Prompt 18

My first impression of Chinese views on American society was that they laugh at us. China is extremely versatile in their economics as culture. History and politics has a large place in society but China might think that America gives too much leniency to their citizens. For example, America allows guns for protection in the home when China forbides firearms of any kind. This can be viewed by the Chinese as a violation of the right to stay alive and have a society without fear. The Chinese government is very strict in their laws and on their people. With so many citizens that is the type of governement that is needed. The government seems to think that peace comes from structure, whereas in America peace comes from diversity.

Prompt 17

Two generalizations that I feel express the basic lessons in "Yellow-Girls" are first, the idea of natural born Chinamen that American born Chinese person's are not equal and second, the urge of American born Chinamen to be accepted by their fellow man. We, as humans, are born with compassion and from these generalizations, we must learn that people are all different and yet equal, no matter who they are or where they were born. For example, "It was there in the train station in Tainan that I realized that I was a foreigner everywhere I went, no matter how fluent I was in English or how un-American my facial features were." Meggy Wang said this in her essay, The Train, and I believe that everyone feels this if they are multicultural. I think the way these girls feel should be open to everyone so that maybe when we run into a multicultural person we wont push them out of a place they might belong even though they don't look like they belong in a part of a certain culture. For example a Chinese American has a Chinese culture and can be apart of it their whole lives, but still want to be a part of the culture that we as American's from time to time call our own and hesitate to let others into.

Prompt 16

When we went to the restaurant in Chinatown, we had an amazing meal! The food was prepared with care and love. There was so much food that we had to take it home or give it away! I ordered something safe and easy, something I knew that I could eat. However, when the food was brought out I tried it all. First I tried the hot and sour soup. It was really good and not too spicy at all. The menu was in both chinese and english, and for things that I did not know about, the waitress was very helpful in describing what I would be eating. The dumplings and pancakes were served first and most everyone gobbled them up.
I think having a meal out in a place that I have never was an extreme culture shock. It helped me to understand a little how eating and interacting in another country and culture would be different and strange, but knowledge baring at the same time.

Prompt 15

Chinatown in Honolulu is a self-contained community because there are homes, businesses and everything someone would need to live without ever leaving. Chinatown is a place of culture within the Hawaiian culture where the residents live, work, worship, and survive. I saw many tourists and people just passing through. I also saw businesses that catered mainly to the residents of Chinatown and not tourisits. There were banks, religious sites, churches, and there might have been a school. I think Chinatown is neccesary to the people who are from China or other similar cultures who need to have some connections with their home. However, Chinatown is neccesary so that others can learn about the culture who might not have the opportunity to go and learn in China. Chinatown contributes to the people by being there for learning opportunities and a place to go to feel like they are at home. The major implication of a Chinatown could be considered as the people who live there are cutoff from life and the culture around them. These people are so stuck in their way of life that they do not want to assimilate into what America considers "American Culture." This dynamic has changed over time because they welcome visitors but only leave if they have to. But in general the people who live in Chinatown work in Chinatown and are happy to accept tourists but generally do not want to leave what they know.

Prompt 14

In the movie, To Live, filial piety is not shown to be very important. Fugui does not respect his father nor the legacy he has built for him. Fugui gambles it all away without respect to his father, finally making himself and his family homeless as well as causing his father's heart attack. Harmony within a family is shown to be fleeting. When it is found it is usually pushed away or shattered by tragedy or stubborness. Fugui knows that hardwork will pay off in the end and lead to self-cultivation so after the war he works hard to provide for his family. At the time the movie is set in, survival is the philosophy of life. Fugui and his wife, Jiazhen fight and survive for their lives even though they do not believe in the Party's cause. At this time in history I believe that the philosophy of life was survival. I think everything can be related to the idea of yin and yang including survival. This philosophy is the same throughout the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The family will say and do anything to stay together and stay alive.

Prompt 13

The reason Nobody can be no body and no thing at the same time might be contirbuted to a state of life. Someone who is dead will not have a body, and will be no thing, just a figment long past. The term could mean that the writer is dead and no longer exists, or that he is just a wanderer, a man of no name and no home. The double meaning of the boys hand turning white and the falling snow is death. Cold means death while warmth means life. The skin pales and loses pigmentation in death, just as the snow and cold kill nature. These Haiku represent the core values of Japanese Aesthetics by showing naturalness in the words, opening to take one moment of time and describing it in very few words. It shows Perishability because they know the seasons and how they end and give life, and finally the haiku show sensitivity with the compassion they show to the value of life.

Prompt 12

Japanese aesthetics are inseparable from religious views because of the way they view nature. Their art shows the love of nature and in religion with the respect of nature. The art of Japanese aesthetics is seen in not only their gardens but in their heikus, ikebana, tea and calligraphy. While we were at the Buddhist Temple and the Shinto Temple, I noticed that the structures were not put together with nails or glue. They are molded together by the cut of the wood as if they were meant to be together. The respect paid to the wood by the craftsmen is seen as a sign of reverence not only to the gifts of nature but settled there in the heart of nature. The rock garden was kept clean and unobstructed by anything. The things I saw at these religious places had many sites to support the fact that Japanese aesthetics and religion are inseparable. In Christianity, people view their ancestors as gone and in Heaven, unable to take care of them. In Shinto, the Japanese believe that their ancestors can help them at anytime. In American religions and day to day life, ancestors are not given a special place unless it means going to place flowers on a marker. Japanese persons keep things in their homes to remind them of their ancestors even going so far as to set a plate of food for them at the dinner table and leave a chair open for them.

Prompt 11

John Dower calls World War II a race war because the axis side was trying to rid the world of races, in their eyes, were imperfect, while the Allies were trying to save all races. The primary storyI noticed at the U.S.S Arizona was not the bombings themselves, nor the vicious attacks that would not stop coming, but the burial at sea for the 1,177 men who lost their lives that day. The memorial brought up the sailors, marines, and other workers from that day, but it did not prejudice Japanese persons. The primry story was the grave of the ship, and not the attack itself. People that visit the memorial are from all races, ethnicities and ages. There were many Japanese persons mingling with Americans. There were toddlers and college students, as well as middle aged couples and couples celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversaries. I think people were visting the memorial to achieve knowledge of what happened on December 7, 1941. However, others were at the memorial to pay hommage to all the brave men who survived and died that fateful day. There are many stories that were not told that day. One being the many changes that came about in military security. Another isthe story of the heroes that were not recognized but fought valiently to saves as many sailors as they could. This reminds me of another day when attacks hit much closer to home. September 11 is like this day, where heroes who will never be known or recognized fought hard to save strangers they'de never met.

Prompt 10

Japanese understandings can be characterized as closed-minded for the survivors, uncaring for the second generation, and unknowing for the third. The Japanese who saw what happened in Nagasaki, probably to this day will not understand why American's dropped the bomb. The children of the survivors of the bombing wish to protect the feelings of Americans and do no seem to care about their parents feelings. And grandchildren of the survivors have not been taught about the history and the horrific things the bomb did to their ancestors. If one had to guess how they feel about Pearl Harbor, they could say the Japanese are sympthetic and remorseful, but will not apologize just as the United States will not be remorseful for doing something that we belived was right.

Prompt 9

The Family Game portrays the Japanse family as a divided front, where all members are at the mercy of the father. The mother was the one that made sure the kids were acting they way they should and doing what they should at school. The kids did what the father wanted with encouragement from their father. Self-image and worth rely heavily on where one is educated. One must go to Seibu High School to be of any worth and to graduate with the best grades just to be of some meaning. There are many interpersonal dynamics that show in every personal relationship. This is seen between Shineyuki's relationship with Yohimoto, the tutor. The two figured out each other's weaknesses, and used them to get along. Yohimoto discovered the boy's weakness and taught him how to fight. In turn his teachings forced the boy to work hard and to focus. The purpose of the young wife was to show how separated and distant people are from one another in Japan. She needed a friend and in the city, the only people you might talk to is your family. The boys and the mother dying shows that they, having completed their goals, couldn't possibly move any farther in the congested world of Japan and all of it's shortcomings.

Prompt 8

Sugarcane production finally began in 1875.


Sugar and Pineapples brought immigrants to Hawaii because the labor was needed to produce each product.


The first to arrive were the Chinese, followed by the Portugese, Puerto Rican, Japanese, and Korean, doubling the population of Hawaii in 20 years. However, the workers were paid a mere 24 cents an hour for their arduous labor. They lived in cramped unhealthy workhouses, and with the $3 a month they recieved, they had to buy from a plantation store that took they're money back into the company coffers. They spent 10 hours, sometimes 12, a day hiking in the fields with only a bowl of rise on their bellies. Each labor camp was racially divided. The work was strenuous and many a worker came home with cuts, bruises and bliters on top of blisters. Men were forced to work bent over for 10 hours day after day. The workers were treated very very unfairly.


Sanford Dole's father, Daniel, was a missionary who started the Punahuo School.


Sanford Doles political views were in favor of annexation.


The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai'i stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, and disenfranchised all Asians and poor citizens while generally empowering rich citizens, including American, European and native Hawaiian elites. It is now widely known as the Bayonet Constitution, a nickname given to it by its opponents because of the threat of force used to gain Kalākaua's cooperation.


Lorrin Thurston was the prnicple leader in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarch system, and the eventuall annexation of the republic into the United States.


The Committee of Safety was a 13 member council that planned to over throw the Kingdom of Hawaii, the groups unofficial advisor was Thurston, the publisher of the Honolulu Adviser.


Sanford Dole became the President of the Republic of Hawaii on July 4, 1894.


Hawaii was annexed in 1898, under President McKinley's adminisration.


Under the territory of Hawaii, Dole's new position was Governor of the Territory.


James Dole is Sanford Dole's cousin.


James Dole bought the island of Lana'i and converted it into a huge pineapple plantation.


One major connection between the missions, business, and Americanization of Hawaii was that Hawaiian League. This secret league of businessmen or planters with US or missionary ties pledged their lives, businesses and honor to the goal of creating decent and honest governement in Hawaii.

Prompt 7

Captain James Cook's voyages were so important because he was searching for a new continent that was believed to be full of riches the world had never known. This continent was later dicovered to be Antarcitca, but Cook's ships were no match for the ice that forbade passage to the snow-covered land itself.
Cook and Hawaii are so closely linked because of the time and season he discovered Hawaii. He was believed to be some kind of god profecied to come at the time Cook came and from the direction he did. Cook is so famous for being connected to Hawaii because it is said that he is the first European to discover it.
It think the story about Gary and the others relates to the reader how the Native Hawaiians view outsiders, but also do not want their own people to seem like barbarians. Gary is a local who is discovered at Cook's memorial. Horowitz thinks that he is the one who wrote the slanderous words on the memorial. Gary is really cleaning it off. He is the keeper and trying to do his job of keeping the marker respectable. Gary feels that Cook wass an invader who began the slow process of taking away the native's traditions. Gary feels strong dislike for Cook, just as the rest of the natives probably do about the man's place in Hawaiian history. Gary's feeling mirror the Reverand's and the churchmen because they are total opposites. Gary has bad feelings while the other men look at him as some sort of hero. Horowitz's point to this story is to share the natives opinion of a man who is looked at two very different ways. It is important to understand both sides of the story.
Shalins's main point of arguement on the ritual performed by the Hawaiians and Cook was that Cook was obliging the Hawaiians, "by playing the part of Lono to it's fatal end." Obeyesekere's view was that the Hawaiians weren't that gullible. From the way the Hawaiian's were behaving I find that I lean toward Shalin's theory. The people seemed to treat Cook like a god, not a man who just landed on accident.
The ironies the author finds are strange indeed. First is that Cook was known for repremanding his men for violent acts, yet he lost his lofe during a very violent rampage of the Hawaiians. He was the one to march ashore with guns ready to violently get back a small boat. He died with a gun in his hand after killing a man. This was odd considering his Quaker upbringing. Secondly, the dagger that felled him was made of the iron Cook himself had asked for to trade in attaining friendships. Finally, Cook didn't die in a place he felt was unsafe, but a place where he'd been treated as a god. A place where he didn't even think his own men needed protection. The strange circumstances are that Cook, a diligent journalist, never wrote about the last month in Hawaii. The crew might hve destroyed it as well, not wanting to disparage their fallen leader. The crew's new captain said that it was an unfortunate tragedy. Seems strange considering all that happened. Why would someone tear out or destroy the journal? Is Horowtiz's story the real recolection or the crews made up one? I guess we'll never know.

Prompt 6

I think that as tourists we view cultures in a "look but don't touch" manner. We see the cultures and the different ways of life yet we do not want to participate in it. That is why the PCC is so vital to the undertanding of Polynesian life. It is so different from the "American" way. The Polynesian Cultural Center, to me, modifies the way a person sees the different polynesian cultures. There are these separate islands that depict te different polynesian islands such as Samoa and Figi. Yet they are different in many ways. The PCC modifies them by putting each separate place so close together. They are really different cultures because of the different ways they dance, their costumes, and their traditions. The dancing is all different and very separate. There are different dances for different things and no dance is the same. The people's clothing is different according to the displays. Some wear only a loin cloth for ceremonies and day to day life whereas others wear western clothing. Finally, no two traditions are alike in any culture. The PCC obviously has to condence and only show the best parts of the cultures, but their midications don't take away from the overall message of the Polyneisan people.

Prompt 5

The religious practices of the Hawaiians were all intertwined to pull the people along in the passage of time. The different aspects of the religion pulled the people along through the passage of time. This was because the rituals were for the people to see the gods work for the specific reasons they were believed in. The different beliefs and practices were learned from childhood. The rules never changed, and the people were expected, even required, to know them. The religion itself was what pushed the people and ran their everyday lives. The kahuna's were the people's leaders, and the gods were worshipped in everything the people did. The hawaiian gods were worshipped through rituals that would seem very alien to the newcomers. The Christians were not used to the pagan like rituals of the Hawaiians. For example, the Catholics might have understood that the Hawaiian's belived that the gods were the wood carvings during the ceremonies atop the haeius, for the Catholics believe that the bread and the wine are Christ's blood and body. However, even I would find it hard to believe that a spirit was inside a handcrafted wooden carving. The newcomers also might have been wary because of the rituals being performed, wether they be for war, the harvest, or to bless something else. There are similarities in the two belief systems that the Christians used as an advantage. The Hawaiian's believed in a sun god. The Christians used this as an example of the Devil. There is also a maker and a prayer. These are just a few things that one could consider common ground.

Prompt 4

The best explanation for the "Shindo Priest" is that the Americans regarded the Japanese proposal as based on mere superstition. All of the options are valid, this just best explains why the Americans were so against bringing in a Shindo priest. Americans are very supersticious, however, that usually reserved for rabbit's feet, and lucky coins. The Americans most likely thought of the Japanese wishes as superstiction because they did not fully comprehend what the priest does and how important he is to Japanese people.
All of the American's were probably not Christians, because it's not fair to say that everyone in the business world is a Christian. It's too narrow of a reason. Believing it's a superstiction is much more logical than tying it into religion. Also Christians believe that everyting happens for a reason, not in superstition, so therefore they would be more willing to accept a different idea on how to fix something.
Because of what they are asking to do, it's very unlikely that the Japanese would ask to bring in the Shinto Priest if they had shady ways of insuring safety.
This is a good point, but when you work for company, you become a part of that company in Japan. Therefore, the "family" takes care of it's own. This is an unlikely choice because of the way businesses like the one discribed in the interaction. Secondly, because of the "family" situation, its unlikely that the Japanese employeers would be worried about an employee ratting them out.

Prompt 3

To me culture is traditions, behavior, and teaching. There is culture everywhere you look and it's all different. When I think of American culture, I think of how Americans see life and how we are so used to having all of these freedoms given to us by the people. I think culture goes with you wherever you are. I have learned from birth that I have a right to say whatever I want without being punished for having an opinion. However, I've learned that freedom of speech is not given to everyone. A woman in Iraq, for example, knows that she cannot go against her father, or husband's wishes. "Culture," is something that people are born into. A Chinese man has the same ideas in America as he does in China. An American can go to any country in the world and still have the same values, traditions, and ideas as he or she does in America. That is to say, culture is not restricted to a certain country, race, religion, or anything else for that matter. For example, a young girl born into a very traditional Japanese family, will learn and grow in that culture, even if she is born in America. However, that is not to say the world itself will not have an impact on her culture as well. I believe that each individual person has their own culture based on where they live, who they are around, what they are taught, and what they see.
A certain belief or practice really is definitely cultural. For example, Scientology is the new "fad" in Hollywood these days. New fads are apart of celebrity culture. Three years ago it was Kabalah. The new religion isn't a part of the culture, the fact that it's the "in" thing to be apart of is the culture itself. Celebrities have to stand out and lead the crowd, or follow it, regardless of what they truly believe. Using religion for an example in middle class life, we see that most people stick with the religion they were born into and were raised as. Christians rarely convert until they receive more information in college when they move away from home. Beliefs are a part of culture whether it be because it's the "thing" to be in, or because the person really does believe in it.
Cultures definitely progress with the passage of time. Today we can see the scaring effects of racism, yet the people of this country are truly getting better and more accepting of interracial relationships and desegregation. Twenty years ago, no one talked about homosexuality as a way of life, and today there are gay pride parades, as well as pushing of legislation to make gay marriage legal. The American culture has progressed with the passage of time and the accepting of new ideas. I think that "development and progression" are very good terms to use when speaking of how a culture has changed. Religion has changed even in the course of time, it's progressed to accommodate how life is. Baptists used to have this rule that there could be no dancing, it was a "sin." Today the church is accepting of dancing as long as it's not in a lascivious way.
I don't think that there will ever be a "global culture." There wouldn't be individuality anymore. I think it would be so boring for everyone to be the same religion, same ideas, same views, and the same way of dress even. So much could be lost by having a global culture. I think, while the world as a whole is moving towards that on a global scale, the people of the world are from far too many different cultures for them all to combine together and form one large one.
If a person were to be harmonious in different cultures, some skills they should have are language, knowledge, and the willingness to accept. First, to exist harmoniously, there cannot be a language barrier. To not be able to understand someone or have them not understand you is extremely frustrating and could turn very ugly. Secondly, there has to be a basic knowledge of how different cultures work. The willingness to accept goes hand in hand with knowledge because while a person might know about a certain aspect of a culture, they cannot exist equally and harmoniously within that culture until they accept that idea or practice as a way of life.

Prompt 2

Jared Diamond's main argument in "Why Did Human History Unfold Differently on Different Continents for the Last 13,000 Years?" was that cultures vary due to geography. Basically, cultures are different because of where they are on a global scale.
Diamond believes that the proximate factors is the technology of weapons, domestication, and other things. The ultimate factors for my Eurasia developed much faster is because of the climate is the same from east to west. The spread of ideas as well as the adaptation of animals was much easier because of the similar climates. The Eurasian continent was much bigger as well and had more animals available for domestication. This was not the case in the Americas which only had one or two animals available for adaptation and nowhere to spread the ideas to because of the extreme changes in climate where certain crops could not adapt to.
J.M. Blaut argues that Diamond's "science" is wrong and therefore cannot be reliable. He says that Diamond's methods are discredited and unreasonable.
In my faith I cannot really believe in either of these theories. If I did believe in either of these, I'd have to believe that Blaut is right. There are discrepancies in Diamond's theories. Added to that they are old and have already been disproved. Diamond does have valid points though. I just don't know who's right without researching more into the subject.

Prompt 1

Pangaea was the super continent thought to exist 200 to 250 million years ago. The reason it was special is because it made for one area of competition in the centralization of evolution. It broke apart 180 to 200 million years ago. We care about Pangaea today because going from one world to multiple worlds, made for more locations for evolution to take place.
Crosby says that homo habilis existed 2.4 to 1.5 million years ago. Homo erectus came along about 1.8 million years ago, to 700 thousand years ago. Finally, homo sapian sapians, like us, have only existed from about 170 thousand years ago to the present. An interesting fact, the oldest remains of the homo sapian species was found in East Africa and was carbon dated to be 130 thousand years old! The thing that sets humans apart from other animals is the size and capacity of our brains. The storing and altering of behavior is much different in humans than in any other creature. Humans developed faster and have a much larger brain to adapt to climate, lifestyle, and cultural changes that animals do not.
Crosby thought of culture as a system of storing and altering behaviors not in the genetic code but the brain cells themselves. To Crosby culture is so special because it made the members of the genus homo into "nature's foremost adaptable."
People moved into Europe and Asia 50 thousand years ago while 40 thousand years ago they were moving into Australia. However it wasn't until 12,000 years ago that they came to the Americas through the ice free corridor.
The reason that people in the Americas were so isolated was not only the fact that thousands of miles of oceans separated the different continents but also the people were on separate ends of the Neolithic Era. There was less communication in the Americas than there was on the Eurasian continent.
The Neolithic Revolution was the move from stone to metal. It began roughly 25 thousand years ago and evidence shows that some of the process didn't end until 2,500 years ago.
During the Neolithic Period people became civilized and formed civilizations with political systems, agriculture, writing systems. They established cities and laws. They formed a community and worked together to make that community flourish. The days of hunting and gathering were over with the domestication of plants and animals.

sorry i've been remiss

You would not believe how beautiful this place is and how wrong pictures are. It rains every single day. Just a misting rain that makes you think you need to get inside. Nothing like the rain Houston is getting right now. I'm having a good time except for the occasional pain in the battle wound i've recieved. A battle wound is what Charlie would call it and I guess he's right. We've all gotten a few and had a rough time. Today was great because we went to the Japanese religious sights. I forgot to take my camera but the Shendo temple in Chainatown was amazing. I bought 3 talismans that will aid me in the year. One for my studies, one for relationships, and a personal card to keep with me for a personal problem i might be having. I also bought tiny budda's to put in my purse for peace and good fortune. I have to go to class soon so I'll be comeing back to finish this blog and add pictures, but I hope from the pictures you do see that you will enjoy to beauty I get to see everyday. The mountains are on one side of the hotel and the ocean is on the other side. We went to North Shore at Sunset Beach!

It was outrageous. I fell asleep. My dream for all of you at home to get to see this place someday. Maybe I can be your tour guide! The shedo temple we went to was a place to honor and venerate ancestors for the Japanese people. A place to purify and honor the Kami. We had a lecture today from Dr. Littlejohn that was interesting and saw a movie that depicted a family that has grown apart with the passage of time. I felt that Japanese people today focus more on their duty to the whole country than their duty to their families. It made me sad bt also made me realize that we cannot as Westerners feel sorry for the women because it is an honor to them to serve their husbands and family. There is a word for the relationships that we strive for. That relationship where you are totally dependent on a person, whether it be your parents or a close friend. It astonished me that wives and husbands in Japan hardly ever have that relationship with their husbands and vice versa. We went to a Buddist temple today and learned of the meditation and peace the buddist religion has. To be empty is Nirvana. Which is amazing to me because in the Christian faith, to be filled with the love of Christ is essentially "Nirvana" or salvation. The difference just blew me away. I have to go to class now but i'll post more soon. I miss you guys! luv ya tons!

Jenn