Verified Document

Spirit And Characteristic Of The Chinese Perspective On History In The Chinese American Community Term Paper

Asain Studies The Chinese people place high regard on tradition, honor, and the ongoing nature of personal relationships to both of these cultural imperatives in order to establish their own identity in the world. When San Francisco was settled by coolie laborers during the 1850's and 1960's, the discrimination which they received encouraged them to band together into a china town settlement. The Chinese were able to create a replica of their homeland in the Chinatown. They were able to maintain their own cultural diversity within the boundaries, and they were able to escape, at least for a short time, the discrimination and harassment which faced them daily in the larger community.

According to the "Letter to Jen An, the writer discusses Chinese personal ethics, and the source of the Chinese identity of a worthwhile personhood. He writes that the Chinese philosophy is built around these 5 tenants:

Self-cultivation is a mark of wisdom

Charity is a sign of humanity

Taking and giving is the measure of decency

A sense of shame is the index of bravery

Making a name for oneself is the end / purpose of conduct.

The author goes on to discuss the difficulty of maintaining what he...

He wonders out loud if his life has meaning when it is not able to continue to practice these elements of Chinese identity. His life is governed by the opposition of others, and therefore he is not free to pursue a path that is uniquely Chinese.
The Chinese also hold the idea of personal honor in high regard. A life without honor is often considered to be a life that is not worth living. The writer used this analogy when discussing the role of honor to his Jen An.

"When a fierce tiger is in the depths of the mountain, all the other animals fear him. But he is caught in a trap, he too begs for bread. In light of these examples, bravery and cowardice are a matter of circumstances; strength and weakness depend on conditions. . . Once this is understood, there is nothing to be surprised on their behavior. If by failing to do away with himself before he is in the clutches of the law, a man is degraded to the point of being flogged, and then wished to recover his honor, has he not missed his chance?"

For a Chinese man, caught in the position of having lost, or disgraced his honor, the typical response would be to kill himself. However, the author laments…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

History of Construction Technology of
Words: 9139 Length: 24 Document Type: Essay

Staircase ramps which are comprised of steep and narrow steps that lead up one face of the pyramid were more in use at that time with evidence found at the Sinki, Meidum, Giza, Abu Ghurob, and Lisht pyramids respectively (Heizer). A third ramp variation was the spiral ramp, found in use during the nineteenth dynasty and was, as its name suggests, comprised of a ramp covering all faces of the

Market Orientation and Worldview from Cultural Perspective
Words: 43735 Length: 146 Document Type: Dissertation

Dissertation ManuscriptBySedric K. MorganGeopolitical Awareness and Understanding of the Current Monetary Policies: A Quantitative Study© Northcentral University, 2019 Comment by Author: Sedric – NOTE: take a look at the Turnitin Analysis report. Consider the areas that are closely related to student paper(s) from University of Maryland. I highly suspect this is a matter of improper paraphrasing (by you as well as these other student(s)). The areas are sourced and the

Dawenkou Culture and the Emergence of Social Complexity in Neolithic...
Words: 2118 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Dawenkou Culture The Emergence of Social Complexity in Neolithic China This work will focus on the burial assemblages of the Dawenkou site in Shandong Northern China and will revolve around the main idea that these burial sites present convincing evidence of an emerging social complexity. A second focus will be to provide proof that the Dawenkou culture played a major role in the emerging complexity of the Neolithic Chinese period. Until recently, archaeologists had

Traditional Se Asian Bamboo Flutes:
Words: 28549 Length: 95 Document Type: Dissertation

Some Chinese researchers assert that Chinese flutes may have evolved from of Indian provenance. In fact, the kind of side-blown, or transverse, flutes musicians play in Southeast Asia have also been discovered in Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, and Central Asia, as well as throughout the Europe of the Roman Empire. This suggests that rather than originating in China or even in India, the transverse flute might have been adopted through the

Leadership in International Schools
Words: 29649 Length: 108 Document Type: Term Paper

Leadership Skills Impact International Education CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Practical Circumstances of International schools THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION What is Effective Leadership for Today's Schools? Challenges of Intercultural Communication Challenges of Differing Cultural Values Importance of the Team Leadership Style LEADERSHIP THEORIES Current Leadership Research Transformational Leadership Skills-Authority Contingency Theories APPLYING LEADERSHIP IN AN INTERNATIONAL SETTING Wagner's "Buy-in" vs. Ownership Understanding the Urgent Need for Change Research confirms what teachers, students, parents and superintendents have long known: the individual school is the key unit

Entrepreneurial Leadership Styles - Comparative
Words: 13285 Length: 48 Document Type: Term Paper

As a result, economic development was redefined in terms of reduction or elimination of poverty, inequality, and unemployment within the perspective of a growing economy (Mamede & Davidsson, 2003). Research indicates that entreprenuership can be both the cause and effect of economic development in the sense of wealth distribution. Countries in which wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small fraction of the population face greater difficulties in coordinating

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now