterms and Other News in China

In the run-up to the midterm elections in the US, New Yorker writer Evan Osnos wrote a piece entitled A Chinese View of the Midterms, in which he states:

But dig into the Chinese view of this election and you'll find that all of this blather has been refracted in some telling ways. Take "The Chinese Professor," the political ad produced for the Citizens Against Government Waste, that depicts a Chinese lecturer, twenty years in the future, cackling over the red-white-and-blue and crowing, "now they work for us." This might seem like prime red meat for China's "angry youth,"—and, indeed, it has attracted its share of predictable comments in that spirit...

While this advertisement has generated some attention, the election overall is not something that weighs heavily on the Chinese mindset.  Apart from producing an interesting video, it is simply an obscure election far away.  However, below I have highlighted some events that have been prominent in China recently.  

-Xi Jinping's ascent to the vice-chairmanship of the influential Central Military Commission, which effectively solidified his bid to be China's next president.  This announcement came with little of the celebration that comes with say, an American election.  The American electoral system, and most open ones for that matter, is one that allows for and encourages outsiders offering dramatic calls for change.  In China, however, as there are no real political outsiders in politics, the aim is continuity and stability.  In addition, given its history with demagogues, China's government is wary of iconic and charismatic leaders, and has a tendency to pick rather unexciting leaders.  As a result, Xi's appointment was met with mostly tacit acknowledgement.

-An explosion in Dong zhi men (east side of Beijing).  Dong zhi men lies on the northeast corner of the 2nd ring road, and is a major transport hub, as well as being in close proximity to numerous high rises, skyscrapers, and to the state-owned PetroChina's imposing headquarters.  One late October afternoon, a loud noise was heard throughout the area.  Reports came filtering in about a possible explosion in the subway, or in nearby buildings.  Other reported witnessing neither smoke nor fire.  Right as these reports started to emerge, they were quickly shut down. Now, news reports have stopped and searches for "Dong zhi men explosion" among Baidu forums are blocked.  Whether this is an instance of a broken pipe, a bomb or possibly one of the few but growing instances of gun violence is unclear, but without a doubt the reaction is one of a government concerned with the image and stigma of violent unrest.   

-Tensions in the Sino-Japanese relations. The imprisonment of a Chinese fishing boat captain on the Diaoyu Islands, or Senkaku Islands, depending on  your politics, led to the resurfacing of long standing tensions over the territorial ownership of small islands in the East China Sea.  Aside from sparking diplomatic tensions, this event has caused protests in both countries, and, without a doubt, hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.  

September

September is a unique time in Beijing.  For one, it is a break.  It is a break from the humid and smoggy weather that hangs over Beijing summers, and stands right before the city delves into its long, dry winter.  It is when residents close their eyes on a warm cloudless day, sighing, wishing that every day could be like this one.  In the expatriate community, there is a massive shuffle of people.  Students leave their summers abroad and internships and return to their campuses an ocean away.  Scholarships and fellowships run dry as summer days fade and autumn beckons.  The season also eats away at the sojourning community of long-term expatriates as well, with some moving on to different cities, different careers or to further their studies.  With this change comes new groups, new individuals coming into the imperial capital for the first time for new opportunities.  

However, as much as it is a time of change, it is also a time of constancy.  Weathered residents have grown accustomed to the summer cycle of going away parties and welcomes.  For locals, it is a time long anticipated.  The summer misery of packing into sweaty and crowded subways will ease in the coming months, and couples will take advantage of their last opportunities for quiet walks into the night.  It also brings the National Holiday in the beginning of October, which, along with the sentiments of national pride, also come with its own unpleasantries.  Time off is mandated by the government, but so is the need to compensate for it by working weekends later on.  Traffic control is tightened, and major roads cannot be crossed at certain times.  It is also a time when the government is more conscious about dissent, reminding us here that behind the facade of change and reform, some things move much slower than others in China.  

Watching the World Cup in China

Watching the World Cup in China has been interesting on a few levels: 

The time difference puts the entire country on a disrupted sleep schedule.  For the final match we (and everyone else in this time zone for that matter) stayed up until 5am on a Monday morning to finish watching the game as it extended into overtime.  The following workday will undoubtedly be filled with hangovers, aspirins, and large mugs of coffee.  

I happened to camp out at the Spanish team's supporters' (a group composed of a large number of Spanish students in Beijing) selected venue.  Different teams' supporters rarely mingle at the same bars, and this experience revealed both the popularity of the Dutch team in China as well as the Dutch presence in Beijing.  As we all crawled out of our respective bars into the morning light, I found myself amidst a small island of red surrounded by a sea of lanky, lumbering fans dressed in orange.  In addition, many of the Chinese I have met are supporters of Holland.  As if to compensate for their numbers, the Spanish were tireless- drinking, dancing, cheering and shouting endlessly at the screen for hours.  

The biggest critic of Chinese soccer/football has been the Chinese people.  Anywhere from TV, radio, in the fanciest bars and in the dirtiest alleys, Chinese have been merciless in attacking their nation's team and it's inability to qualify for the World Cup.  I recall watching another Dutch game in the hutongs (alleyways) of Yonghegong, when an older Chinese man, shirtless to cope with the summer heat and slightly inebriated from the strong bottle of Chinese liqueur in his hand, said to me that God had cried in heaven because the Chinese team had failed to qualify.  Others have been harsher, decrying the widespread corruption that plagues the China Football Association.  

The Peking Duck recently discussed this question referring to the New York Times' discussion of the topic, which makes for interesting reading.  Is it an institutional problem, in which the infrastructure for recruiting and training talent needs to be overhauled?  Or is it simply a matter of corruption?  A billion people sure would love to know the answer.

Social Activism and Protest

A few weeks ago marked the twenty first year since the Tiananmen protests.  There is an abundance of writing on the topic, so I will only offer a few thoughts on the issue.

Like with the Cultural Revolution, one's experience in eighty nine differs vastly based on one's age.  (As expressed in this book, students' experiences during the Cultural Revolution could be very different based on their age, especially when comparing experiences before and after the abuse of sent down youths were exposed).

Those younger than their peers in university, those in elementary, middle and high school, now have a very different recollection about that time in history.  Some I have met remember it with a childish joy as school was cancelled and they followed their older classmates into the streets.  Others remember parents taking them out to visit the strange Woodstock-esque sight of posters, statues, and college students camped outside.  Many, of course, did not stay as long as the university students, nor did they participate in hunger strikes.  They were also not the target of the troops or government, and as a result seemed to have relished in their youthful actions.  

Whereas with those who were university students then, there is not only a sense of loss but one of growing irrelevance.  This was made evident when last year, during the 20th anniversary, Wuerkaixi was quoted in a statement arguing that it is the protesters who are to be credited for the economic reforms and prosperity of the 90s and 2000s.

Similarly, May Fourth marks a day of activism in both the United States and in China.  On May Fourth 1919, students all over China protested the Japanese occupation of Shandong province and the government's inaction to reclaim it.  Similarly, on May Fourth 1970 in Kent State University, American university students protested the bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War.  

China's current politicians are not threatened directly by reviving the memory of May Fourth, but still they are very cautious about celebrating it.  Students protesting government action perceived as relinquishing to foreign powers is a controversial memory to invoke (especially given the government's recent public decision to reform China's currency).  

Although the politics of America are much different, it can be observed that there has certainly not been a strong effort to memorialize the movement by American government officials at the time when America is entangled in an anti-insurgency war often compared to Vietnam. 

What Should Obama Have Checked?

Last week, the Washington Post published a column by Elizabeth Chang entitled Why Obama Should Not Have Checked 'Black' on His Consensus Form.  In it, she expresses her disappointment that Obama checked his racial identity as African American instead of indicating his biracial background of a white mother and a black father.  

She opposes the move first of all because it is misleading.  The president is biracial and has previously acknowledged and even celebrated his multiracial makeup.  Second of all, it sets a precedent that individuals of mixed racial backgrounds should conform to a certain racial identity to appeal to a given group, be it a social clique or a political constituency.  

From the article:

Despite being raised by a white mother and white grandparents, despite have spent most of his childhood in the rainbow state of Hawaii, despite clearly being comfortable in almost any type of crowd (though I suppose Tea Partyers might give him pause), the president apparently considers himself only black. "I self-identify as an African American. That's how I am treated and that's how I am viewed. And I'm proud of it," he has said. But he also argued in his famous speech about race that he could no more disown the Reverend Jeremiah Wright "than I can my white grandmother." With his census choice, he has done precisely that.

I have mixed reactions to her opinion.  

From one perspective, I agree with her.  As I wrote previously, the option to select multiple races is a major victory for biracial individuals.  

People like President Obama are now able to check the boxes that more accurately reflect their bi- or multi-racial backgrounds.  Why voluntarily give up this right and conform to social pressures?  I would assume all individuals would like to accurately have their identities recorded.  (As Chang also points out, aren't people supposed to fill out the census accurately?)

I also agree with her second point.  Mixed bloods are often put under various pressures to be pigeonholed into one race or another, either be they from family, friends or society at large.  Having someone as high profile as Obama declaring his mixed ethnic background would inspire countless individuals with similar stories to follow his lead.  

However, I also disagree with her.  I have personally met numerous people from multiracial backgrounds who take pride in the fact that they can assume multiple identities.  There is a small comfort in being a foreigner in a foreign land while still being able to camouflage oneself as a local.  Personally, I have been often mistaken as Italian, Latin American, Native American and Turkish etc.  With the risk of being tricked, swindled, or simply to avoid awkward stares, it is sometimes to our convenience not to deny ourselves the occasional mistaken identity.  

In addition, I have also consciously used my ambiguous ethnic background to my advantage.  In the event that it suits my needs to use my background to develop a relationship, I intentionally stir up the emotions of pan-Chinese nationalism.  Conversely, it also helps to seem like an average American and I can do that as well.  Obviously, a certain degree of language ability is necessary to successfully accomplish either, but the point still stands: the ability for mixed bloods to blend in is not only an issue of convenience, but also something from which one can benefit, just as others might benefit from an alumni or personal connection.   

I have read Obama's Dreams from My Father, and can relate to his internal struggle of coping with a clear biracial background while being seen only as black.  However, I can also understand his use of racial identity to achieve a goal, even a political one.  

An Innovator's Suggestion for Elderly Care in China

I helped to draft another guest post featured in the Asian Healthcare Blog, accessible here.  It discusses the issues surrounding elderly day care centers in China.  These are a form of care for elderly citizens which are typically located in densely populated residential areas and are intended to provide a center for seniors to have their health monitored while they engage other seniors in a variety of social, as well as physically and mentally challenging activities. However, the truth presents a much more mixed picture.  At worst, some simply become majiang halls, while the better managed only cater to the segment of the population that needs its services the least. 

The post was also inspired in part by the recent book, The Innovator's Prescription, which discusses the need to identify the latent demand in the healthcare market.  I have reproduced the concluding paragraph below:

The difficulties encountered by elderly care centers reflect a discomforting reality in China's elderly care industry. From policy formation, service design, implementation to quality control, there are still too many areas of weakness that need to be addressed. Potentially, the publication The Innovator's Prescription could give us some inspiration to find a solution here. The book draws a parallel between the healthcare industry and personal computers. In the dawn of the technological revolution, the true visionaries did not simply target the existing market for large computers manufactured for research purposes, but recognized consumers' latent demand for personal computers (see the author's conceptual model). Similarly in elderly care centers, the real opportunity might lie in the group that is currently not using elderly day care services (non-consumers) who are a much larger group than current users (consumers), and in addition are a group with much simpler demands to satisfy. To begin with, a simple solution would be to create day care services tailored to the most urgent nursing care needs of seniors with willingness-to-pay rather than the wishful thinking of making self-sustainable activity centers.

Passive Voice and its Political Connotations

Again I reference the writing of the Language Log, which published some time back a piece entitled "Suicided: the Adversative Passive Form as a Form of Active Resistance."  In short, the piece explores a popular usage of the passive indicator bei in Chinese.  Traditionally, the word is placed after the subject and before the verb in a sentence to indicate that the passive voice.  The Log offers this example: tā bèi quántǐ dǎngyuán píngxǔan wéi zhǔxí "He was elected by all of the party members as chairman."  

This grammatical marker, which usually bores students to sleep in Chinese 101, also has several controversial political uses.  For example: 

bei + employment = employmented: mocks the way organizations (i.e. government, universities, etc.) manipulate statistics to make it appear that more graduates have jobs than the actual amount

bei + harmonize = harmonized: this is in direct reference to the state's social program of a Harmonious Society, meaning that something was censored due to controversial material 

(Often in comic jest, the word for harmonize is replaced for its homonym, river crabs.)

bei + suicide = suicided: to be beaten do death, and have the authorities make it look like suicide

These examples are mentioned in the Language Log's explanation and are the ones I see used most often.

This linguistic phenomenon has already been fully explored by those with much greater qualifications to do so than I.  In fact, I would like to draw a parallel to something I found on Renren.com (also known as China's Facebook) some time back.  It is a partial list of public figures who committed suicide during the Cultural Revolution.  It is a sobering list of 150 people who suffered brutal treatment and immense suffering in the time leading up to their passing.  Below, I have translated a few:

Deng Shi, People's Daily Chief Editor, 1966.5.17, poisoned to death

Wu Han, Vice Mayer of Beijing, historian, 1968.10.11 committed suicide in prison, had his hair torn out before he died

Wen Jie, Famous poet, 1971.1.13 used coal gas to commit suicide

Chen Xiaoyu, Art critic, 1966.8.24 after being paraded, jumped into Beijing's Longtan river

Yang Ni, Writer in San Wen style, 1968.8.3 ingested sleeping pills and died

The list, of course, goes on, and real number of deaths is not limited to the one circulated on this widely used social media site.  The reasons I pair the two articles together are below:

1. There is reason to believe that not all suicides were voluntary.  This topic is best pursued by a historian, but it is interesting to note that the concept of 'suicided' does indeed have a specific historical precedent in China.

2. One comment reads: I bet this is going to be river crabbed (bei he xie).  Interestingly, some weeks after this user left this comment, the post in its entirety still exists online.  The authorities certainly has a reputation for river crabbing information not in its favor.   Discussions of the Cultural Revolution, however, are becoming less and less controversial (as long as it is not used as a platform to denounce the Party).  One argument is that those in power at the time are deceased.  The current leadership has little to lose politically by allowing that previous policies were flawed.  One might also claim that this generation grew up during that time, and witnessed the chaos and violence, as well as the impact it had on China, and by allowing some discussion of the Cultural Revolution, hope to educate those who cannot remember it or never lived through it.  It also serves to symbolize the importance of current leadership's policies and of a relatively progressive path. 

The Myth of Filial Piety

Today, the Asia Healthcare blog publish a guest post that I co-authored with the Ninie Wang, the founder of the elderly care company Pinetree Senior Care Services.  The article explores the changing nature of filial piety in China as the economic and family structures undergo sweeping changes.  It also examines the future of the elderly care industry.  I have reproduced parts of it below:

When speaking to friends abroad about the situation of China’s ageing population, they often talk about how Chinese senior citizens must be well taken care of given China’s traditional values of filial piety which emphasizes respect and care for one’s elders.  However, when one takes a careful look, this is not the case.  Many of the young think only of pursuing a comfortable lifestyle.  That their parents devoted so much in raising them as children does not register with them, and the youth tend to grow impatient as their parents become slower both mentally and physically.  Examples like Zhou Yang, the Chinese gold medalist in speed skating, who said that she hoped she could make her parents live more comfortably are increasingly rare in China today.  Society is encouraging people to both respect and take care of the elderly, but in reality people keep them at a distance.

This type of professional care designed especially for the elderly is in great demand in China.

Nursing homes have grown rapidly in China, yet the national capacity of less than 3 million beds only serves a small share of the potential demand of about 8 million.  With its significant capital requirement and unclear return on investment, government and private investors alike are reluctant to push for its development.

(For more on elderly population and status of nursing homes see: 国养老遇尴尬: 一床难求和养 老院空置现象并存, and 北 京市2008年老年人口信息和老龄事业发展状况报告 )

For example, to build a large nursing home with 1,000 beds, initial investment can already range from 30 to 150 million yuan.  Even with up to 10% initial investment and annual subsidy of 300 to 1200 yuan from the local government, nursing homes struggle to break even.  A national survey revealed rather low willingness to pay – urban seniors are willing to pay 710 yuan per month for living at a nursing home, while rural ones only 121 yuan per month.  In addition, challenges such as attracting and retaining professional care staff, managing risk and even meeting safety standards are issues of great concern for many veteran managers of nursing homes.

Some people prefer to hire companies that send nannies or care-workers.  Unlike in the US or many other developed countries, these groups in China often lack a basic education, and are assigned into customers’ homes with a limited number of hours’ training (if any).  Although many of them can do a good job at house-keeping and/or cooking, few are equipped with elderly care knowledge.

Increasingly, community hospitals are extending their medical services to homes in their neighborhoods.  What prevent them from providing nursing services are the lack of nurses and the unwillingness to manage the low-margin troublesome service model.  The doctor/nurse ratio in China today reflects the hospitals’ emphasis on revenues and profit, with less than one nurse per doctor.

There is a need for an alternative service.  Pinetree’s professional home care has the potential to be the most cutting-edge solution to the care needs of millions of families with seniors.  Focusing on delivering nurse visits to seniors living near each of its local service units, Pinetree’s asset-light business model with a strong emphasis on quality control and personnel development has started bringing hope to many. If there was any way to re-promote traditional filial piety in the modern China context, Pinetree can actually help make a difference.

China is now struggling with how to deal with the often competing forces of modernity and tradition.  Arguably, China has stronger social structures than other countries to encourage elderly support, but these are under great pressure.  The relocation of career opportunities and urban sprawl have spread families across the country and have raised new questions and challenges.  China will be looking to more developed nations as examples.  Systems like America’s where there exist nursing homes, elderly communities, Social Security, Medicaid that all enhance family support will be models that China will emulate and adapt.

China’s development of elderly care will undoubtedly be based upon in-home care.  In addition to the overwhelming percentage of elderly who prefer to be in their own home rather than a nursing home, the government has already begun to dedicate its attention and resources to developing this industry.

The benefits to an individual’s physical and psychological health when ageing in the home are clear. Economically, in-home care is less of a financial burden as living full time in a hospital or nursing home.  This is a field that other countries are increasingly emphasizing, whether one is making decisions such as how to reform a nation’s healthcare system or how to care for one’s own ageing parents.  In time, it is quite feasible that China may in turn be the model that other countries study.

Today, we are faced with questions such as: has the myth of filial piety already become a burden for China?  What type of treatment can we expect in our own old age?   Confronted with the shattered myth of filial piety and the dissolution of family support structures, all societies must now decide whether they are content to let these values dissolve into nothing or whether they are able to rebuild the social and medical infrastructure to allow the elderly to enjoy the comfort and dignity they deserve.

For those interested in learning more about this field, please refer to Ninie's blog (in Chinese).

Sino Japanese Relations

Recently I attended a conference organized in part by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on a project entitled the National New Talent Plan: Job Skills and Japanese Language Project (Quan Guo Shuang Ren Cai Ji Hua Zhi Ye Ji Neng Ri Yu Xiang Mu).  The organizers invited members of the government (mostly the NDRC), Chinese universities, Chinese education associations, as well as various members of the Japanese government and industry. 
(There is a link to the general program here, but the link to the Japanese language program leads back to the main page.)

The program aims at addressing the paradox where university students are unable to find jobs and Japanese firms are unable to find suitable workers in China.  It is divided into three stages.  Students will attend classes to improve their general Japanese language skills, then take courses in industry specific Japanese, followed by an internship period in a Japanese firm. 

The potential here is significant.  Japan and China are well suited to cooperate with one another.  Linguistically, there are many similarities between the two languages (see Wikipedia).  Chinese people are arguably the people most suited to learn Japanese (this argument could also apply to Japanese studying Chinese).  Japan imported a significant amount of Chinese culture during the Tang dynasty, including Chinese characters, many of which are still used today in verb stems, nouns and names.  The other kana (hiragana and katakana), while different, were derived from Chinese characters. 

In addition, Japan and China's demographic needs can both be addressed by one another.  There are severe population pressures in China.  As controversial as they are, policies such as the One Child Policy and Hukou Registration System were devised and implemented for the very reason that there are not enough resources to be distributed to this massive population.  According to statistics supplied by NDRC officials, the number of university graduates grew from over 1 million in 2000 to an estimated 7 million in 2010.  At the same time, job creation remained generally static during this period.  Japan is experience a very different situation. It has an aging and declining population, making it difficult for companies to find workers.  In addition, give the highly advanced nature of Japan's economy, they also will need a source of blue collar workers to do the jobs that Japanese graduates are not willing to do.  China has an excess source of this type of labor as well.  Japan also faces a similar situation as the United States, in that high costs of manufacturing domestically are forcing Japanese manufacturers to go abroad (often China) for production.  

Human resources is, however, a serious hurdle in China.  Often I have heard entrepreneurs report that it is not hard to find educated, intelligent Chinese graduates, but to find people who are hard working, creative and driven is a challenge (see, for example, the Happy Farm phenomenon, in addition I have also previously discussed the situation in Chinese universities here).  This problem is also serious at the managerial level.  When I met Jim McGregor, author of One Billion Customers, he told me never to trust people over 40 in China.  They lived in a completely different time, and are usually typified by the two personality extremes of either being so bureaucratically minded that nothing gets done, or with such a cut-throat entrepreneurial instinct that you are afraid that they will take your money, burn down your factory and set up a competing business.  This is obviously a bit of an extreme statement, but it is a lesson he certainly learned the hard way. 

(For a more in depth discussion about HR in China, refer to the podcast by Amcham China)

Other obstacles include history and nationalism.  The history between China and Japan is emotional and complicated.  Many Chinese can paint a dark picture of Japan's involvement in World War II  (primarily its invasion of China), and specifically instances such as the Nanjing Massacre.  I have seen Chinese smirk and make faces when I mentioned that I had studied Japanese prior to coming to China.  I have also overheard hostile remarks made by Chinese when I mentioned that Japanese students were studying abroad with me in China.  Obviously, not all Chinese feel this way or will make these comments, but there is enough hostility to keep people such as a Japanese friend of mine from attending the Olympics for fear of being Japanese caught in a period of heightened Chinese nationalism.  (For an example of this hostility, see a chinaSMACK translation of an online discussion of Hiroshima survivors, there is no shortage of comments with cheers of karma and payback.)

There is certainly great potential for cooperation between the two countries, but there are still significant issues the two countries need to deal with before they can truly take advantage of what could be a mutually beneficial relationship.

The Influence of English on Chinese

The Language Log has written another interesting post regarding the Chinese language, only this time it is about the influence (or invasion, depending on your perspective) of English on Chinese.  Interestingly, the arguments advocating for the purity of language free from foreign influence are usually heard in countries such as France and South Korea; rarely do I hear these ideas in China. 

In fact, foreign influence on Chinese language has a long historical precedence.  In the nineteenth century, China absorbed much of the vocabulary of modernity from Japan.  Japan took western concepts such as nation-state, economy, etc. and adapted them to their language.  China later absorbed these recycled terms into its own language (similarities between Chinese characters and Japanese kanji facilitated this exchange, see Wikipedia for more detail).

Linguistically speaking, the foreign influence on Chinese is multifaceted.  Chinese have different ways of adapted English vocabulary to Chinese script.  (In fact, Carleton college professor Mark Hansell is one of the most well known scholars on this area.)  This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I thought I would go over some major ones, as well as ones not covered in linguistics textbooks. 

Direct transfer:
In popular culture, there are terms that are used directly from English

Out: out of fashion
Ex: Ge, ni out le
Translation: Man, you're out/out of fashion

High: crazy, intoxicated, often used in the context of having fun (partying, drinking, karaoke), and not necessarily in reference to drugs
Ex: Ni men wan'er de hen high
Translation: You guys were really crazy/partied hard

Fashion: fashionable, often used in humorous contexts, emphasis is given when spoken in highly accented manner or with a heavy dialectal influence (in many southern dialects, the f is pronounced like h)
Ex: Ta hen fashion

Translation: He is very fashionable

PPT: power point presentation
It is interesting how technology has affected language. This has spawned a number of similar terms such as PS for Photoshop; the full English name is too difficult for many Chinese to say and this abbreviation is also much easier than translating the entire word into Chinese.

Acronyms/abbreviations:
The usage of acronyms has already emerged in internet forums to express slang and profanity.  These are abbreviations for Chinese terms, not English ones.  Examples include:
BT: bian tai (perverted)
MM: mei mei (sister/young woman)
LZ: lou zhu (originator of a post)
NB: niu bi (can mean arrogant/cocky, or confident, daring, impressive.  This, however, is a difficult term to translate. For more, see the explanation from Insideoutchina's post)
TMD: ta ma de (goddamn)

In formal Chinese, terms like GDP and WTO are often just expressed as the acronym, as the acronym itself is shorter than the full proper name, but when explained, Chinese is used. 

For a more comprehensive list, see blog chinaSMACK's glossary.

Direct translation:
For some English words, Chinese speakers translate the literal meaning of the word and use it as a replacement. 
re gou: hot dog (first character means hot, the second means dog)

Transliteration:
For other words, Chinese have chosen characters that sound like the original English
mai ke feng: microphone (however, there is also the synonym hua tong, which does not fit under this category)
han bao: hamburger
pai dui: party
fen si: fans (as in a fan of a movie star)

Of course, these are not all black and white.  There are a number of interesting mixes in both formal and slang Chinese.  Words such as yin te wang (internet) mix transliteration with the word wang, which means web/network.  Among slang terms, there are also compounds that mix one letter abbreviations with Chinese characters such as: niu B (see above), zhuang bility (where zhuang bi means to act cool/tough, adding -bility makes it a noun), and sha B (dumbass).

The Romanization of Chinese

The Language Log has recently written a post regarding Chinese (Mandarin) language and pinyin, the system of romanization meant to standardize the language's pronunciation. 

A few days ago, Cyndy Ning sent me this Website for learning pinyin pronunciation.  It has both female and male voices which you can activate by clicking on nánshēng 男声 and nüsheng 女声 just above the initials D, E, and F at the top of the table.  I also found similar tables here and here.
This is a neat tool, BUT, in playing around with it, I discovered that nearly all of the 4th tone -ANG syllables in the system come out sounding like -AN.  A similar phenomenon holds true for all other 4th tone syllables ending in -NG; that includes -ENG, -IANG, -ING, -IONG, and -ONG, -UANG.  This is especially the case with the male voice, where I have to strain very hard to hear even a semblance of a [ŋ] at the end, and sometimes I can't hear it at all.  Mind you, this is only on the 4th tone!  I can hear the final [ŋ] well enough on all of the other tones spoken by the male voice, and I can even hear it fairly well for 4th tone syllables when listening to the female voice.

One could respond in different ways to this.  Of course, as the author describes, female voices are generally higher in pitch than male voices.  The ending could simply be less audible in the male reader's voice.  Or, as the author surmises, there could be a physiological cum phonological transformation that manifests itself in a 'defective' way as described above.

However, when I read this I had a different reaction.  During my experience as an elementary Chinese language tutor at the undergraduate level (my Chinese friends get a kick out of this), often have I held the hands of native English speakers as they take their first steps into the world of Chinese pronunciation.  Most often, the first thing I told them about Chinese was that pinyin is a misleading system of romanization.  This tool, intended to simplify and standardize Chinese pronunciation, has been a source of endless confusion for my students. 

For example:
chu (out/exit) 
This is pronounced "choo" in English equivalent.
qu (v. to go)  
Looking at this word, one would assume that the consonant is pronounced differently than chu, while the vowel is pronounced the same.  Wrong.  The consonant is the same, and the vowel is different.  Based on the above explanation for chu, this should be pronounced "chü."

Also:
ju (mandarin orange)
nü (female)
In both of these, the vowel is pronounced the same (ü), yet they are written differently. 

Similarly confusing:
xiang (fragrant)
This is pronounced "shee-ahng."  (The a sounds like the a in "all")
xian (fresh)
Here the pronunciation of a changes.  It is pronounced "shee-en." (a makes an e sound, as in "echo")

Given this logic, the author of the post is technically incorrect in saying that the 4rth tone words ending in -ang sounds like -an.  This may be true if read in English, but it is not by the irregular rules of pinyin.  (The ending which should be [ŋ]  sounds like [n].)  Of course, this is not intended as a critique of the Language Log (for which I have nothing but the highest respect), but rather a cautionary tale and sympathetic critique of pinyin for current and future language students. 

Of course, I also agree with those who say that it doesn't matter.  In the context of a conversation, it is usually easily to discern that the speaker intends to pronounce -ng instead of -n, just like native English speakers would not be confused if one said "runnin" instead of "running."  Still, I wouldn't use it as teaching material. 

Sichuan Politics in the Post

The Washington Post had an interesting piece on Bo Xilai, senior Party member in the Chongqing municipal government, who traveled recently to Beijing for the National Party Congress.  Bo was key in the recent corruption crackdown both in the government and in the business community.   The Post's authors are skeptical that this official will be able to rise to the top rank of Premier, but maintain that he is a top candidate for a position in the influential standing committee.  The article also goes into his life and background, and describes the government's preparation for the 2012 exchange of power.  Some interesting quotes from the article:

In the three years he has served as the top Communist Party official in Chongqing, the country's largest municipality, Bo has shaken up Chinese politics by becoming a wildly popular politician in a country where politicians in the Western sense are frowned upon.

"Bo Xilai is a selfless person and a fearless one. In these times, we need government officials like Bo . . . He chases justice for ordinary people," said Li Lei, a 48-year-old entrepreneur. Li created the video tribute after reading about Bo's crackdown on Chongqing's mafia, a crusade that not only targeted corrupt businessmen but -- in a departure from previous efforts -- the senior-level government officials who colluded with them.

The more interesting discussions are happening behind the scenes, because this year's people's congress is the unofficial start of mid-term jockeying for the 2012 Communist Party Congress where the next generation of leaders will take the reins from Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.
...
At 60, Bo is too old and controversial to be regarded as a candidate to become premier. But Chinese scholars say he's likely to be named to the Communist Party's nine-member standing committee -- China's most powerful decision-making group.
...
His candidacy reflects how far China's Communist Party has evolved from its origins. Today the party's constituency is increasingly middle class and more concerned with things like business and finance than Marxist ideology.

For more information on the recent crackdown, see the blog Inside-Out China, written by Xujun Eberlein, which covers issues in China, and also issues in Sichuan politics and culture (due to the author's background and ties there). 

Life at a Chinese University

There is an interesting video that has emerged on Youku.com (described as the Chinese Youtube).  It is a creative piece crafted by students at the Shanghai Theatre Academy China.
I have translated the first few minutes below: 

What is university?
Messing around
Making trouble
Pursuing one's dreams
Losing faith
Finding quick success
Return empty handed

What is university?
To me, university is boring, uninteresting, clueless, dejected, helpless, and full of meaningless moaning and groaning with nothing to do. 

It's using our parents money to buy all sorts of useless things, all sorts of junk food, doing all sorts of things without achieving any result.
It's like Jiao Yulu, anxious, gloomy, and with nothing to do.  You choose a school, choose a major, choose a roommate, a bunk, a Japanese laptop, a second hand bike, choose two delivery [restaurant] numbers, posters for movies you've never seen to be hung on your wall, choose a sport, coffee, soda, gum, cigarettes, a lighter, beer, USB, MP3, a mobile phone, and choose a few friends to choose with.

The story goes on to discuss four students' views on university as they near graduation.  Their comments indicate that many in the group spent their four years as undergraduate students playing video games, smoking, drinking and simply hanging out.  The one in the group who was seen as a model student ends the same as the others: frustrated and without a job. 

Obviously, this is a caricature of university life, but how accurate is it?  Anecdotal evidence suggests that is it not far from the truth.  Sleeping or skipping class is prevalent.  Many play sports and drink, only cramming the day before exams.  Dorm life is dominated by online gaming and chatting.  For most, it is a welcomed break from the rigors of their high school education. 

Some attribute this to the education style.  Chinese tertiary education is primarily lecture based.  Relative to what one might find in an American college campus, Chinese students are fairly passive in the course of their education.  However, I would also point to the policy of expanded admissions (kuo zhao) in China.  In order to limit the massive number of graduates emerging into the work force, undergraduate and graduate programs have expanded the number of students admitted every year. 

The problem for universities is that they do not have the resources to support such a growing student body.  With fewer resources and attention paid to individual students, the quality of education suffers.  This has led to stories circulating about graduate classes larger than undergraduate classes, as well as blatant attempts at plagiarism (i.e. when a PhD candidate copied another dissertation, changing only the writer's name and location). 

This video is simply one expression of it. 

Does a New Look Mean a New Form of Journalism?

The Wall Street Journal reports that after decades, the People's Daily English version has a new format intended to create a "cosmopolitan and sophisticated look."  The paper's new image is part of a larger effort to push Chinese media onto the international stage as a credible news source and source of insight into Chinese society. 

For many in the west, this is a laughable effort.  Chinese official media sources are often seen as tools of propaganda, or simply as the voice of the Party.  This opinion is not baseless, but I would challenge one to take a more nuanced look at information access in China.  Although the official statements supporting internet controls state that they are in place to guard against the western monopoly of electronic information, the truth is English language material is viewed as much less controversial than Chinese language material (see also the AmCham China interview with Jeremy Goldkorn from Danwei.org).  For example, the English versions of sites such as the BBC are open while the Chinese language versions are not.  Thus there is reason to believe that something like the People's Daily English version intended for an international audience would be, at the least, quite different than its domestic counterpart. 

One reason to believe this comes from another WSJ article that points out an interesting article from the Global Times (published by the People's Daily) discussing the situation concerning online censorship.  For such a sensitive and contentious topic for officials here, this is a surprisingly candid piece of journalism from an official news source. The piece openly discusses some of the common perceptions of information controls: the absence of clear rules, the arbitrary closing of sites/deletion of information, the prevalence of self-censorship, and a lack of a body through which to appeal decisions. 

Of course, this is not to say that Chinese official media sources will become reputable sources of independent and unbiased news.  After all, even though English content is slightly less scrutinized, national media bodies are still nationally controlled; this article could just be an anomaly.  However, given the efforts to change and update Chinese official media sources, it is certain that we will be seeing a very different People's Daily soon.

Chinese New Year in the City

Beijing is a large, vibrant city.  Its official population is 17 million, not including the population of migrant workers who often pass undocumented through China's urban centers.  This massive city sprawls 16,801.25 km2 (6,487 sq mi), (compared with New York City, which is 1,214.4km2 (468.9 sq mi)) and as a center for education, politics and business hosts a diverse population of students, workers, bureaucrats and businessmen. 
Most of these people, however, are not from Beijing in the strictest sense; they do not have a Beijing hukou (meaning that they or a parent was born in Beijing and has the right to certain services in the city).  Many have come from other cities and provinces for either work or schooling. 

But for all the crowded streets, congestion, and high costs of living, why come at all?  Large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have drawn young workers, either first as students who are accepted into top universities here, or because of higher paying and possibly more fashionable work opportunities.  Although they may be put off by the high costs of living, people are drawn to the dynamism of the city.  The widespread presence of restaurants, bars, clubs, fashion and consumer culture make places like Beijing and Shanghai very appealing to young Chinese workers and professionals. In addition, for many coming from the countryside, basic living conditions will be much higher in these cities. 
(Note, this is not to say that those seeking a livelihood in Beijing are content with the costs that their lifestyles demands. The opposite is closer to the truth, hence the popular TV series Wo Ju, translated as Dwelling Narrowness, which describes the life of young couples struggling to make a living while paying off their debts in urban China.)

Chinese New Year, which recently passed, is generally a family holiday, and during the week long holiday most people return home.  This means that population pressures in a city like Beijing are released as an exodus of people leaves the city to be with family during the holiday.  Many of the workers here, both blue and white collar, return to their homes outside the city.  In addition, so do a number of Beijingers who trace their roots to neighboring Hebei province. 

For many young Beijingers, Beijing loses its source of life. Shops and businesses close, and even the street-side vendors that sell anything from snacks and vegetables to office supplies have noticeably left the city.  This leaves Beijing with quiet, uncrowded streets absent of the congestion and vibrancy that characterize the Chinese urban experience. 

Dogs in China

Photograph copyright Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy magazine published an interesting photo essay entitled, 'A Dog's Life in China.'  I find the piece is very representative of dogs' existence here.  The common conception is that dogs in China are simply a culinary delicacy, which is only part of the truth. Dogs are eaten, but certainly not by everyone and not everywhere.  Many Chinese do not like to eat dog, for similar reasons that say, an American, would refuse to eat it.  In addition, it is consumed seasonally, only in the winter because of the heating qualities of dog meat. It is also eaten regionally as opposed to on a national scale, and Cantonese are undoubtedly its most well known consumers.  And although of little consolation to dog lovers, it should also be mentioned that the dogs consumed are not bred dogs, but wild ones (it does not make economic sense to use expensive dog breeds for food purposes).

The photo essay also does a good job of showing the incredible pampering of domestic dogs in urban China.  Author Kristian Dowling's photographs are no exaggeration; walking down the street one can see dogs alongside their owners wearing hats, shoes and sweaters.  Small dogs are sometimes carried in purses and bags to places such as cafes, restaurants and on public transportation. 

Distaste with Recent Media Commentary

Recently, the American media has been awash with articles describing China's rise as an economic and political power, as well as China's increasing aggression in international politics. Citing issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, currency re-evaluation, economic policy, etc., these authors declare that China is a country that is using its newly found status to block the American agenda for its own selfish needs.

The Washington Post's Robert Samuelson writes:

Conflicts with China have multiplied. Consider: the undervalued Renminbi and its effect on trade; the breakdown of global warming negotiations in Copenhagen; China's weak support of efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons; its similarly poor record in pushing North Korea to relinquish its tiny atomic arsenal; the sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan; and Google's threat to leave China rather than condone continued censorship.

...
A wealthier China has become more assertive, notes Jacques. American prestige has further suffered from the financial crisis originating in the United States. But the fissure goes deeper: China does not accept the legitimacy and desirability of the post-World War II global order, which involves collective responsibility among great powers (led by the United States) for world economic stability and peace.

Similarly, in an article entitled 'The Dragon's Swagger,' New York Times columnist Roger Cohen writes:

Top of Obama’s nonproliferation list was Iran and the need for a united front on its nuclear program. China has since said “sanctions themselves are not an end” as the United States tries to harness support for them. Take that, too.

Top of Obama’s trade list was the need for China to allow its currency, the renminbi, to appreciate rather than pegging it at an artificially low rate that spurs Chinese exports and, in effect, keeps jobs in Guangzhou as it kills them in Ohio. But a basic rule in China is that it looks inward before it looks outward. Its cheap-currency job-hoarding is about Chinese social stability, which is Job One for Hu and his cohorts, so there’s no sign of any movement.

I have become a bit weary of this type of commentary. First of all, there is nothing new here. On issues concerning human rights, Tibet, arms sales to Taiwan, currency issues, China has consistently gone on the defensive, refusing to cave to foreign pressure. In addition, these have all been key issues (or political red herrings, depending on your perspective) for decades.

This is not to say that China is not motivated by self interest; it undoubtedly is. But to accuse a country of pursuing its national interests, while is certainly a fiery critique, is the equivalent of accusing water of being wet. Arguments such as Samuelson's depiction of a selfish China rejecting the world system established by a benevolent US are clear manipulations of logic.

However, to give these pundits credit, while the issues themselves have not changed, China has. America's debt to China as well as China's relative economic stability during the economic crisis have all been issues of discussion in the past year. The nature of the debate has indeed changed from China as an emerging threat to China as an emerging world power (which threatens to overtake the US). But given all this, how should we perceive the 'China Swagger'? Wall Street Journalist China commentator Yiyi Lu has this to say in response:

The discrepancy between the statements of top leaders and some of China’s actions and discourses in recent times is not surprising. In managing China’s image, Beijing faces a dilemma. On the one hand, it is well aware that the numerous unresolved “contradictions and problems” domestically make China a “fragile” power at best that is in no position to flex its muscle internationally. On the other hand, it also recognizes the necessity to talk up China’s achievements and strengths both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, such achievements and strengths serve as a major source of the government’s legitimacy. Internationally, they can gain China a bigger say in global governance issues and facilitate some of its foreign policy objectives. Therefore, Beijing has always had to strike a careful balance between portraying itself as a great rising power and as a large third world country still grappling with daunting development challenges.

The balance, however, is not static. Beijing needs constantly to adjust its position as domestic and international situations change. It also needs to counterbalance international discourses of China’s status. In the past year, as China weathered the global financial crisis better than most other countries, international discourse has increasingly emphasized and exaggerated China’s power while downplaying its weaknesses. A recent New York Times article reflects this discourse well. “These days, China is no longer emerging. It has emerged”, the article asserts.

The growing dominance of the “China has already risen” discourse internationally has tilted the balance which Beijing has tried to maintain. If it still considers the balance important, then it is time that Beijing adjusts its position by adopting a more low-key attitude in its speech and conduct, regardless of whether the accusation of its assertiveness is fair or not.

Intermarriages and Hapas: the Japanese-American Experience

The Mixed Race Studies blog recently posted an entry linking to an article discussing the hapa (defined to mean to mean people who have an Asian/Asian Pacific Islander parent and a parent of any other race) phenomenon within the Japanese community. The article is entitled "Nikkei Heritage Intermarriages and Hapas: An Overview" from Nikkei Heritage Vol. X, Number 4, (Fall 1998), by George Kitahara Kich, Rebecca Chiyoko King, Larry Hajime Shinagawa, and Shizue Seigel.

The article is interesting in that it offers an overview of Japanese American identity and its changing response to the existence of hapas within the community. The authors' comments could easily be extrapolated to other Asian-American communities. The author's claim of the evolution of a rising pan-Asian identity in American resonates with my experience. There is arguably a growing recognition of the similarities across the Asian American experience, even though it spans several ethnic and cultural groups. However, I would warn against being optimistic about an all-encompassing Asian American identity. There still exist salient social and cultural differences between Asian communities in the United States that act as an obstacle to the formation of a pan-Asian identity.

The article goes into some of the history of anti-miscegenation laws and the American presence in Japan, as well as the legal reforms that occurred later in the United States. I have pasted a few paragraphs below (bold text my insertion).

As the churches, social clubs, and neighborhoods that once defined community have become less sustainable than in the past, an individual’s sense of community identity has become more and more a matter of individual choice and selection. Previously, Japanese Americans had had two choices: the organic JA community or Anglo-assimilation. However, in the past 20 years, with the globalization of the economy and shifting migration and immigration patterns, as well as the rise of civil rights and integration, two additional identity choices have arisen: multi-racial and Pan-Asian.

...

It is difficult for many Hapas to overcome the long history of rejection by individual families and by the community. Broken connections and communications in extended families and within the community remain part of the human and emotional struggle for some Japanese Americans. However, many families have found new ways of re-connecting after intermarriages, discovering that change is difficult but not impossible. We have heard many stories about how grandchildren have been one way that extended families have remembered their roles in passing on traditions, and begun processes of reconnecting.

Since 1980, an increasing number of interethnic marriages to other Asians have occurred. Incorporating other Asian ethnicities within Japanese American families and the JA community has its challenges and potential for stirring up old conflicts and rivalries. However, as the stigma against interracial and interethnic marriages and people has begun to lessen, it appears that the Japanese American sense of itself, either as individuals or as a community, is being gradually replaced by more-inclusive models of identity and identity formation. That the JA community can embrace a more multiracial and multicultural perspective of itself can mean that it could never “die out,” as critics of intermarriage have warned. However, a consciousness about the dangers of assimilation (within areas as complex as class, white culture, the global marketing of brand-names, etc.) requires all cultural groups to remain inclusive, yet continually measuring, cherishing and passing on traditions, ceremonies, languages and histories.

Mr. Hu, Tear Down this...

According to the Wall Street Journal, the CCTV television culture center which caught fire last year will be repaired in the coming year. It has remained an eyesore in Beijing since the incident. There were rumors floating around that it had not been repaired because the foundation of the structure was attached to the CCTV headquarters which stands next to it. The WSJ did not confirm the rumors but had this to say about it:

"This week, a joint committee convened by the State Council, China's cabinet, is expected to affirm the structural soundness of the the 44-story Television Cultural Center, in the final report of an investigation into the Feb. 9, 2009, fire at the $730 million China Central Television complex.

That would clear the way for major repairs on a building that was intended to help CCTV transform itself from a dull source of propaganda into a modern media powerhouse, but instead has become a charred, rusting eyesore in the middle of the capital's downtown business district.

The building "will be repaired, as there is no major damage to the structure of the main body," said Huang Yi, a spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety, one of the government departments that collaborated on the investigation.

...

The boot-shaped high-rise has an exterior steel framework, much of which will be stripped away and rebuilt, and a concrete interior portion that can be salvaged.

Preparatory work for the repairs has started on the building site, according to people involved in the reconstruction project."

Theatres as an Expression of National Interest

A recent trip to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts made me think about how an architectural structure can reflect a certain aspect of a country, especially when compared to a theatre with which I am much more familiar: Singapore’s Esplanade.

The Esplanade Theatres on the Bay sits on Singapore’s waterfront, and is shaped like a pair of durian fruits. Durian, for the unfamiliar, is a fruit indigenous to Southeast Asia. It grows in a hard, spike-covered shell and is characterized by its pungent aroma and creamy flesh. Because of these traits, durian is arguably the most divisive fruit in existence. Lovers describe it as the king of fruits, and those who hate it describe it as the most putrid thing they have ever tasted. (There is a certain irony, however, in the fact that you are actually barred from enjoying durian inside the Esplanade.)

The Esplanade is what one might call a truly public facility. One enters the structure and is faced with large hall filled with free seating and several art exhibits open to the public. The hall runs down to a corridor, leading to several shops and restaurants. The two major concerts halls are tucked away on either side of the hall and outside are more restaurants and bars. Nearby, the waterfront is lined with benches, and in the middle is the outdoor theatre which often features performances free to the public.

The Theatres on the Bay is truly a meeting place for all Singaporeans; it is frequented by socialites and commoners alike. I have seen Singapore’s most affluent wine and dine there as well as students and struggling workers enjoy a free concert with drinks bought at 711.

Beijing’s National Centre is a very different experience. This is not to say that it is poorly constructed; it is most certainly an impressive sight. Surrounded by a still pool of water, it stands by Tiananmen square in the center of Beijing, its large oval-shaped exterior skimming the water like a setting sun. Inside, the theatre boasts tall ceilings and modern facilities; it is an exquisite feat of architecture. However, it also exhibits an air of exclusivity and disengagement.

Entering the theatre, there is a small open hall or waiting area flanked by a ticket booth on the side and the entrance for the security check across from the main doors. Only after passing the security check can one visit the art exhibits showcasing Chinese artists’ work and traditional Chinese culture. The nearby stairs lead directly to the concert halls. Interestingly, there is nowhere to go during intermission save for the restroom. In contrast, concert halls in the Esplanade have an open area when, during intermission, the audience can have a glass of wine and socialize.

While one may pick favorites, it is also a worthwhile exercise to look at these pieces of architecture as expressions of the nations that have built them.

During the past several years, Singapore has been grappling with its identity. Long considered one of Asia’s model economic tigers, it developed an economy based on trade and manufacturing. The government highly encouraged Singaporeans to go into relevant fields, and as a result Singapore was turning out a large number of engineers. But with the opening of other economies (i.e. China, Vietnam) that can produce goods at much lower costs, Singapore is striving to transform itself into a creative society and entrepreneurial economy. Suddenly, risk-taking capitalists and norm-breaking artists are being encouraged and cultivated. This push has permeated not only the artistic world, but has also led to reforms in education policy and supportive policies for entrepreneurs. The Esplanade can easily be seen as part of the government’s drive to develop a creative and artistic society, acting not only as a platform for the performing and visual arts, but also as a means of engaging all Singaporeans in this push toward creativity.

The National Theatre, in contrast, serves a very different purpose. Completed on the eve of the Olympics, it was part of China’s plan to burst onto the world stage and show a global audience its modernity and grandeur. The modern style and world-class facilities certainly impress upon the viewer an image of China’s economic prowess. It is interesting that in addition to westerners who lament the loss of cultural relics for modern buildings, native Beijingers have arguably been the most vocal group against these highly modern constructions. In fact, the Theatre is often jokingly referred to as the egg often by those who feel it is an eyesore next to the city’s imperial architecture.

Still, it is important to mention that many developing countries highly value these symbols of economic prowess and modernization. I recall being in Wuhan, a city along the Yangtze that had a strong colonial presence during the 19th century, and had commented on how I found the colonial architecture interesting. My Wuhan friend shot me a confused look and commented how strange she thought that foreigners are always interested in old, run-down buildings while ignoring the modern architecture throughout downtown Wuhan.

From a personal perspective, it is natural for Americans who often grow up in cookie-cutter suburban homes and modern buildings to relish in the novel and unique, especially if it is embedded in history and tradition. Similarly, it makes sense for someone who grew up among humble surroundings to favor all things modern, even at the expense of one’s history.

One could also trace this further. Many in what we know as the developing world have a notion of modernization heavily influenced by the western notion of economic modernization, stemming from the industrial revolution and imperialism. Many of these countries were colonized, a legacy which left a lasting impression on indigenous societies. For many countries still pulling themselves from poverty, the path forward is a well trodden one.

*****

With all of this said, I would like to promote a theatre that I have always enjoyed, the Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). It features a multi-racial company that performs pieces spurring discussions on cultural identity and barriers within American society. The company approaches its audience mixing comedy, drama and satire. I would highly recommend anyone either living in or visiting Minnesota to pay a visit.

Posner's Race Against Race

Richard Posner of The New Republic has published a discussion of miscegenation/mixed race marriages entitled The Race Against Race. He mixes into his writing a review of two works, What Comes Naturally: Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America by Peggy Pascoe and Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell by Paul A. Lombardo. It is a general overview of mixed race marriages from a legal and social perspective.

Still another puzzle is why aversion to “mixed marriages” (not limited to racially mixed marriages) should lead to the enactment and the enforcement of laws against them. Orthodox Jews strongly oppose marriage to gentiles, and even Reform rabbis are generally unwilling to perform such marriages. Most parents do not want their children to marry people from a lower social class. And while black-white marriages remain rare, marriages between whites and Asians have become common. In part this is because there is a distinctive black culture in the United States (though not all blacks are part of that culture) but not a distinctive Asian one after the first generation; and in part it is because there is more prejudice against blacks than against Asians, or for that matter against Jews, Irish, and Italians. But it hardly seems necessary to have laws against mixed marriages, to which people are already averse. The aversion would make such marriages rare in any event, so why have laws against them with all the attendant bother for courts and marriage-license bureaus?

Trying to answer this question is, to say the least, a daunting task. One might instead, dissect race and status according to its different contexts (there are not universal perceptions of race, and every group is subject to different social environments). For example, in colonial Latin America people of mixed European and indigenous backgrounds were in a social stratum of their own; they became the clerks and assistants to the region’s colonial rulers. Their status was higher than that of the pure indigenous population, but they could never enter the exclusive social circles of the European elite. This context is very different than that of the mixed children of black slaves and white masters the author describes as pariahs of sorts.

Chinese Students in American Universities

This topic has been on my mind as of late because I have been interviewing students under an alumni admissions program my alma mater, Carleton College, offers. Those who have been applying or those related to an applicant will know that students have been stressed recently with final applications deadlines closing.

Anyone who has set foot on an undergraduate campus in the past few years will have noticed the rising number of Chinese (PRC) students. Even in the small, midwest, and scarcely known (albeit highly ranked) liberal arts college that I attended, the numbers of PRC students entering the incoming freshmen class was 2 in 2004, 10 in 2007, and 19 in 2009. Of course, the total number will be significantly higher, and constitutes a significant number for a school of about 1,800.

Having been on campus not too long ago and as a current participant in the admissions process in China, there are some trends that I have observed.

Chinese students going abroad used to be able to be easily separable into two fairly distinct groups: exceptionally capable students with strong academic backgrounds and exceptionally rich students with poor grades. The gifted students would basically apply independently (there is no counseling system in China, students are admitted through the gao kao or college entrance exam) and, due to their good grades and ambition, get into good universities. In contrast, there are many extraordinarily wealthy families in China with what one might call spoiled children who often went to private schools (in China, private schools are usual lower in quality), and who are unable to test into a Chinese university. As a result, their parents pay their way into a mediocre university in usually the UK and Australia, and sometimes the United States.

This trend is changing. No longer are there two extremes; the ‘middle’ group is taking interest in studies overseas. Overseas education has become a popular alternative in part because of the high paying careers obtained by students who have studied abroad (they have, in effect, raised the bar for higher education), and in part because the gao kao is becoming more competitive with more students competing every year for limited spots. Regardless of the specific reasons, American universities have increasingly become the place for Chinese students pursuing tertiary education abroad.

There are clear consequences for both China and America.

In China, there has been the rise of education consulting firms which specialize in sending students abroad to study. However, there are significant ethical issues that have arose with the emergence of these companies. Simply put, these firms write the application materials for the students. In America this is considered cheating, but there is a bit of a culture gap here. For the average Chinese family who is accustomed to a means-tested education system, a system in which you take a test and get into a university, they are unfamiliar with the admissions process for an American university and most likely figure that the student takes an exam, pays a fee, and the company takes care of the administrative issues. It should also be mentioned that China is a very results-oriented society, especially in regard to education. A mixture of an exam-based education system (who cares what you learned or how you grew if you did not test above the cutoff mark?) and an extremely competitive environment has given many in China an ‘ends justifies the means’ mentality. However, in the United States, the discovery that a student paid someone to write the entire application materials is means to effectively blacklist him/her. Already, admissions officers are wary of these organizations and what the services they offer students. As American universities recruit increasingly from Chinese high schools, the need for transparency will increase as well. How this will materialize is anyone’s guess, but already we are witnessing American colleges establishing direct relationships with schools. The gist of these relationships is that the high school or organization has top students apply, and the university can accept them conditionally (i.e. more English instruction etc.). I can only envision more types of these relationships emerging.

This has become a high profit and thus a highly competitive market. There is sufficient demand and insufficient knowledge on the part of the consumers, allowing companies to demand high prices. Also there is a sufficient number of Chinese students who have the experience studying abroad and who have recognized a good business opportunity.

In American campuses, there has emerged an interesting and sometimes troubling dynamic. To illustrate this, imagine that with two Chinese students on campus. These students will naturally find their own interests and circles of friends. They are simply too few to construct a social group. With twenty, they become a clique. Then what follows is a classic high school story: exclusive lunch tables (speaking only Chinese), deviant members scolded for not acknowledging members of the same group on the way to class... This has made a group that was previously considered open and friendly on campus to be increasingly seen as aloof and insular.

(It should be noted that this is not necessarily a new problem. Exclusivity and intra-group politics have characterized other groups on campuses, including international students in general.)

One possible (and probable) trend for the future lies in American high schools. My contemporaries at Carleton had all applied from China, either from public high schools or foreign language schools. Recently, many students entering American universities during the past two years have either attended high school in America or have attended some type of exchange in America for extended amounts of time (1-2 years). Education consulting firms have already targeted this market and have begun sending students to American high schools and boarding schools. I would not be surprised that if in a few years as the competition for American universities becomes increasingly competitive, we will start to see a similar rising trend of Chinese students attending American high schools. Let’s not forget, it was only a few years ago when articles came out describing the phenomenon of the large numbers of Chinese students entering American graduate schools.