In response to my prior article where I mentioned Napa Valley was destination of the first wave of laborers from China (and later became the driving force behind the Chinese Exclusion Act), reader perspectivehere reminds us there were in fact much more horrifying atrocities against the poor Chinese. perspectivehere digs up a piece of history from February 22, 1860. … [Read more...] about “The Horrors of The Coolie Trade” by New York Journal of Commerce, February 22, 1860
human rights
My impressions of China so far
I have now been living in China for almost 4 month and I'd like to write a little about my impressions so far from personal experience and in talking to the people. As you all know by now, my views on things like the rule of law, human rights and democracy may be quite different from some of yours (see the posts and comments here, here, here, here, here and here for example). … [Read more...] about My impressions of China so far
Defaming Confucius
Zigong inquired, “What if everyone in a village despises a person?” The Master said, “It's not enough. It would be better if the best villagers love and the worst despise, this person.” -Analects 13:24 There's no one more emblematic of Chinese wisdom than the ancient Chinese sage, Confucius (Kong Zi). His legacy as a philosopher in Chinese history is … [Read more...] about Defaming Confucius
The universality of human rights: a Chinese perspective
One of the most influential people of the twentieth century, but who is almost unknown by name, is a man named P.C. Chang (1892-1957). He (along with Charles Malik) were the two principle drafters of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most influential documents of the twentieth century. … [Read more...] about The universality of human rights: a Chinese perspective
Riots in Assam
There has been terrible violence in India's Assam region recently and the violence has spread to other parts of India. Since this is a blog on China, not India, I am not going to dig too much into the cause or even meaning of the riots. But I do want to point out the relatively "favorable" coverage India is getting. In almost all reports I see, India is cast as the force … [Read more...] about Riots in Assam