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In Mark Medoff's play and novel "Children of a Lesser God," the characters of James Leeds and Sarah Norman are central to the story's exploration of themes of communication, equality, and power dynamics.
Get original essayJames Leeds is a teacher at a school for the deaf and is determined to teach one of his students, Sarah Norman, to speak and read lips. James is a complex character, with both admirable and flawed qualities that are revealed throughout the story.
One of the most prominent qualities of James' character is his passion for helping others. He is dedicated to his job as a teacher and is determined to empower Sarah by teaching her to speak. James sees this as a means of helping her to integrate into the hearing world and believes that it will give her more opportunities in life. He is also shown to be patient and persistent in his efforts to teach Sarah, despite her initial resistance.
However, James' passion for helping others can also be a weakness. He is often heavy-handed and lacks sensitivity to Sarah's own feelings and experiences. He is also shown to be somewhat patronizing and dismissive of her feelings, which creates tension between them. James' lack of understanding of Sarah's perspective is a major flaw in his character, and it is something that he must learn to overcome in order to truly connect with her.
Another major aspect of James' character is his pride and self-confidence. He is highly intelligent and is used to being in control of situations. He is also used to being able to communicate effectively with others and is frustrated when he is not able to do so with Sarah. This pride and self-confidence can also be seen in his approach to teaching Sarah, as he is often dismissive of her use of sign language and is convinced that speaking and lip-reading is the only way for her to truly succeed in the hearing world.
Furthermore, James also struggles with his own prejudices and biases. He initially sees Sarah as a "lesser" person because of her deafness, and it takes him time to realize that deaf culture and language have its own value. He is also shown to be unaware of the power dynamic that exists between him and Sarah, as a hearing person and a deaf person, respectively. This further highlights his lack of understanding and empathy towards Sarah's perspective.
However, James' character also undergoes a significant arc of growth and development throughout the story. He begins to understand and respect Sarah's perspective and starts to learn sign language. He also starts to understand the importance of communication and understanding different perspectives, not just for Sarah but for himself as well. He realizes that there's more than one way of communicating and that true communication is only possible when both parties are willing to listen and learn from one another.
James Leeds is passionate and determined to help others, but also has flaws such as lack of sensitivity, dismissiveness, and prejudices. However, his character arc shows that he is capable of growth and development, learning to understand and respect different perspectives, and ultimately becoming a better person.
Sarah Norman is a central character in Mark Medoff's novel "Children of a Lesser God." She is one of the main characters and is a deaf student of James Leeds, a teacher at a school for the deaf. Sarah is a complex and multi-dimensional character whose interactions with James throughout the story highlight the themes of communication, equality, and power dynamics.
One of the most prominent aspects of Sarah's character is her fierce independence and pride in her deaf identity. She is a confident and assertive person, who is unapologetic about her deafness and is proud of her use of sign language. She resists James' efforts to teach her to speak and is outspoken in her belief that sign language is a superior means of communication. This pride in her deaf identity is inspiring and serves as a reminder of the value and importance of cultural and linguistic diversity.
However, Sarah's pride in her deaf identity can also be a drawback. Her initial resistance to James' help is a major flaw in her character, and it is something that she must learn to overcome in order to truly connect with him. Her stubbornness and refusal to consider other perspectives can also be seen as a weakness in her character, as it limits her ability to communicate and connect with others.
Another major aspect of Sarah's character is her vulnerability and sensitivity. She has been through a lot of trauma and has dealt with a lot of discrimination and misunderstanding because of her deafness. This has made her sensitive to the power dynamics that exist between her and James, as a hearing person and a deaf person, respectively. She is aware of the fact that she is often viewed as a "lesser" person because of her deafness and this makes her cautious in her interactions with James.
Sarah's character arc throughout the story is one of learning to trust and open up to James, despite their initial conflicts. She starts to realize that James truly cares for her and wants to help her. She also starts to understand the importance of communication and understanding different perspectives. She learns to appreciate the value of speaking and lip-reading and starts to use it as a tool for communication.
Sarah Norman's fierce independence and pride in her deaf identity are admirable, but her initial resistance to James' help and her stubbornness are drawbacks. However, her character arc shows that she is capable of growth and development, learning to understand and respect different perspectives and ultimately becoming a more open-minded person. Her vulnerability and sensitivity also add depth to her character and highlight the challenges that people with disabilities face in society.
Both characters are complex and multi-dimensional, with strengths and flaws that are revealed as the story progresses. James' passion for helping Sarah is admirable, but his lack of understanding of her perspective is a weakness. Similarly, Sarah's pride in her deaf identity is inspiring, but her initial resistance to James' help is a drawback.
The interactions between James and Sarah throughout the story highlight the importance of understanding and respecting different perspectives, as well as the power dynamics that can exist in relationships between people with differing abilities. The novel ultimately suggests that true communication and understanding are possible when both parties are willing to listen and learn from one another.
In conclusion, the characters of James Leeds and Sarah Norman in "Children of a Lesser God" are complex and multi-dimensional, whose interactions throughout the story highlight the importance of understanding and respecting different perspectives, as well as the power dynamics that can exist in relationships between people with differing abilities.
Globally, hundreds of millions of young people are living in frail and conflict-affected places where the rights of children are largely denied and they are deprived of quality living by mistreatment, exploitation, and violence. Fortunately, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by many nations has made significant improvements in safeguarding children and helping them attain their rights as equal human beings. Child mortality had decreased, health care improved, access to proper education increased, and child poverty addressed. The special case of Australia in committing to the Convention’s principle on the best interests of the child (BIC) shows a great example of CRC’s effectiveness in ensuring the rights of children. So to discuss the topic of children's rights, this essay analyzes the effectiveness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in promoting children’s rights.
Get original essayThe UN’s child rights assert that children, those who are under 18 years old, are entitled to special protection and assistance because they are considered vulnerable. While there are many contentions about the vulnerability of a child, most researchers and scholars agree that right from the start children are highly dependent on others to meet their basic needs (Bagattini, 2019). This has been widely considered as the most salient source of the vulnerability of a child. Moreover, other authors acknowledge children’s vulnerabilities on the ground that they are less capable to avoid being harmed. Many of the problems that vulnerable children encounter are a result of exploitation, violence, and poverty. Fortunately, if surrounded by protective families and communities, free from exploitative practices and violence, and provided the opportunities to thrive, even the most vulnerable children can prosper and reach their highest potential.
Such is the reason why the United Nations deemed it critical that children’s rights required special protection and must be respected, which commenced after the aftermath of the world wars that adversely impacted children. The League of Nations, the previous UN, originally formulated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after WWI, declaring children’s rights to life, food, shelter, education, justice, peace, and more (Noggle, 2018). After fully acknowledging that children were a particularly vulnerable group, the UN later on convened and adopted the Declaration of Geneva on Children’s Rights, outlining specific responsibilities towards a vulnerable child (Noggle, 2018). Following WWII, the UN finally accepted the Declaration which led to the creation and enactment of what is now known as the Convention on the Rights of the Child or CRC. It was the first-ever international law that effectively ensures the rights of children.
By far, the CRC is the most universally and extensively ratification of human rights in history. It declares the rights of children in the expanse of 54 individual articles. The CRC encompasses various sets of children’s rights, including social, economic, cultural, civil, political, and certain rights of the child in difficult situations such as abused, separated from parents, exploited, or in armed conflicts (Kolosov, 2000). The Convention is guided by four core beliefs about children and their rights.
Firstly, children should not be suffering from discrimination (Article 2). Secondly, the child’s best interests shall be the primary concern in any decision that affects them (Article 3). Thirdly, every child has the inherent right to life and grow healthily (Article 6). Lastly, children are also entitled to have their voices and viewpoints taken into account in affairs that interest them (Article 12). Summing up all the holistic approach to protecting the children’s rights, the fundamental conception of the CRC is recognizing the child as a full member of the human family (Kolosov, 2000). It raises the full awareness that a child is neither a property of the family nor an object of adults’ rights but is an active subject who has his or her own rights. Hence, the family is regarded as the central unit of society that constitutes the environment where the developmental growth and well-being of a child naturally occurs.
Following the enactment of the CRC in 1989, the quality of living of children has been improved as many of the member nations have integrated the Convention’s provisions into their own constitutions and laws. The greatest impact documented after twenty-five years of the Convention’s implementation is the changed perception and treatment of children. They are now perceived to be active owners of their rights to proper education, health care, sufficient nutrition, space and place to play, and freedom from exploitation and violence (Mauras, 2011). For instance, a child born in 2010 has a significantly improved chance of living compared with a baby born in 1990, as the number of children below 5 years-old dying was reduced by 50% (Svevo-Cianci & Lee, 2010). This was primarily attributed to the improved antenatal care received by mothers as the CRC obliges States Parties to assure proper health care for moms before and after birth delivery.
Additionally, major improvements are noted in advancing child survival and development. These include access to affordable and evidence-based interventions against serious diseases, increased number of immunization, effective treatment for diarrhea, essential nutrient supplementation and addressing severe malnutrition, and enhanced access to safe water and sanitation (Svevo-Cianci & Lee, 2010). Moreover, numerous articles of the Convention emphasize the significance of early childhood development, resulting in an increased number of children availing vital early education through better-focused policies and programs (Mauras, 2011).
More importantly, the CRC has played a great role in creating a better understanding of child poverty. This was evidenced by social protection programs that have were proven to be highly effective in tackling perils and vulnerabilities associated with chronic child poverty, such as cash transfer programs that enabled poor families to afford education for their kids (Svevo-Cianci & Lee, 2010). Likewise, the Report Card series initiated by UNICEF successfully placed child poverty and well-being of children at the center of the policy discussion in the E.U. (Mauras, 2011). All these initiatives have been contributed to substantial influences on alleviating poverty among children, particularly growth in school enrolment, enhanced access to health care, and decreased percentages of malnutrition.
One great aspect of the Convention’s achievement was highly attributed to Australia’s notable incorporation of its provisions on family relations, particularly on the principle of the best interests of the child (BIC). The BIC has been the key guiding principle in many legislations in Australia, both at state and federal levels, and every Australian jurisdiction recognizes the utmost importance of this principle in their child protection legislation (Shakel, 2014). Moreover, major courts in Australia have also highly regarded the BIC principle in many contexts through its common law doctrine and principles. Even the High Court of Australia has shown this great consideration in a multitude of cases involving the wrongful birth case, concerning sterilization, and other cases that weighed against the BIC (Shakel, 2014). However, the CRC still criticized Australia’s approach to the BIC principle, claiming that it is not appropriately integrated and consistently applied in all procedural proceedings, policies, and programs, and policies concerning and impacting children.
CRC’s major concern for Australia, pertaining to the BIC principle, has prompted the country to create criteria and implement procedures that guide the determination of the BIC in every area and involving all responsible bodies. A perfect example of this is the adoption and implementation of the Family Law Act by the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006. This amendment introduced the independent children’s lawyer with the best interests role and clear statutory guidelines, which was amended in 2011 in response to Australia’s commitment to CRC’s BIC principle. As a result, it has been popularly acknowledged that Australian family laws and procedures have made substantial efforts in allowing children’s voices to be heard in matters or cases affecting them.
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Get custom essayAs seen from this children's rights essay, despite those remarkable achievements and great signs of progress in adopting and implementing the core principles of the CRC, a key challenge stands still. That is a huge number of young people are being born to impoverished families and children of ethnic groups living in rural regions and those who are disabled have still remained vulnerable. Only when the rights of all children, especially those who are most disadvantaged, are attained that the ultimate goal of the Convention can be achieved.
According to Bloomberg (2017), it was reported that, “China is already the world’s largest economy and has surpassed the U. S. ”. This implies that China can be considered as a formidable superpower in terms of economy supremacy. With an average GDP growth of 10 per cent a year over the past three decades, it is not an understatement to suggest that China would remain to be the largest economy in the world for the foreseeable future. This economic growth has attracted a lot of debate around the world, with the availability of investments opportunities as well as threats posed by China in terms of economy and security.
Get original essayHowever, these doubts and concerns were viewed differently by then Malaysian Prime Minister who believes that. “China’s economy growth and current WTO accession will magnify challenges and expand the opportunities rather than seen as a threat to the Asian regions in terms of economy and security”. Under the premiership of Tun Mahathir, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia pointed out that Malaysia will forge better ties with China as this would bring mutual benefits for both sides by focusing on economic development rather than confrontation. This paper will attempt to understand and highlight the opportunities and challenges that arise from China’s economic rise and its impacts on Malaysia’s economy under the new administration.
Over the past three decades, China’s economy has been impressive. Gross Development Product (GDP) grew at an average of 10 per cent a year, and over 500 million people were lifted out of poverty (The World Bank, 2013). In the first quarter of 2018, China’s economic activity is expected to remain resilient, with GDP growth by 6. 8 per cent. However, the long-term trend is projected to be slower due to slower investment growth while consumptions remain to be the main drive of its economy. Nevertheless, it GDP growth is forecasted to moderate to 6. 5 per cent in 2018 and at an average of 6. 3 per cent in the next two years (China Economic Update, 2018). While its economy is expected to remain stable in the foreseeable future, one of the big challenges for China’s economic development would be the on-going trade wars between itself and the United States of America.
According to South China Morning Post (2018), China views the trade war to be a long and challenging battle and stated that U. S. views China as a major threat to its ‘America First’ strategy. Based on this situation, it remains to be seen whether any resolution would exist between both sides. How would this situation impact Malaysia’s economy?
Among the ASEAN Member States, in 1974, Malaysia was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (will be referred as PRC from here onwards). Through ASEAN, Malaysia has enjoyed a positive economic relationship with the PRC, particularly after the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) came into force in 2010. During its early days, ACFTA was the biggest free trade area in the world with a combined population of 1. 94 billion and combined GDP if more than USD 9 trillion. The historical result of Malaysia’s recent election provides an unparalleled opportunity for change. Under the new government, Malaysia’s economy policy framework is mainly guided by its election manifest Buku Harapan.
According to World Bank (2018), Malaysia’s economy is forecasted to grow at a rate of 5. 4 per cent in 2018, backed by stronger growth of household consumption. Currently, the primary drive of its economy is the private consumption, which is forecasted to accelerate at a rate of 7. 0 per cent in 2018. It is also reported that Malaysia is on track to achieve its shift from an upper middle-income economy to a high-income economy within the next two to six years. In 2017, its Gross National Income (GNI) stood at US$ 9,650, or US$ 2,405 below the threshold level of US$ 12,055 that the World Bank currently sets to define hihg-income country status. With regards to the impacts of trade wars between China and U. S. , it was widely reported that this situation may have a negative impact on Malaysia’s economy through pressure on its external trade volume.
At this rate, if the trade war continues to worsen in the next two years, Malaysia could fall into a recession and would record negative GDP growth. However, according to Tun Mahathir (2018), Prime Minister of Malaysia was of the view that Malaysia will likely benefit from the situation in terms of attracting foreign investors. Tun Mahathir further stated that economic policies implemented in this trade war would benefit investors who could not invest in certain countries, thus benefiting countries that were not involved in this trade war.
Since 2013, China introduced its “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) initiative, which was subsequently rebranded as the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) initiative. From Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe and Africa, BRI includes 71 countries that account for half the world’s population and a quarter of global gross domestic product. The Belt and Road Initiative is expected to cost more than US$ 1 trillion, although there are differing estimates as to how much money has been spent to date.
According to an analysis, China has invested more than US$ 210 billion, majority in Asia. Nowadays, the money flows into Malaysia recorded an increase in Chinese investments of 1,064% from 2012 to 2015 (See Chart 1 and 2) China is expected to continuously affect the growth trends of Malaysia’s economy due to its rapid economic growth and size of the economy. This is evident through an increasing number of Malaysia’s capital goods and investment, components and sub-assemblies, parts, as well as primary products that have been imported by China.
In essence, China’s foreign direct investments are tremendously important to Malaysia’s economy. According to Ministry of Trade and Industry (2018), Malaysia’s trade with China absorbed 17. 3% of Malaysia’s total trade and expanded by 19. 4% to RM28. 31 billion in July 2018. Malaysia’s exports to China remained strong and recorded the highest monthly export value of RM12. 92 billion, a 37. 5% growth compared to 2017. This was attributed to higher exports of electrical and electronic (E&E) products, chemicals and chemical products, liquefied natural gas, petroleum products and crude petroleum. In the first seven months of 2018, Malaysia’s total trade with China expanded by 8. 9% to RM177. 49 billion compared to 2017. Total exports to China were stronger by 12. 1% to RM77. 48 billion, attributed to higher exports of E&E products, chemicals and chemical products, manufactures of metal as well as optical and scientific equipment. Malaysia’s imports from China also rose by 6. 6% to RM100. 01 billion. Despite Malaysia’s overall welcoming stance towards increased foreign direct investments and positive trade performance, there is a considerable domestic dissent towards the increasing presence of Chinese investment in the country.
Besides growing trend of dissent towards Chinese investment, another challenge would be the increasing amount of Malaysian federal government debt and liabilities exceeding RM1 trillion. As illustrated in Chart 3 below, federal government debt consisted of RM686. 8 billion (50. 8 per cent of GDP), government guarantees consisted of RM199. 1 billion (14. 6 per cent of GDP) and lease payments for public-private projects of RM201. 4 billion (14. 9 per cent of GDP). In regards to this large amount of debt, Tun Mahathir blamed his predecessor Dato’ Seri Najib Razak for pushing Malaysia into a debt traps and said the following: “They borrowed huge sums of money and now we have problems trying to repay the money that they have owed. That is not foreign direct investment. ” The biggest example is the East Coast Railway Line (ECRL). State-owned China Eximbank will provide MYR 55 billion for the project. Malaysia will only start repayment after seven years when the construction is expected to be completed, and over a period of 20 years. The Malaysian government will act as guarantor to Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd, a special purpose vehicle created by the Malaysian government to receive the soft loan and oversee the delivery.
However, it has already been announced that the main contractor tasked with constructing the ECRL is another PRC state-owned enterprise, the China Communication Construction Company (CCCC). There is a requirement that CCCC must subcontract some portions to local companies, but the bigger picture remains in which Malaysia borrows money from the PRC and will immediately use a large sum of that money to pay a PRC company. After seven years, Malaysia will still need to pay back the loan plus interest, again, to the PRC. Not only does the PRC get back a substantial portion of their money immediately in the form of payment for work done by their state-owned enterprise CCCC, they will get more money when repayment starts with interest. Ultimately, over the long term, there is still an outflow of funds from Malaysia to the PRC.
This will occur even if the ECRL is not profitable, because the risks and the liabilities are borne by Malaysian taxpayers through government guarantee of the loan. Tun Mahathir further stated that the government will relook into these borrowings and related projects which in any case would not be beneficial for Malaysia’s economy. Malaysia would need to avoid the situation that has happened to Venezuela. China gave Venezuela a soft loan of US$ 63 billion between 2007 to 2014, and the repayment was supposed to be with oil. When the price of oil more than halved over that period, Venezuela’s repayment cost doubled. China refused to renegotiate the terms of what was supposed to be a soft loan, leading a commentator to say “Venezuela’s road to disaster is littered with Chinese cash. Since 2013, Venezuela’s economy has been in a dire state, with high inflation and difficulty repaying its debts. If China wants the BRI to succeed in countries like Venezuela and Malaysia, it must ensure that costly infrastructure projects do not harm these countries’ economies.
Otherwise, trade and investment between them and China will suffer. According to The Guardian (2018), the Center for Global Development found eight more Belt and Road countries at serious risk of not being able to repay their loans. These nations include Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan and Tajikistan, all of which are among the poorest in their respective regions and will owe more than half of all their foreign debt to China.
According to Bloomberg (2017), the Forest City project in Johor is a Malaysian version of Shenzhen, which is largely backed by Chinese developers and buyers with hotels, offices, golf courses, tech parks and large numbers of new apartments. The 20-year project was announced in 2006 and envisaged a total investment of RM383 billion (US$87 billion). This metropolis is projected to house 700,000 people, initially expected to be mostly from China. It opened its second international sales office in a high-end neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur at the end of 2016, and more sales galleries are planned for Taiwan, Myanmar, Dubai and Indonesia. Middle-class Chinese who are unable to afford housing in expensive Chinese urban centres such as Beijing and Shanghai have been the main targeted clients for this development. Recently, Tun Mahathir made a remark against the developments of Forest City project and said that he would support the wishes for houses in the Forest City Project to be sold to foreigners if the developer wants Malaysians to live in wooden houses. This remark indicates that Tun is genuinely concerned on priorities of developer in producing affordable houses for Malaysians. The Edge Markets (2018) reported that Forest City will look into building affordable housing that is tailored to local needs. It is expected that the developers would produce such affordable houses for the locals in the next three years.
However, it still remains to be seen whether such affordable house projects would come to fruit without any plan of actions. South China SeaBoth China and Malaysia contest parts of the South China Sea north of Borneo. It was widely reported that China has militarized at least three features in the Spratly Island chain. For Malaysia, it is particularly active in drilling near those islands for undersea oil and natural gas. It is expected that China will probably adopt a pragmatic approach to Malaysia’s new stance rather than resist it. Both countries would want their joint investments to work out. If China became more aggressive at sea, Tun Mahathir would probably publicize the act rather than letting it go. The more aggressive China is in the disputed area, the more vocal Malaysia would be seen in the international arena. Moving forward, Malaysia should be bold in calling for demilitarization of occupied features, a halt to the permanent stationing of warships near claimed features, and a moratorium on the conduct of provocative naval exercises in the South China Sea. That being said, analysts stated that Tun Mahathir's more assertive stance on the South China Sea is unlikely to amount to a challenge to Beijing, which is Malaysia's top trading partner.
China with its huge size and rapid economic growth is both a competitor and ally within the Southeast Asian region. It is a competitor because of its low labour costs and abundant supply of quality labour. However, China also provides ample opportunities for Southeast Asia to be a partner in economic growth. Firstly, Southeast Asia is richly endowed with natural resources in which China is lacking. With its rapid economic growth, China's demand for natural resources, especially energy, has been on the rise and in this respect, Southeast Asia plays a complementary role to the economic development of China. Conventionally, China’s foreign direct investment brings in capital and creates employment as well as technology transfer prospects. Chinese investment in Malaysian manufacturing has the same potential as other foreign direct investment to contribute towards economic growth through employment and technology transfer. The extent of technology transferred depends on a complex mix of absorptive capacities of local firms and workers, global and regional strategies of the multinationals involved as well as host country policies. Based on the above, it is evident that Malaysia and China had a positive trade and investment relations.
Since 2009, China continues to be the top trading partner and investor for Malaysia. With regards to BRI investments, Malaysia has the best opportunity to benefit from it as this would enhance Malaysia-China bilateral ties, as well as improve relations connectivity between the people in the two countries. However, Malaysia needs to be wary on its impacts and challenges to avoid falling into a debt trap as what had happened with Sri Lanka, who struggled to its debts to Chinese firms and resorted to formally handed over the strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease last week, in a deal that government critics have said threatens the country’s sovereignty. During his visit to China this year, Tun Mahathir even stated that “We do not want a situation where there is a new version of colonialism happening because poor countries are unable to compete with rich countries.
” Malaysia should be wary that China would use its debt-trap diplomacy to extract strategic concessions such as over territorial disputes in the South China Sea or silence on human rights violations. All this has led to Tun Mahathir’s announcement of postponing China’s projects in Malaysia which include an East Coast Rail Link and two energy pipelines. In response of the postponements of projects by Malaysia, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, “Of course, cooperation between any two countries may encounter some problems, and different views may emerge at different times. These problems should be properly resolved through friendly consultations without losing sight of the friendship enjoyed by the two countries and the long-term development of bilateral ties, which, I can assure you, is also an important consensus reached during Prime Minister Mahathir’s visit to China. ”
Even though there is a rise in concerns on Chinese investments in Malaysia, it is ineffective to think that the flow of investments into Malaysia should be curtailed. These investments should not be viewed as a problem as China is currently the world’s largest economy and has capital power to further enhance the economies of friendly and neighbouring countries in the region. Even though challenges would arise from the impact of China’s investments, Malaysia should continue to take this opportunity to utilise this and enhance its economy to remain competitive and sustainable in the ever changing international environment. The Malaysian government should be well equipped in tackling issues instead of being reactive in coming up with recommendations in line with its aspirations and goals to enhance good governance. China is expected to move forward in its pursuit of global economic dominance as they have the capacity to do so.
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Get custom essayThus, Malaysia is needs to maintain its friendliness towards China to ensure that its interests are aligned in its desires which are enshrined under the New Economic Model and the Economic Transformation Programme. The responsibility to ensure good governance lies under the leadership of the new administration in practising transparency and priorities of its people. It is with fervent hope that the Malaysia government would be able to assess the opportunities arise from Chinas investments as well as tackling issues and concerns that came along with it.
Unlike the colonial era, present-day migration from China is directed to developing, industrialized and post-industrialized countries alike this is in contrast to when Chinese indentured or contract workers went to Southeast Asia and settled in designated Chinatowns or remote plantation and mining areas. Contemporary migration and establishment of Chinatowns are composed of manual labor migrants are accompanied by students, entrepreneurs, traders, highly skilled professionals and political refugees of both sexes.
Get original essayThe first immigration of the Chinese in San Francisco happened in 1848 were three Chinese arrived. By the following year 323 Chinese migrated then in 1850 another 450 Chinese migrated in San Francisco. The Chinese immigrants separated into four groups based on their ethnic and dialect. The growing population of Chinese created an organization to support the other family. The clan and association were formed basing on their lineage, which strengthened the relationship. They share an intimacy, trust and security for the symbolic family structure (Quan, 1996).
Philippines is one of the most visited and tourist favorite place, it is also known for being hospitable for which they warmly welcome and allows Chinese people to trade their various products to our country, specifically in Binondo, Manila the capital city of the Philippines. In addition to, in terms of political aspect, Chinatown is the site where economic influence happens but in order to spread this influence to our economy, politics plays a great role wherein the process of trading the certain business in the industry must need an approval first of the government authorities.
Economically speaking, De Castro (2007 as cited by Figueroa, 2016), accentuated that progressively close monetary ties among China and the Philippines, and the Philippines' hunger for venture, has made copious open doors for Chinese impact in the business and governmental issues of the Philippines. China is the biggest exchanging accomplice of the Philippines, while thinking about that Hong Kong is a domain of China. Exchange among China and the Philippines expanded from $18 billion of every 2005 to $30 billion in 2007.
Locally, the impact of Chinese language is visible in the financial and structural homes which were constructed in Mindanao. This dating with the Chinese in Mindanao nevertheless possesses problems and are looking for question to be solution. According to Figueroa (2016), the Chinese and Chinese mestizos have been depicted as opportunists who exploited the illiterate tribes by means of pricing their goods discriminately, burying tribesmen in massive debts. The legal responsibility, at times, was the purpose why whole settlements had to move out every time the Chinese retailers arrived to gather the payments.
At the same time as in Davao, Father Urios mentioned of a Chinese who “donated finished garments and materials for others to tailor.” There were additionally Chinese in Santa Cruz and Arapiles who helped the missionaries, “proving their goodwill of their desire to be on our side.” And there was also this Chinese in Mati who, in step with Fr. Manuel Rosello, SJ, in his Oct. 31, 1898 letter from Vera de Moncayo (Veruela, Agusan del Sur), paid P50 for each of the three passengers, which includes the missionary, for them with a view to board a deliver toward Sandakan (Borneo) rather than sailing without delay to Zamboanga.
Statements above indicates that Filipino at that time indicates both negative and positive impressions towards the Chinese who migrated here in the Philippines and this may be traced lower back through history and in the gift. The Chinese not only in the Philippines have an effect on both the economic and social aspect of the island as properly analyze the ancient events that resulted to their current role inside the society.
Hence, it is important to conduct a research analysis regarding this certain topic for us to deeply understand the significance of establishing Chinatowns in different areas within and outside of the country.
Therefore, this research would like to conduct an analysis into the following:
Chinatown is a district of a city or a town greatly populated by mostly Chinese people. These districts are established in many different countries all over the world. They can be from East Asia, Southeast Asia, North and South America, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. These towns were mainly composed of Chinese married to the locals of the town and immigrate. As time goes by, Chinese population grows rapidly allowing them to establish their own town called, “Chinatown”. Chinese traders being the main inhabitant of the town, this town became a trading center of both locals and the Chinese.
Almost all major cities within and outside the Philippines may have their own Chinatowns; however the Chinatown in Binondo City in Manila is somewhat different. Chinese merchants traded with the Philippines through imports from central Luzon to the North of Manila. They established in the Philippines serving Spanish in several of ways such as provision for food, retailers and as artisans.
Manila Chinatown was founded in 1594. It was given by the Spaniards located opposite the walled city of Intramuros and across the Pasig River to the Catholic baptized Chinese. Non Christian Chinese lived outside of the walled city and of that of the Chinatown called the Parian leading them to convert to Christianity later on. The originally built Chinatown was destroyed and rebuilt until the Non Christian Chinese was allowed to enter Binondo in 1790.
According to inquirer.net article by Enrique Soriano (2017), “founded in 1594, it is the oldest Chinatown in the world, it is said to have been built by the Chinese- Filipinos or mostly called Chinese Mestizo during the Spanish colonial era. Even before the arrival of the Spanish, the island of the Philippines is already brimming with Chinese traders, their goods, and their influence.”
A royal order was once exceeded for the expulsion of all Chinese structure the Philippines; however. Governor Dasmarinas realized that the town of Manila, the greatest Spanish settlement, wanted to retain the Chinese for its financial offerings. They are economically important to the Philippines and to Spain’s hopes of cornering the profitable Chinese market. The colonial authorities was once always afraid of Chinese invasion, yet understood the significance of the Chinese. The Chinese sangleys (from Philippines Hokkiensionglai or “frequent visitor”) within the Parian, which is backyard of Intramuros was harsh, with extortionary taxes and rampant abuse by way of the Spaniards. Being sangley supposed you have been the lowest of the low in the Spanish colonial society.
In 1594, governor- General Luis Perez Dasmariñas attempted to motivate cultural assimilation of the sangley community. Therefore, he purchased a tract of land across the river from the walled town and gave it to a group of outstanding Chinese (Maghuyop et. al, 2018). In the establishing spiritual and cultural questions were now not involved, but the missionary organization of Spanish Dominican fathers quickly made Binondo a type of acculturation laboratory where the Dominicans made it a community of married Catholic Chinese.
The Chinese had situated Binondo on the foundation of Dasmariñas’ land furnish to be tax free and inalienable to non-Chinese and non mestizos. Thus, at some stage in the seventeenth century, Binondo was supposed to be a contract for Catholic Chinese and the mestizo descendants. Cathedrals have been constructed in Chinatown and Chinese language who transformed had distinct privileges and has been in a position to keep away from consequences of Spanish policies.
In 1844, the Spanish government revoked the indulto de comercio and henceforth forbade Spanish officers to involve themselves in trading. This measure eradicated the closing impediment of the mestizo in their dominance in global trade. Furthermore, Spanish coverage also pushed aside the obstacles to Chinese immigration and residence. Thus, the Chinese should come to the Philippines barring any limit as to number, and with little, if any, restriction as to which section of the archipelago they would possibly reside. By 1880’s the Chinese populace had soared to almost 100,000; the Chinese were located in each corner of the Philippines.
In the early 19th century the Chinese emigrant brought with them their unique culture and way of living and established their community in Europe. The Chinatown is signifies the creation of the arbitrary spatial boundary by the European society to distinguish between their territory and that of the Chinese. The term Chinatown is said to be a product of White Western society in the late 19th century.
The immense growth and popularity of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in terms of their economic has become the most talked about topic by both scholars and the media. Considered the oldest and largest Chinese community in the East of the United States is the Manhattan Chinatown experiencing changes such as expansion, population growth and real estate development. It has been under renovation and redevelopment for decades being situated next to the world class financial district communities.
There is a wide variety of exotic enjoyments that could be found in many Chinatowns. They could find people speaking in Chinese and Cantonese, products with Chinese brand and Chinese foods. As a unique ethnic enclave emerged in 1820s, Chinatowns are usually located in center area of big cities serving as the starting point for Chinese immigrants and considered a “holy land” for Chinese-Americans, such as San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. They add a significant decoration to the “patchwork” of American cities and serving a significant role of bridging China and America.
In history, Chinatowns served as major trading centers between China and foreign countries. Some are still very much alive today, and are guaranteed to give one an authentic taste of Chinese culture and cuisine. In the Philippines alone, these communities have found their way in the following cities.
According to an article by Inquirer.net, Binondo, Manila, is considered as the “little China” in the Philippines and is also the oldest being established way back in 1594 as home to Chinese settlers. This is known for many adventurous urban activities as well as food hunting and is often included by some travel sites as one of the most famous Chinatown in the world.
An article from The Manila Times states that the Chinatown in Quezon City was established in 2005 upon the approval of the city council. The Banawe Street being home of development and the emergence of Filipino-Chinese businesses become the Chinatown in Quezon. Two landmark arches mark the new Chinatown which used to be called the Sta Mesa Heights subdivision, a home to Filipino Chinese roots.
The streets of Iznart, J.M. Basa, and Aldeguer in Iloilo City are known as the 'Chinese Triangle' a home to Chinese-Ilonggos businesses. To pay tribute a Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch was constructed by the city government in the area according to an article found in rappler.com. Davao city is known as the oldest Chinatown in the world with approximately 44 hectares spanning at least 4 barangays formalized by an Executive Order by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in 2003. It also has for archways being the entry points: the Arch of Friendship, the Unity Arch, the Arch of Peace, and the Prosperity Arch with its own seaport, the Sta Ana Wharf.Davao Chinatown's being the only one in the world to have it.
Stated in an article in SUNSTAR Philippines, the Davao City Chinatown is being pushed as a major tourist destination in Davao through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the Davao City Chinatown Development Council (DCCDC) and the sponsor bank, Banco de Oro (BDO), a 3.5 million “one- time sponsorship by the latter. It has become a Flipino-Chinese center of business establishments, evident in the malls and shops and is known as the international gateway of progress in Mindanao.
In 2003, an Executive Order issued by then Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte declaring portions of Barangay 27-C and Barangay 30-C, where Filipino-Chinese are the majority of occupants with their respective businesses, as Davao City Chinatown and constituting the Davao City Chinatown Development Council (DCCDC). The creation of the DCCDC is for the formulation and implementation of policies concerning the commercial, historical, economic and social significance of the place to Davao City.
According to an article by PressReader.Com, the Davao City divisoria is called Uyanguren or Ramon Magsaysay Avenue or commonly known as the Chinatown. The name Uyanguren came from Jose Cruz Maria Ibarzabal y Oyanguren, a Spanish judge and the conqueror of Datu Bago. He is a native of Villa de Bergara, Guipozcoa province of Spain. He was exiled in Guam due to his opposing political stance but was soon transferred to Philippines. He became the first governor of Davao City, which was then called as Nueva Vergara.
However, following the approval of resolution No. 413 enacted by the city council in 1963 Uyanguren was replaced by the name Magsaysay upon the construction of the Magsaysay monument although there is no historical event connecting Magsaysay to Davao. It is the brightest and grandest city in Davao having cultural clashes between the Filipino, most commonly known as moro and the cultural roots of the Chinese. It is the number one destination for bargaining products and is widely known for its affordability. The grandest arch in Davao city, the arch of Unity is the entrance to Uyanguren where malls like the NCCC and DCLA plaza or shopping center could be found.
Currently the list of Chinatowns covered in Chinatownoloy hast 35 Chinatowns in 19 countries spread over Asia, Europe and USA. There are 16 Chinatowns in Asia, 12 Chinatowns in Europe and 7 Chinatowns in America. The most common sight in most Chinatowns is the archways. It tells you a lot about the local Chinese population and the society they lived in.
According to EdgeDavao (2015), with the current plans for the authentic development of Davao metropolis’s Chinatown, a proposal to have a night time marketplace is also being eyed to, much like those in Roxas avenue. On Monday, Steve Arquiza of the Davao metropolis Chinatown Development Council (DCCDC) stated that they're eyeing to make R. Magsaysay Street and its adjoining roads to be a place in which Chinese ingredients and products can be highlighted within the location to attract extra traveler for the town. “We wanted to sell the night time marketplace in Chinatown, considering the region is taken into consideration lifeless once it reaches night time,” Arquiza said. Despite the fact that he clarified that the concept remains at the technical running committee, they're also making plans to allocate open areas for Chinese hawker eating places much like Singapore and Malaysia.
In overdue October, the Davao metropolis Council via Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre bared their plans of passing an ordinance requiring all establishments in the Chinatown area to have a “Chinese topic Façade” inside the event of protection or creation. A year earlier, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio signed an government order that might create a CDC, tasked to arrange the development of the massive expanse of Chinatown properties in the first district. Other than its beautification, the committee will ensure that the place could be developed together with its category. “Maximum communities are not familiar that Chinatown isn't simplest an enterprise sector, but also a tourism development quarter,” Arquiza stated.
Presently, the CDC is conducting a sequence of conferences with the town making plans and development office, the town surroundings and natural sources workplace and other concerned agencies to come up with a development plan so one can help in assessing the needs of the Chinatown vicinity. “The technical working institution is hoping to complete this, in order to continue with the public consultation,” Arquiza said, hoping to file a draft thought earlier than the stop of Mayor Sara’s term as metropolis mayor in 2019. He delivered, “We wanted to make the policy surroundings conducive for personal sectors to develop the location in conjunction with the Chinatown subject.”
Stated in the book of Anderson (1990), the paln included construction of four archways’ across Little Bourke Street and twenty clusters of ‘Chinese-style lantern lights.’ A Chinatown Special Advisory Committee was established to administer the spending of Council’s grant, and in October, Premier R. Hamer agreed it was apposite ‘to give recognition to the Chinese community in the form of a Chinese village’. ‘Chinatown is backed by this Council to the hilt’, assured Mr Walker in a letter requesting State support from the Minister for Tourism and Development and within months committed itself to a $100,000 grant.
According to Anderson (1990), the social construction of contemporary Chinatown is one of the primary objectives of the Chinatown redevelopment plan in order to incorporate ‘Chinese’ character into the area. In the words of Melbourne City Town Clerk, the project’s goal is ‘to create a characteristic Chinatown atmosphere.’ In which the Chinese found sympathy with the idea. The pagodas would be ‘replicas of traditional Chinese entrances, thus giving a Chinese identity to the area,’ said Melbourne University architect, Mr T. Chu at a November 1975 meeting of the Chinatown Special Advisory Committee.
The signi?cance of contemporary Chinese migrants’ transfer of ?nancial resources to China does not constitute a signi?cant break with China’s past migration history. As early as the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, the Chinese immigrant has always been loyal to their Chinese roots and pledge political allegiance to their new nation state for various reasons such as social, political and cultural. As a result, remittances were transferred back to China, although only a fraction was used on productive investments.
Low prices of goods, business and entrepreneurships fuelled the migration of Chinese individuals from China to certain parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America where only small numbers of Chinese migrants resided prior to the 1980s. The capability of the Chinese to engage in business and entrepreneurship such as wholesale and retail in their new host country boost the growth of their migration. China being known as world’s manufacturing house of inexpensive and low-quality goods has emerged as part of contemporary migration.
Contemporary Chinese migrants’ a?ected by global capitalism and local structural changes both males and females migrate into diverse geographical locations no longer limit themselves within the area of Chinatowns but spread into different areas and countries around the globe. Contemporary Chinese unlike the former Chinese migration focused on migrating into big and developed cities. In these new destinations Chinese act beyond the boundaries of nation-states in their economic, ethnic, political and cultural pursuits using new technology and affordable transportation.
Chinatown is essential to Asian population as they need to once in a while buy Asian ingredients from food markets in Chinatown for their cooking. These includes their visitation of Asian clinics and take Traditional Chinese Medicines, worshipping in Buddha temples, enjoying Asian food with friends and relatives in Chinatown restaurants (having-dinner-together as an important activity for social networking).
Davao City is one of the most developed and urbanized city in Mindanao, wherein different establishments and infrastructures are strongly build in the city. It is s sign of which progress is emerging in the city and brought different opportunity. One of the most visited places in Davao city is the Chinatown wherein people enjoyed in buying things they need within an affordable price.
Davao Chinatown, also known as Mindanao Chinatown which is the center of numerous business establishments, of which a great majority is owned by Chinese Filipinos who were either born in the country or naturalized Filipino who trace their roots to mainland China. To simply sum-up this idea, this analysis affirms that Chinatown plays a great role to our country in terms of our economy.
The relationship between the Chinese and Mindanaons specifically Davao City developed for long time ago. Moreover, these kinds of relationships became more aggressive in terms of economical aspect. The Chinese contribution leads to the economical growth of Davao City and developed partnership. Their impact in the economic side is noticeable in the sense that there are these prominent people who support the economy in Davao City as well as embraced being a Filipino.
The researcher cannot ignore the fact that Chinatown really helped in the development of the country due to their potential of opening job opportunities that helped a lot of people especially NCCC MALL and other big market such as the DCLA shopping center and Plaza. When it comes to matters of taxation the government couldn’t ignore that one of the biggest contributors of tax are Chinese due to their rapidly growing businesses.
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Get custom essayChinatown therefore has always been the center of progress in big cities and towns given the capability of Chinese people to manage their entrepreneurial breakthroughs. As people can notice, Chinatowns were built and established into four different prominent cities in the Philippines and they were all subject to rapid growth and development in terms of their economic.
Chinese parents have a very important part to play in the family as providers for all. While the elders were always at the controlling end for reasons of respect, the next generation married and had children as young as possible and then worked as hard as possible to provide for both their parents and children.
Get original essayChinese children had no authority over their own life and decisions were always made for them. Youngsters were always at the receiving end of family decisions. They were rigorously trained and prepared to serve their elders. In traditional families, all children are expected to obey their parents without discussion and parents could legally kill their children if they disobeyed them. In modern China, both girls and boys are usually treated equally. However, many Chinese parents are strict, since the choices of the children reflect on the parents. This comes down to the family being seen as a unit rather than individual people. Elders are supposed to be respected and followed unquestioningly. In Chinese culture, elders are viewed as a source of wisdom and spirituality. They are respected to the extent that even questioning their authority is considered offensive.
Education is most highly esteemed in Chinese society. This value can be traced to the Confucian concept that “he who excels in learning can be an official.” Students attend school six days per week and often study late into the night. They consider this their duty to show honour to the parents and family.
In Australia, most individuals like to get up very early, and go for a swim at the beach or they like go outdoors quite often. However, the vast majority of people in China have a more urban lifestyle and few people like to go outdoors.
In China, all students sit and just listen to the teachers, they do not normally give any feedback in class. However, in Australia, students can ask questions directly to the teacher when they don’t understand something. Also, at many Universities the provision of casual sofas and other facilities are convenient and useful because you can lay down at any time if you are studying for a long time and feel tired. This is very different to Chinese libraries where these facilities are hardly available.
When elders die, they are traditionally honoured by ancestor altars in homes, featuring candles, photographs and favourite items of the deceased. However, it has been noted that in urbanized areas this is starting to break down. In a journal article on China’s rapidly changing population it is shown that the concept of filial piety is starting to erode, bringing with it the potential concern of a lack of care for the elderly.
Chinese usually eat communally and share their dishes with others. Westerners usually enjoy individual servings. Chinese cooks chop everything into bite size pieces, meaning people don't need knives to cut it and just pick up their food with chopsticks. Westerners cook food in big pieces and serve it with knives and forks for cutting it up. Chinese always cook vegetables: frying, stewing, boiling, and steaming, sometimes with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Western salads or just boiling vegetables in water are virtually unknown in China.
The importance of finding other families and their cultural groups connected to their country. When moving to Australia from China, it is important for Chinese people to stay connected to other families and cultural groups connected to their country. Being with people from the same country as you in a foreign country can be very comforting. Chinese people are able to communicate in their native language (Mandarin) with other Chinese people around them. They are able to help each other with administrative tasks such as filling in centre link forms, going to the doctor and banking. The most important part of this is that they have the opportunity to socialise with people that have very similar traditions and beliefs to them. They can exchange recipes and have dinner with traditional Chinese food such as sweet and sour pork, wontons, dumplings, etc. They are able to celebrate traditional Chinese celebrations together, such as Chinese New Year and the Yuan Xiao Festival. It is important for them to be around people similar to them like it is for all of us. It is easy to get along with people with the same belief system and common interests and knowledge as us to give us comfort and security.
The language barrier can be a major problem with significant implications for migrants' written and oral communication, specifically in China where their native language shares nothing in common with the English language. A strong accent is another problem which in many cases prevents immigrants being able to get jobs. Racism is another major barrier faced by migrants in finding a job or starting a new business. In many cases racism deprives migrants of training and education opportunities. Discrimination in accessing employment certainly exists on the basis of ethnicity, cultural customs and unrealistic English language requirements.
Cultural barriers also hold another issue with being able to adapt to Australia. Being a mature age migrant, cultural barriers pose a very serious threat to the possibility of finding work. Different religious beliefs, different ways of thinking and behaving and having different attitudes make their lives, at times, very traumatic. The job selection procedures for finding a job and the red tape involved in starting a new business in this society are new experiences for these mature age newcomers. Many will have difficulty familiarising themselves with the legal, accounting and industrial rules and regulations of Australia.
Another issue when moving to Australia that Chinese people may face is identifying which services are offered in their new location. The three biggest challenges they may face include securing access to health care, legal advice and social services.
In conclusion, there are many lifestyle, traditional celebrations and cultural differences between Australians and Chinese migrants. Chinese people face many difficulties when immigrating to Australia such as cultural differences, settlement, language barriers and racism. It is important to them that they stay connected to cultural groups connected to their country as it gives them comfort. There are many support services available to help Chinese migrants with things such as learning English, health care, finding jobs and settlement.
Chinese migration has had a large variety of positive and negative effects on Australia. These include increases in diversity, workforce, economic activity, stereotypes and prejudice, and decreases in housing affordability. There are three reasons why Chinese people migrated to Australia in recent years (from 1990’s onwards).
Get original essayChina's mass migration of over 1.2 million people in the last 20 years can be explained with three factors. Firstly, since the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Prime Minister Bob Hawke allowed Chinese students to permanently seek residence in Australia. This sparked the first wave of immigration. Since then education has been a major reason for Chinese migration, with 22% of students currently at university being either Chinese immigrants or their children. Chinese students have sometimes felt uneasy in China for various reasons including: heavy censorship, threats to safety (Tiananmen Square Massacre), and lack of sufficient educational institutions. This has resulted in a large number of students leaving China to either permanently settle or complete higher education in Australia.
China has had a scarcity of higher education institutions relative to the need of the population. In Chinese culture parents aspire for their children to do well in education and the high school system puts intense pressure on students. For example, on the day of their final exam the police can be called to escort a student to school if they are stuck in traffic in order for them not to be late. This pressure translates into pressure to succeed in entering university, despite limited places. A solution to this is to seek university education in other countries perceived to be safe and welcoming, such as Australia.
Australia guarantees its citizens a significant more amount of freedom compared to China. An example where less freedom is available is China is in the area of internet censorship and political expression online. China has been known to censor popular western websites such as reddit, YouTube and most notably google. It is also infamous for censorship of anything critical of the state. An example of the squashing of dissent is the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, where the government ran over students with tanks killing an unknown amount of people, likely in the high thousands. The massacre involved a pro-democracy group who were critical of the way the government was running the economy. In Australia you are free to organise protests, at to gather in public in groups to express your political views. There is currently very limited internet censorship, mainly targeted at pornography and not political opinion, although it is possible that some political websites might be accidentally censored depending on the algorithms that the government are using. This relative freedom in political expression may be a factor in the heavy migration from china.
Australia is a popular location for Chinese migration because of its minimum wage and workers’ rights. In Australia workers are guaranteed a minimum wage, employment rights, paid sick leave, and public holidays. Australia also has antidiscrimination laws and a system for appealing unfair dismissal. In contrast, in China some workers are paid as little as $5.30/hr compared to the Australian minimum wage of $19.50/hr (depending on the field), more than 5x as much. Australian workers are also guaranteed at least 18 weeks of paid maternity leave. Causal workers, however, tend to have less rights, but nevertheless, workers tend to enjoy more benefits and protections in Australia than in China.
Chinese immigration contributes to the diverse culture of Australia. Australia prides itself on multiculturalism and migrants are an essential part of this. Since the abolishment of the White Australia Policy, more Asian migrants have been coming to our country and bringing aspects of their culture with them. This is evident in the many restaurants, shops and other businesses that all have originated from other cultures, resulting in new food and goods available to buy. For example, Chinese restaurants have proliferated across the country. This has had the effect of making traditional Chinese food, and westernised variants, a popular part of Australian cuisine.
Another cultural impact of Chinese immigration is the appearance of ‘Chinatowns’, which are condensed areas filled with Chinese food and products, usually near zones with large Chinese populations. An example is China Town in Sydney, and most major Australian cities have equivalent spaces where tourist and locals buy goods and services.
Chinese immigration has had significant economic impacts in terms of labour and housing. The immigration has resulted in an increase in workforce, and more demand for housing and Chinese culture related businesses. In places like Hurstville up to 70% of people interested in buying housing were either Chinese immigrants of their direct descendants. This has resulted in more houses being constructed in Hurstville and indirectly helps industries that relate to construction or maintenance of houses. Chinese immigration has increased the workforce, with 15% of our workforce consisting of migrants. Another way Chinese immigration has impacted the economy is the indirect increase in industries such as flight, currency exchange, restaurants and numerous others.
Chinese immigrants have experienced a lot of racism which, while not their fault, creates tensions within society. For example, during the current covid-19 outbreak there have been racist attacks on Chinese communities, resulting from media coverage and political discourse such as Trump’s characterisation of the virus as the “Chinese virus”. This tension can hurt diplomatic efforts such as trade agreements as one side may feel they are being discriminated against.
An economic problem caused by Chinese immigrants is the extent to which they have purchased property in Australia, decreasing housing affordability for the rest of the population. Lack of affordable housing increases eviction rates and creates the multitude of social stresses that arise from homelessness. This can lead to unjustified increase in prejudice towards Chinese people, due to non-migrants arguing that Chinese people are “taking away” their ability to buy a home. The diagram below shows that Chinese investment has steadily been increasing over the past 10 years. This is directly correlated to an increase in the amount of housing purchased.
Chinese migrants have chosen to settle in many places across Sydney. Some of the main areas include Parramatta and Hurstville. Of the Hurstville population 35% are people with Chinese ancestry and in Parramatta the amount is 17%. One of the reasons these places were chosen for settlement is that they already had a significant population of Chinese people living in them due to historical migration patterns. This brought more Chinese shops and culture into these areas. For example, Hurstville is a particularly popular place to settle because of its established Chinese supermarkets. This has created an environment where immigrants can feel at home. Another benefit of this is that non or limited English speakers can still function in society, whilst they continue to learn the English language. The high density of Chinese speakers means that they can speak their native language freely.
Secondly, the concentration of migration in these areas can be explained by the affordable housing prices in the area. Chinese migrants often want to get a house as a solid investment and asset. In areas like Hurstville historically housing prices have been very low. This area also has a lower relative cost of living which increases the chances of being in a position to purchase a house. When migrants from china come to Australia it may initially be hard for them to afford the exorbitant costs of houses in Sydney near the ocean, which is why they might instead choose to live in cheaper areas.
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Get custom essayIn conclusion, Chinese migration has had many positive and negative effects socially and economically. These include the positive contribution of migration to cultural diversity and the workforce. However, this also includes negative effects such as racism and increased housing prices. Overall Chinese migration has had a positive effect on Australian society as it has contributed to an inclusive and multicultural society as well as economic prosperity.
Black Mirror is a British TV show released on December 4, 2011. It relates to modern society and how technology is affecting our everyday life in a dangerous way and the way we interact with it while affecting ourselves and our community. The title of this TV show was entirely according to it because it means the black mirror that you find in every technology device, either cell phones or laptops, and the worst thing about it is that it reflects yourselves on it. Over time, technology has been evolving until that point that makes us think that is dangerous for its users, criticizing it that it makes us addictive to it. Should we blame social media and technology or its users? Do we use it or does it use us?
Get original essay“Nosedive” is one of the episodes of this famous TV show; specifically it appears in season 3. In this episode everything is based on ratings of 5 stars which affect what you can do or not in your life; in other words, it impacts your socioeconomic status. People rates each other depending on how well you treat them or how well you look or post photos on social media. Depending on how much stars you have, you can have discounts in an exclusive residence or you can have a better job. This episode is about a lady called Lacie who has a wrong idea about what success in life really means; she is a young adult that get obsessed with her ratings to reach some goals in her life for instance, get a better job, live in a better residence and go to a friends wedding until that point that she makes everything possible to get five stars, despite she likes those activities that she makes in her daily life or not. In some scenes, it was displayed some people that have 2 or 3 stars and how the people treat them with unrespect, judging them for not being agreeable to society and not being part of high social status. This show ends with Lacie getting 0 starts in her rating because she started treating in a “lousy” way to people because she was tired on being agreeable to everyone and went to prison, but she was happier because she finally could get over with that obsession.
I believe that technology has brought many advantages to society, and without its existence, the evolution of the world could not have been as great as it is nowadays. Thanks to technology, social media have been created, and people can communicate with others despite the country in which they are. I live in Houston, and several members of my family live in Venezuela, I can communicate with them every day, and I feel pleased because I can be in contact with them despite the distance thanks to the several ways of communication such as, Skype or WhatsApp. Black Mirror is related to what is happening to society nowadays, and it reflects the advantages of it; Lacie communicated with her friend Alice who was a friend from his childhood.
Although, it demonstrates the worst thing about social media due to the wrong use that humans give to it which is that Lacie whatever do in her life is related to the social media and her ratings until that point she gets “crazy about it.” She tried to be in the whole TV show a person that she is not; for instance, she practiced her laugh during several minutes in front of a mirror to be more attractive to people. The majority of the people get obsessive with social media because we, as humans, are very tentative and curious. Lacie went to a wedding of her friend just for her ratings, and despite all of the problems that she had on her way, she went because she wanted the approval of society, which means better ratings and more popularity. On the other hand, his brother disagreed with her several times for that obsession because he had a different point of view about social media. Those scenes clearly demonstrate that the social media uses us, instead of we use it, and everyone is responsible for our actions.
This episode written by Brooker with Michael Schur aims at the anxiety of modern society with a simple quantification. What I found interesting about “Nosedive” is that it is connected to the reality that we face nowadays, it not just a science fiction TV show like many others. The writer tried to make a connection to its audience that directly or indirectly faces what is reflected in that episode because everyone is connected to technology, but the difference is how everyone uses it. Although it is difficult to believe, we are not so far to get until that terrible point that everything revolves around social media and what people think about you. Making parallel to our reality, nowadays everyone uses social media to build a self-identification and self-image in order to many other people to see you and get a good impression of you. People are capable of gaining more followers by adding several funny posts, using hashtags to make it possible everyone sees your profile no matter you know that person or not, and interacting with those followers to be an agreeable person. On the other hand, people who had terrible experiences either with a person or a company, try to make bad comments such as complaints in their post to lose followers and to make them have a poor reputation. One of the apps that exist nowadays is called “Peeple,” where you can rate people you know in the romantic, professional, and personal field. It is incredible the similarity that it has with the app used it in “Nosedive,” and it is said that this app was an inspiration for Charlie Brooker. Lacie reflected those actions really well in the episode when she posted a photo of a coffee that she did not like, and she started gaining comments and likes.
What I found interesting and surprising about this TV show is that app that was used during the episode which seemed to be unrealistic and that I thought it does not exist, it actually exists, and it is called “Peeple” as I mentioned before. Having seen Nosedive made me investigate more about that real app that is so similar to the one that is used in the episode. Those two apps share several similarities. As well as the app used in Nosedive, “Peeple” lets you look the profile photo of the person that you want to rate; in that app, you can rate your experience with that person and leave comments. I found this app so interesting that terrifies me that everything can revolve into this in the near future. Even though, it has received criticism over concerns of cyberbullying because many people don’t like those types of app as well as good comments.
Although the technology has brought many advantages to our world for its evolution, it may also have its disadvantages on people making them obsessed with that, but what we really do not know is that we are the guilty of the wrong use we give it to it. In my point of view, the ratings did not hurt Lacie. She is a lady with a weak personality who let an app-dominated her. “Nosedive” is the best example to notice that we are the only ones who hurt us at the moment of having an obsession with technology. I consider myself as a person who likes technology; I find it interesting the facility that it brings to me, and I like to use social media moderately. However, having seen this episode, I could say that it opens my eyes and made me think critically about how dangerous can technology can affect ourselves. I realized that we should use social media because it is interesting and amusing, and it let us do several necessary things, such as communicating with other people as well as informing us about recent news or events. We should use the technology and social media moderately while living the real world, rather than a virtual one.
This paper introduces the arising of Chinese beauties in workplace in relation to historical, economic and social phenomenon. The topic mainly focuses on what are the historical, economic and social elements that accelerate the popularity of white-collar beauty, and what are the effects these developments bring to contemporary women in Chinese society.
Get original essayIn the 19th century or earlier, people divided jobs by gender. Whether in Chinese or Western society, working is men's duty while women’s main duty is to stay home and take care of their husbands and kids. Such circumstance shifted dramatically. As people become more open-minded, people do not divide duties by gender. Women started to read, study and contribute to society in many different ways. In contemporary Chinese society, a TV show named 'Ode to Joy' has captured the public's attention. One of the characters Andy, who has a pretty appearance and is the company's CFO, became people's favorite. She is the definition of white-collar beauty. Nowadays, appearance and intelligence are equally significant to women. This is why 'white-collar beauty' become a popular phrase. The form of white-collar beauty is in a long process. While the majority thinks this is simply a cultural shift, it involves changes in China's history, economy, and society.
To analysis how the phase white-collar beauty is developed from multiple perspectives and what influences it has on Chinese women, first, Scott and Hu's demonstrate the increasing number of women labor in the 20th century. Second, the article by Xu and Feiner focuses on how China's economy highlights the market demand of women's appearances. Last, for the social aspect, PBS NewsHour reveals the popularity of western culture in Chinese society, which leads to the born of white-collar beauty. With Cai’s paper comments on the success of white-collar beauty movie, to demonstrate how the media propagate such character to people. In general, the historical reforms motivate women to become white-collar, economic development emphasizes the benefits of beauty, the cultural influences and media propagation make the white-collar beauty unforgettable to the public.
The word 'white-collar beauty' does not come into the public until the recent 21st century. In the early time, males dominated the family, and female was not required to work. Instead, they stay at home to take care of their husbands and kids. Such a phenomenon stays the same until 1949.
Since the People's Republic of China is established in 1949, the strict law against sex-related works forces women studies and working. The force is the start of women to become more intelligent. Without the establishment of China, women may still force to follow their families' or husbands' traditions. The country's encouragement is the first step for women to become intelligent and independent.
The start was successful, but the evolvement of women is continuous. According to statistics, females' labor participation rate rise from near 0% to 74% from 1949 till 1952, and is only 13% lower than male's labor participating rate. Although abandoning traditions is can be tough, the statistic shows that more and more women are willing to participate in the labor force. This is the milestone of women become white-collar. Females in China taking part in the labor force means they start giving up the tradition of relying on men. They choose to become independent and move toward the white-collar part of white-collar beauty.
In general, the process of women participating in the labor force has a positive effect, because it not only facilitate China's efficiency but also increases the value of Chinese women. With academic degrees or stable paid jobs, contemporary women hold more power than the ones in the traditional period.
The trend of white-collar beauty and economic development does not seem related, yet they mutually affect each other. Not just because these intelligent women help China making more money, the change of market and economy also affects these women in different ways.
The shifting work place culture increase the beauty demand. Unlike the 1950s, women were required to be strong and powerful like men at work. As China opening up, China's 'iron rice bowl' changes to 'rice bowl of youth' started from the 1990s. If females started joining labor force from 1949 is the beginning of white-collar women, then the change of workplace culture is the beginning of white-collar beauty. The new work place culture largely affects the working females, women who are not young enough or pretty enough are eliminated from the companies or organizations. As a result, those who survive the rice bowl of youth are the young, pretty ones with working abilities. Rice bowl of youth gives a new definition for working women, and that gives birth to the phase white-collar beauty.
Part of the economic development in the Chinese society relies on beauties. The phase, beauty economy, accurately captures this phenomenon. Chinese people develop their economy in many different ways, female with pretty appearance is one of them. Women's bodies and appearances are materialized and commercialized. Since the image of pretty and young women is profitable, more and more media and company set a high standard when recruiting females. Under such circumstances, females with or without high-level education tend to change their appearance intentionally so they fit in the market demand.
Although the beauty economy is a big success for Chinese people and their country, its effect on women is controversial. The beauty economy not only demands women to be pretty but also be smart and educational. This is beneficial because it encourages women to build a positive image. However, in compare, males are easier to get jobs since the appearance requirement for them are relative low. The inequality of male and female in workplace reflects the negativity of beauty economy. The way beauty economy discriminates women's body shapes and appearances may cause women who do not fit in the market demand to feel neglected and depressed. It may also lead to the increase in women’s unemployment rate.
The rising of white-collar beauty also has a deep relationship with Chinese society. If history and economy contribute to the white-collar and beauty part respectively, then the social context joints these two-part together, and form the phrase white-collar beauty.
Western culture hugely influence Chinese society. One of the western cultural features, freedom, attracts the young generation in China. As feminism activities like MeToo movements upsurge in recent year, China realizes they can build up a female character to representation independent and freedom. With some upgrade on appearance and job position, white-collar beauty emerge. The financial-independent character with appealing appearance, became viral, because it is not only a role model for Chinese people, especially women, but also a new image China wants to show the world.
The change of society motivates mass media to inject the concept of white-collar beauty into the public's mind. TV shows such as, A Story of Lala's Promotion and ode to joy both focus on the life and social circle of white-collar beauty. According to Cai, the Du Lala novel became 'recognizable and hugely successful'. As people in China widely accept the concept of white-collar beauty, they change their perspective and standard to women. Women start imitating the image of white-collar beauty, and companies start adding appearance requirements when posting job positions. From before, where people define beauty as Lin Daiyu, who is weak and emotional, in Dream of the Red Chamber to nowadays, young and pretty with intelligence. These TV shows, films, and other mass media start to emphasize the images of white-collar beauty. Automatically, society shifts its standards from time to time. Therefore, mass culture plays a significant role in promoting white-collar beauty.
Overall, the western influnces and media's propagation of white-collar beauty create a new standard toward contemporary women to the public. From the 1990s when working women are required to be youthful and pretty, to the white-collar beauty trend in recent years. The popularity of white-collar beauty in Chinese society is based on mixing the historical process of women became intelligence and economic development of commercializing pretty women. This became the last step of how white-collar beauty became a huge trend in China.
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Get custom essayUltimately, the popular phase white-collar beauty is a lot more than just change in culture. The history of such phenomenon positively affects Chinese females, since more women abandoned patriotic traditions, and were willing to work and study so they can become more valuable to Chinese people. While economic developments change the workplace culture and commercialized women's appearances, consequently women reshaped themselves to fit in the definition of beauty. Last but not least, the western culture trend in Chinese society motivates the emerge of white-collar beauty, and the mass media did a good job on spreading such character in public.
The art of drinking and serving tea plays a very vital cultural role in China. It inspires a lot of artists that the Chinese tea ceremony, as it is called, has been written in songs and poetry. The ritual of preparing and serving tea has even held a special place in the hearts and minds of the Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectual, poets, and even the common people. On its most basic, the Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea itself, rather than the ceremony. It focuses on what the tea tastes like, smells like, and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea, or in inclusive rounds of drinking. It doesn't mean that each server will perform the ritual the same way and it is not related to religion.
Get original essayEvery step taken during the ceremony is meant to be a sensory exploration and appreciation. How to conduct a Chinese tea ceremony is just so easy. However, it is important to note that steps to assure the finest tasting tea is very exacting. As often said, if done properly you can extract the finest flavor a tea has to offer.
The Chinese tea ceremony uses small cups to match the small and unglazed clay teapots. Each cup is just large enough to hold about two small swallows of tea. These tiny cups are particularly popular in Chiujao and Fujian, while in Shanghai and Beijing, large cups are employed. Curing the teapot and cups is one essential step in Chinese tea ceremony. When you receive your teapot and cups, they have to be cured.
The teapot used is usually made from red clay, and to seal the inside of a teapot and the cups, you first need to place loose tea into the pot and fill it with boiling water. Let it sit for three hours to a day. Some tea masters advise to do it for a week prior to the curing of the teapot, cups and pouring pitcher. This technique is said to seal the inside of the teapot. Also, oils from the tea leaves fill in all the tiny pours of the new clap teapot.
In a Chinese tea ceremony, washing bowls are also needed. You need to pour the hot tea that has been brewing for 5 minutes and fill the washing bowl with hot tea. Let the tea cups also sit in the tea. This is also done to seal the tea cups with the resins of the tea. And, once the teapot, tea cups and pouring pitcher have been cured, the next step is to get ready for the ceremony.
For the tea preparation, all you need to do is prepare the boiling water, and carefully place the tea into the teapot until it is about a third full. Also, make sure that the teapot and cups are now on the tea washing tray. Then, pour the hot water into the teapot until it is overflowing. Place the lid on, and continue to pour the hot water over the teapot. This is done to allow the entire teapot to be hot. After that, pour the second brewed tea into the tea cups and pouring pitcher. This is to allow the flavor of the tea to penetrate the tea cups and pouring pitcher. Then, pour the boiling water into the teapot for the third time and cover.
Place the tea strainer over the pouring pitcher. Wait for the tea to brew. After three minutes of brewing, pour hot water into the pouring pitcher to assure that it is hot and pour that into the teacups. When ready, empty the tea cups and pitcher and then pour the tea into the pitcher through a tea strainer. Pour the tea into the cups, making sure to never fill a cup at a time, but by passing the tea over each cup so they fill equally.
The water used in the Chinese tea ceremony is as important as the tea itself. As noted, chlorine and fluoride in tap water should be filtered out as they harm the flavor of the tea. Distilled water is said to make flat tea, thus should be avoided. The ideal water should have an alkaline pH around 7.9.Note: In Chinese tea ceremony, the aroma of the tea is certainly what is sought after. When using the small tea cups never drink or gulp the tea. Instead, sip the tea through the lips and teeth making a hissing sound. Drinking and sniffing the tea during the Chinese tea ceremony can take over an hour and many fine conversations will ensure. The sign of the tea master is to insure that every round of tea tastes exactly the same.
It is a well-known fact that next to plain water, the most popular drink on earth is tea. In China, almost every aspect of the growing and production of traditional teas is controlled. The Chinese drink green teas and some oolongs without milk, and black teas are produced solely for export. Tea drinking in China has long been considered as a Chinese social activity. Stories have it that tea drinking began from the Tang Dynasty, when the Buddhist monks gathered to drink their brew after meditation.
Get original essayThe practice soon spread to the general public, while the refined scholars that time endeavored to perfect the art of tea drinking. Then, as the volume of tea production increased, the number of Chinese tea houses began to flourish, particularly in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).From the Song Dynasty, the number of Chinese tea houses peaked in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). By that period, both the style and function of the Chinese tea houses had become diversified. The tea houses started to adopt elegant setting decorated with paintings, bonsai and calligraphy. They sold only tea. There were also others that combined Chinese tea house and Chinese restaurant and offered the traditional brew. Some locally flavored snacks were also offered at these settings.
Today's Chinese tea houses can be divided into three different styles: the traditional, modern and fusion. In the first place, the traditional tea house aim to promote the national culture while offering an urban hub for leisure and business. The modern variety is represented by the Taiwanese styled eatery. At these modern settings, the main attraction is a sweetened low-graded green or red tea, which is added with small sticky taro balls. Lastly, the fusion type, as the name implies, is a combination of the two styles. According to some resources, the Chinese tea houses, especially the traditional type, focus mainly on cultivating a taste for pleasure. The tea houses are more expensive than the Chinese coffee shops, but the cost includes a choice of tea as well as an assortment of snacks like melon seeds, biscuits, preserved plums, and candies.
The visitors at these tea houses usually sit on cushions at low tables to drink the fine quality Chinese teas. Their tea is often brewed in a tiny, Satsuma-sized teapot, and then poured into even smaller cups. Reports noted that the teapot may be infused three or four times. In the Chinese tea house, the drinking of tea is generally about appreciating tea for its aroma, appearance, and flavor, rather than the quenching of thirsts. For the Chinese, it is a special occasion, without formal dress, at which small snacks accompany the tea.
These days, most of the tea houses in China are scattered in the city. They are usually set up on bridge piers along the river, to provide a resting place for the visitors and travelers coming afar. Although not large in size, the tea houses are neat in configuration. As many have claimed, they look like pergolas to some extent. The tea served in tea houses vary from green tea to black tea, along with local delicacies and desserts. There are some instances that one comes in the early morning and order a pot of tea, chat and enjoy the warm sunshine at the same time, until the tea house closes in twilight. At this setting, refills for the tea are given free of charge as long as the cup is left open.