Week 3 Question :
Why do you think that both Liang Qichao and He Zhen developed their politics on China while they were away from the country? Have you experienced something similar, where travel, or moving away shifted your self-identification? Why do you think their views on nationalism diverged, even though they were reading many of the same texts and thinking about similar questions about the modern world and China’s place in it?
While on their travels, Liang Qichao and He Zhen both were able to develop their ideas against the dynastic state and its benefits. I believe that their travels helped them see the world in another perspective, and therefore gave them an opportunity to experience life under a different political system. Moreover, I believe that their travels to Hawaii in particular gave them a more diverse point of view, as they were allowed the opportunity to view people of their own race in different living conditions. This not only altered their perception of the usefulness of the Chinese regime, but also gave them an insights into other possibilities that could be explored.
Although I have never experienced any alterations in self-identification on my travels, I have definitely been affected by cultures and customs that I have came across. Often, I see myself incorporating those cultures in my own behaviors and lifestyle, trying to compare with what I have been brought up with to find a middle ground that benefits everyone around me and myself included the most. I find that with each travel I am able to learn something new, although it may not have been as inspirational as it was to Liang and He, it proves the possibility of the generation of momentous ideas that can affect generations.
On why their thoughts of modern China and it’s place diverged, I think that it was due to the fact that both had their own personal goals and achievements they were trying to accomplish. In He’s case, her devotion to Women’s rights and equality lead to more hatred on the current political system and her defection towards more capitalistic ideas. However, because Liang was born a man, his lack of knowledge in what Women in China have to go through allows him see China in more of a positive light. This allowed him to focus more on the possibility of modernization of China, and this is where we can see the diverging paths of the two’s ideas.
Week 4 Question: What do you think prompted so many Koreans into direct action against Japanese colonial rule? How much of it do you think was the language of the March 1, 1919 Declaration of Independence, and how much were other factors that Shin mentions? Answer this question by thinking about what might prompt you into actions at some moments and not at others. Have you ever felt compelled to act in ways that surprised you?
I think that one of the the major reasons that lead to the Koreans defection towards the Japanese were the social climate that they had to live in. Living in a war torn city, Korean locals were forced to work under harsh labour and tons of discrimination. In addition, the fultility of their labour towards their own lives gave them more incentive to try and insight change into the system. The capitalistic cycle of having to work to find work to pay off bills and work not paying enough creates anger and frustration in many Koreans that were under Japanese occupation at the time.
As Shin says, the March 1 Declaration of Independence was able to gather Koreans of all background sunder a common goal, and this is certainly due to the language used in the declaration itself. The emotional language portraying Koreans as the suppressed underdog is able to drive the nationalistic side of all Koreans, unifying them under common enemy. The language that appeals to the ethos side of people, promising a better world through Korea’s independence. This combined with the already demoralized Koreans under Japanese rule creates a glimmer of hope that many will decide to follow, leading to the protests described by Shin.
One example that I relate to the most is the Umbrella movement and protests in my home country, Hong Kong. The protests and social movements were due tot he fear of Chinese political control over Hong Kong. Although it isn’t as extreme as the Koreans, being under occupation and having to live in harsh conditions, this connection gives me insights into seeing why people would resort to such measures to try and inflict change. Similar to the Koreans, the protestors in Hong Kong first tried to demand change through peaceful means, however, when demands were not met, some turned to violence. This is what I believe is being referenced in the prompted question “Have you ever felt compelled to act in ways that surprised you?” Although some people might not be violent beings filled with hatred by nature, when put in the correct conditions, whether that may be political or living, their need to see change in their lives may prompt unnatural behaviours that even they have previously condemned.
