Asia in AP , IB , and Undergraduate Honors Courses
Left to right : Mary Ann Vecchio by the body of fellow student Jeffrey Miller on the campus of Kent State University . (© 1970 Valley News-Dispatch . Photo by Pulitzer Prize winner John Paul Filo ). Source : Wikipedia at http :// tinyurl . com / zfet8x9 . Mockingjay logo . Source : Movie Wallpapers website at http :// tinyurl . com / hd62fjl . Tank Man by Charlie Cole . Source : Iconic Photos blog at http :// tinyurl . com / zelu4dp .
The Goddess of Democracy . Source : The Conversation website at http :// tinyurl . com / jetvyal .
Beijing Spring and Tiananmen Massacre , 1989 Present to students images of student protests , such as Kent State ’ s in 1970 or the Kwangju
Uprising , without explanations or captions . Have the students then write or explain what they think happened . Then , show the last half of the documentary segment China : A Century of Revolution Part 3 , 1976 – 1997 , “ Born Under the Red Flag ,” which offers an insider ’ s perspective on the Beijing Spring movement that culminated in the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989 . What parallels do you see between other protests and Tiananmen ? Although it started out similar to other democracy movements in South Korea , Taiwan , and the Soviet Union , why did it fail in China ?
Display the mockingjay symbol from The Hunger Games series , and have students explain what it represents . Then , display the famous image of the “ Tank Man ,” which has become iconic for an individual standing up to oppression . Have students view the story of the Tank Man on the PBS website , which concludes with a fascinating look at Internet censorship in China and a virtual erasure of the massacre from China ’ s collective memory .
Finally , display an image of the Goddess of Democracy from the Tiananmen protests . Have students discuss in small groups the following questions : What do you think this statue symbolizes ? Does it bear any resemblance to other art you are familiar with ? What is the significance of how she was placed in the square ? This discussion could lead to analysis of the familiar but fictional revolution in The Capitol from The Hunger Games in comparison with a historical protest .
The following sources offer a view of each side of the Tiananmen showdown , revealing their very different definitions of democracy . This disagreement still constitutes a major source of tension within China and between the PRC and the United States . For a dissenting perspective , read “ The Fifth Modernization ” by Wei Jingsheng and “ May 13th Hunger Strike Declaration ,” drafted by protestors in 1989 . For the government ’ s position , read the Chinese Communist Party ’ s official response to the protest in People ’ s Daily . How is the movement portrayed by the state ? What is “ socialist democracy ,” and how does it differ from the democracy of the protestors ?
Have students make posters that express their disagreement with a school policy . Would you display that poster where the principal would see it ? Would it affect your grades or result in your expulsion ? What were these students risking by demonstrating against the government ?
China : A Century of Revolution Part 3 , 1976-1997 , “ Born Under the Red Flag .” New York : Zeigeist Films , 1997 . DVD . Also available on YouTube at http :// tinyurl . com / j6k6cth .
Thomas , Antony . “ The Tank Man .” PBS video , 90:00 . April 11 , 2006 . http :// tinyurl . com / oxbxp . Jingsheng , Wei . “ The Fifth Modernization : Democracy .” Asia for Educators . http :// tinyurl . com / 3g2wvzc .
“ The May 13 Hunger Strike Declaration ( 1989 ),” Asia For Educators ( Columbia University ). Accessed March 7 , 2016 . http :// tinyurl . com / jpbddbh .
“ It Is Necessary To Take a Clear-Cut Stand Against Disturbances .” Renmin Nibao ( People ’ s Daily ). April 26 , 1989 . Available at http :// tinyurl . com / hld7psu .
Democracy in China ’ s Popular Culture How have popular protests changed since 1989 ? As an example , look at Han Han , a rebel of China ’ s young
generation whose main weapon is his blog . You can read an article on his activism from The New Yorker and watch his CNN interview on YouTube . What role does social media play in mediating new models of mass mobilization and grassroots democracy ? Have people ever had a positive or negative reaction to something
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