Or people phoning my mom to find out if I’m okay because they heard on the news that there was a big earthquake in western China.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I disagree with the above. I’d rather have these kids know nothing than learn stuff that’s inacurate or just plain wrong.
From their website:
The whole activity has nothing to do with learning about East Asia. With the Internet, it would be really easy to find out about pearl diving, or Mount Fuji, or Geishas, or anything gobear linked to above. But, that’s not the point of the exercise. If they had wanted to keep it religious, then they could have learned about St. Francis Xavier, or kakure-kirishitan. But they were Catholic, so I guess that’s not good either.
Ignorance, in the sense of lack of information, is easy to defeat. What’s really hard to fight, is the ignorance that rises from bad knowledge.
And Jovan is right; the VBS activity is not interested in actually teaching about Japan, or any other East Asian nation, but using them for a backdrop on their religious indoctrination, so the curriculum authors relied on hackneyed stereotypes that one would have thought had died with Anna May Wong.
And just why is it that Korea is always the neglected Cinderella next to the more glamorous Japan and China? Sure, geisha and samurai are all very well, and Qing cloisonne is divine, but why is Korea’s role as the cultural conduit between her two neighbors always neglected? Korean settlers essentially created Japanese culture, not to mention that the Japanese royal family are descended from Paekje nobility who fled across the East Sea after Silla unified the Korean peninsula in the 7th century CE.
The first armored boats were built centuries before the Monitor and Merrimack when Admiral Yi Sun-Shin commanded the turtle boats against the Japanese during the Imjin War of the 1590s. Korean monks created the monumental Tripitaka Koreana, printing Buddhist sutras centuries ahead of Gutenberg’s Bible (OK, the Koreans used wooden blocks and Gutenberg used movable type, but still. . .) In addition, the koreans use an alphabet that did not evolve, but was artificially devised by King Sejong’s scholars ion the 15th century, a masterful achievement that makes Korean a snap to read, as opposed to the cumbersome syllabaries and kanji used in Japanese (South Koreans still study Chinese characters in school, but the North Koreans use hangul exclusively). In addition, Buddhism spread to Japan from Korea through the convert Prince Shotoku, whose family, the Soga, had close connections to the Buddhist state of Paekje (one of the three nations that shared the Korean peninsula–Koguryo, Paekje, and Silla, which conquered the other two by 668, creating a single nation that remained unified until 1948 and the formation of North and South Korea.).
Sure, though I think I could have phrased that a little better.
In a previous post, you mentioned Horyu-ji. I used to live not too far from there and I absolutely adore the place. What’s interesting is that its buildings are considered the oldest standing examples of Korean religious architecture.
The first serious Buddhist architects arrived from Korea in 578, at the invitation of prince Shotoku. The history of the construction company Kongo-gumi can be traced directly to one of these three Korean architects, making it perhaps the oldest company in the World.
I’m not sure this has much to do with Lifeway, though.
Speaking of lame asian stereotypes, the new Enzyte commercial just aired, with that jackass Bob using his chemically enhanced enormous white wang to intemidate some Japanese businessmen. Grow your dick spam is bad enough in email, but now it shows up on TV in racist form.
I don’t think you can fault anyone for focusing on China, seeing how it’s one of the first civilizations in the world, plus all that other stuff the Chinese have done since then. And people focus on Japan because it’s so economically powerful right now, which tends to overshadow Korea, since it is only now moving into the ranks of the developed world.
Yeah, but try and get the Japanese to admit this.
Sorry, but like a lot of things, the Chinese came first. I believe they used wood blocks for printing since the late 6th cent. AD, and movable type clay blocks a few centuries later.
“It was so racist, and the first clue was it started with a Tananana-na-na na-na-naaa, gonggggggggg. If you’re Asian-American and you hear that, you know you’re fucked.” - Margaret Cho
Actually Japan-mania started way, way before it became an economic giant. The japonisme trend in Europe started almost at the same time as the country opened its ports. See this painting by Manet, which was done in 1867-68. The Meiji restoration took place those very years.
I don’t think anyone’s arguing that China and Japan aren’t utterly fascinating countries. I took gobear’s post as deploring the fact that Korea is often forgotten while also being a fascinating place with a great history.
Actually, if I recall correctly, Emperor Akihito himself admitted that he was descended in part from Korean royalty. This was around or just before the World Cup was here a while ago. I’ll look for the cite – I read about it in the international edition of Newsweek. Naturally, this admission caused a sensation in Korea, but was buried in Japan.
A few years ago, the town where I live celebrated the 400th anniversary of the coming of Korean potters to this area, creating the tradition of Satsuma Yakimono. Of course, no one mentioned that these potters didn’t come willingly…
While I don’t agree with the VBS sucks camp, I am offended by LifeWay’s disregard for the complaints. Their staunch “we won’t lift a finger to change the program even if it offends” stand bothers me. But as someone pointed out earlier…it’s not shocking they take that attitude.
As info, I am sending the Post article to our Minister of Education (who is responsible for ordered all our church’s materials) and asking him if he is aware of the controversy surrounding the 2004 VBS package and if our church plans on using it. I am interested in hearing his response.
Thanks, Aries28, and please let us know when he answers. I don’t see how anyone can praise God and perpetuate racism at the same time (OK, I know they can, I’m just saying that there’s an incongruity there, is all)
Well, obviously, China and Japan are fascinating places, and their charms are evident. They both have instantaneous recognition around the world, and if pressed, most people could mention some aspect of Japanese or Chinese culture or geography (The Fobidden City or the Temple of Heaven for China, Mt. Fuji or the bullet train for Japan) Korea, on the other hand, is only known for its consumer electronics and car brands, Samsung, Hyundai, and Dae Woo. As proud of their nation as Koreans are, they are absolutely terrible at publicizing the distinguishing aspects of their culture, like their exquisite celadon ceramics and their fiery cuisine (mmm, bulgogi and kalbi!)
You know, if this program were all about Beefeaters at the Tower of London, or men in kilts, or leprechauns, I don’t think there’d be an outcry. Sure, lots of stereotypes, but then most countries stereotype other ones. It’s annoying, but I don’t think it’s offensive.
The program last year had a London feel to it. It was entitled “Kingdom Caper” and was a mystery type theme. Quite interesting for my 7 year old son and he started wanting to check out books from the library about England and asking me questions about the time I spent there. I don’t remember there being anything offensive or stereotypical in it.
The year before was set in an Amazon Rainforest. He learned about animals found in the rainforest and it had a safari theme to it. Again, I don’t recall anything offensive or controversial. They also spent a little time talking about conservation and how the rainforests are being destroyed…at least that’s the part he came home talking about.
Jimm, but what would your reaction be if the VBS taught kids that the Irish all wear green every day, they they eat haggis and potatoes, and the biggest cities of Ireland are London, Edinburgh, and Toronto–would you consider that an accurate portrait of the place?
If the VBS program actually taught accurate info about Japan and East Asia, that would be laudable. But that doesn’t appear to be the case.
I agree. If the program was changed so as not to be insensitive I would have no problem with it. If it had accurate information and was entertaining, all while educating the kids not only about matters of faith but also different cultures I would applaud it.
I just don’t see the folks at Lifeway making any leaps or bounds to make changes. That, of course, would cost money and entail admitting they were wrong and I am more likely to get that pony I keep wishing for…
Well no - but I’m saying “annoying” rather than “offensive”.
Have a look around at all the massive inaccuracies about Ireland perpetrated on St. Patrick’s Day all across the US, and see if Irish people are getting offended (as opposed to annoyed) about them.
[BTW, are they claiming non-Japanese Asian cities are in Japan? I didn’t see this, but I may retract my POV if this is the case.]
No, but that was my clumsy analogy of the conflation of Chinese and Japanese cultures in the VBS materials.
Point taken, but this is, after all, a foreign country. What if it were in your country that the same inaccuracies were perpetrated? Asian Americans have historically had a tough time being accepted as “real” Americans (Americans with Asian features whose families have been here for generations still get asked where are they “really” from), and this kind of stereotyping only reinforces the idea of Asians as alien and essentially foreign.
Alas, ignorance about the Far East is rife all over (“You lived in Hong Kong? Do you speak Japanese?” and “Thailand! Is that in Singapore?” have both been asked to me in Ireland) - but I just roll my eyes and sigh. But then again it’s not Asian Americans’ ethnicity that’s being misrepresented - it’s the customs of a different country/ies.
However, I can’t see it from the point of view of Asian Americans, and I do take your point that the history of problems they and their forebears have experienced might indeed cause them more than just annoyance.
Okay…gobear asked me to update you guys if I got a response back from my church…Here it is.
*Aries,
Thank you for your note and your concern. I agree that I felt a slight twinge when I first heard the theme and wondered if there would be any fall-out. The setting is in Japan and
they are using Chinese take-out boxes for nametags which is inaccurate, along with some other items I am sure you are aware. I will pass this on to the Children’s Minister, but I am pretty sure that our plan will be to go with the material but to edit and taylor it more to meet what we feel is the best route.
The intention is not to be hurtful to a particular race, but the reality is that it may be and that saddens me.
All I can offer you is that we will strive to taylor the material to tone down any negative stereotypes and magnify our Savior to these youth. *
So there you have it. I guess I kinda wished he would have said we were scrapping the whole thing altogether but then I would be back to wishing for that pony…
How they “taylor” the material will make a huge impact on whether my son attends VBS this year or not.
Most certainly. I mean will be be Elizabeth Taylor or Lili Taylor or even Jonathan Taylor Thomas. If it’s Elizabeth, will be be National Velvet or White Diamonds Elizabeth. The possibilities are endless and fraught with danger. If it’s the latter he could end up hanging with Michael Jackson (at least until the trial’s over). The former could end up with him hanging out with Mickey Rooney and that’s just wrong in a whole other way. I mean Pete was smoking something to find a dragon.
