Traveling to China; Coming Home to Myself
By Elaine Griffin
February 26, 2018
Thanks to sweeping changes in technology and trade, we’re finally recognizing that it is indeed a small world, after all. But with all due respect to Thomas Friedman, that doesn’t mean it’s flat, or that there are no differences between the many inhabitants in our global village. How can we leverage all that we now share in living together, while still learning from the diversity that sets us apart?
That question has long occupied Asia Society as an organization, as it promotes dialogue among people by cultivating a better understanding of Asia’s many distinct cultures. It was in the hope of increasing my own understanding that I jumped at the opportunity to attend the 12th Confucius Institute Conference in Xi’an in late 2017.
As an administrator who helped build my school’s Global Scholars program, and who has long included texts from other cultures in my English literature classroom, I was eager to explore how I might grow my school’s Chinese language program — while increasing opportunities to integrate aspects of Chinese culture and philosophy into our school curriculum. The conference and my time in Xi’an gave me many ideas, and so much more.
Delivering the conference’s keynote address, Madam Liu Yandong — Vice Premier of China — noted the ties now binding together the 140 countries represented at the conference, in a world where both distance and natural resources are shrinking, making collaboration more vital than ever.
But even as she recognized what we now have in common, Madam Liu underscored all that is unique about China’s own journey toward modernization. China has the world’s second largest economy and a population of 1.4 billion, and thus confronts daunting challenges as it seeks to reconcile consumption with sustainable development and a cleaner environment. It’s a balancing act that can’t be undertaken in a vacuum; China’s development, Liu emphasized, must unfold in the context of mutual understanding, involving all of the countries represented at the conference.
Reflecting on this address, what comes to mind is a jigsaw puzzle. While each piece contributes to the final picture, none is exactly like any other. We must learn to recognize and respect the unique angles and curves — cultural mores and economic expectations — of every piece so that we can better grasp how we might puzzle out our future, keeping our eye on the bigger picture we can make together.
A number of conference speakers sensitively addressed this tension and opportunity, and how we might leverage our differences to forge a more inclusive and effective world community. For instance, in a panel devoted to teaching Chinese in American schools, presenters talked openly about countries’ distinct classroom norms. Robert Davis, Executive Director of Chinese Language and Culture Initiatives at the College Board, pointed out that tech-savvy U.S. students are most engaged when lessons incorporate that technology, making entertainment integral to pedagogy. Teachers of Mandarin in the U.S. are consequently likely to be more successful if they keep this in mind. During the same session, Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT at the University of Strathclyde in the U.K., suggested bridging educators’ cultural gaps through mentoring that pairs Mandarin teachers with Scottish teachers.
In a conference workshop, Keith Burnett, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, tackled another cultural barrier involving outworn stereotypes that impede honest and effective dialogue. His example: While a British citizen might readily recognize that “Downton Abbey” is a period piece from another century, Westerners from Britain and elsewhere unwittingly perpetuate similarly outmoded images involving Chinese peasants and soldiers, topography, and women.
How might we best grasp the disconnect between Western Orientalism and realities in one of the most sophisticated and powerful countries in the world? I offer we can do so through immersion of all kinds in China and Chinese culture — of the sort that awaited conference participants during an evening art performance showcasing Xi’an’s traditional folk songs and musical instruments.
In this context, China’s past became prologue: a historically textured account of where a vital region had once been, even as we spent our days appreciating where that region and nation are now. Past and present; history and future — the China we think we know and the China that is — in moments like these, they spoke to each other in my mind, much as a musical like “Hamilton” looks both backward and forward, enriching our understanding of the United States by using our history to inform our future. That’s an analogy which I couldn’t have made without the benefit of this conference. It’s an analogy, in short, that underscores how a better understanding of China might contribute to a fuller understanding of ourselves.
I tried to extend my own understanding by spending free time in Xi’an. I perched atop the ancient city wall, sampled the city’s famous noodle dishes, and wandered the streets of the Muslim market.
Most of all, I was repeatedly struck by the immense kindness of the people I encountered, all of them exhibiting great respect toward me as a guest — accompanied by fierce pride in their culture and country. I was moved by the continued generosity of my hosts; they treated a complete stranger as a friend. Flying home, I was buoyed by the prospect of responding in kind, as the representative of a country that could learn a thing or two about what it means to be welcoming and helpful to the strangers arriving on its shores. Strange but true: my Chinese neighbors in our global village have taught me something about how to be a better American.
Elaine Griffin is the Assistant Head of the Upper School at the University School of Milwaukee.