By: Daniel Nardini
Imagine what it would be like if one group of students in Illinois was taught U.S. history differently from another group. One group would be taught that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was a great man and he helped save the Union during the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). Now imagine another group of students coming in after this first class and being taught how wonderful Confederate President Jefferson Davis was and how the Confederate States of America fought heroically against the Union during what would be called by the Confederacy as the “War of Northern Aggression”!
If this sounds implausible, it is. No American public school I know of in the United States (well, certainly not here in the Midwest. I cannot answer for the southern states) would ever teach one group of students one version of American history and then teach a totally different version of history to another class. I have a very close friend named Sean. He married a Chinese lady named Catherine. They live on the U.S. east coast. Since their children are American with some Chinese descent they are receiving their education in a private-run Chinese school. Yes, all of the children come together to learn math, the sciences, and of course they all have gym together.
The difference comes in when they are learning Mandarin Chinese and Chinese history. Since Catherine came from Taiwan, her children are learning the Taiwan version of the language while those whose parents came from China are learning the China version of the language. The children whose parents came from Taiwan learn about the Chinese Revolution of 1911, the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, and how the Nationalists “retreated” from China and founded a democracy on Taiwan. The children whose parents came from China learn about the Chinese (Communist) Revolution of 1949, about the Communist Party of China, its leader Mao Zedong, and the progress the People’s Republic of China has made since.
The division in the school reflects the division among the Chinese people that continues to this day. Although now there are far more immigrants coming from China, this divide still exists. I know as I see it in Chicago’s Chinatown—flags of Taiwan and China (more China than Taiwan these days). I have never seen this type of division among any other major immigrant group. Not even among Korean immigrants even though the Korean peninsula is divided. Ninety percent of all Korean immigrants come from the Republic of Korea (South Korea). And no private-run Korean school in the U.S. speaks about the Korean Communists or about how “wonderful” North Korean dictators Kim Il-sung and Kim-Jong Il are.
Despite the fact that there is now trade and free exchanges between the people of Taiwan and China (not to mention how many Taiwanese are living in China right now), this divide still exists. The Republic of China government in Taiwan will not allow for instance movies produced in China that are considered to be “propaganda” to be viewed in Taiwan cinemas (although this does not stop Taiwanese from viewing such movies privately). Decades after the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War (1946-1949), there is still this division no matter where the Chinese may go. And this also affects the schools in the Chinese diaspora.
A School Divided
By: Daniel Nardini
Imagine what it would be like if one group of students in Illinois was taught U.S. history differently from another group. One group would be taught that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was a great man and he helped save the Union during the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). Now imagine another group of students coming in after this first class and being taught how wonderful Confederate President Jefferson Davis was and how the Confederate States of America fought heroically against the Union during what would be called by the Confederacy as the “War of Northern Aggression”!
If this sounds implausible, it is. No American public school I know of in the United States (well, certainly not here in the Midwest. I cannot answer for the southern states) would ever teach one group of students one version of American history and then teach a totally different version of history to another class. I have a very close friend named Sean. He married a Chinese lady named Catherine. They live on the U.S. east coast. Since their children are American with some Chinese descent they are receiving their education in a private-run Chinese school. Yes, all of the children come together to learn math, the sciences, and of course they all have gym together.
The difference comes in when they are learning Mandarin Chinese and Chinese history. Since Catherine came from Taiwan, her children are learning the Taiwan version of the language while those whose parents came from China are learning the China version of the language. The children whose parents came from Taiwan learn about the Chinese Revolution of 1911, the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, and how the Nationalists “retreated” from China and founded a democracy on Taiwan. The children whose parents came from China learn about the Chinese (Communist) Revolution of 1949, about the Communist Party of China, its leader Mao Zedong, and the progress the People’s Republic of China has made since.
The division in the school reflects the division among the Chinese people that continues to this day. Although now there are far more immigrants coming from China, this divide still exists. I know as I see it in Chicago’s Chinatown—flags of Taiwan and China (more China than Taiwan these days). I have never seen this type of division among any other major immigrant group. Not even among Korean immigrants even though the Korean peninsula is divided. Ninety percent of all Korean immigrants come from the Republic of Korea (South Korea). And no private-run Korean school in the U.S. speaks about the Korean Communists or about how “wonderful” North Korean dictators Kim Il-sung and Kim-Jong Il are.
Despite the fact that there is now trade and free exchanges between the people of Taiwan and China (not to mention how many Taiwanese are living in China right now), this divide still exists. The Republic of China government in Taiwan will not allow for instance movies produced in China that are considered to be “propaganda” to be viewed in Taiwan cinemas (although this does not stop Taiwanese from viewing such movies privately). Decades after the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War (1946-1949), there is still this division no matter where the Chinese may go. And this also affects the schools in the Chinese diaspora.