Hi! My name is Jack Chen, and I am a third-year Philosophy major. A couple of things really stood out to me about this week's material, particularly Professor Vesna's lecture videos on the "The Two Cultures" theory that bridges to a Third-Culture Theory and the "Changing Education Paradigms" video. When Professor Vesna asked the question concerning the separation of Science and Art, "Where did it start in your life? Did you have to make a decision, I have to go to Art or I have to go to Science?". This struck me as a question very much rooted in my culture as a Taiwanese Asian American.
As a general statement, Asian culture, especially coming from Immigrant parents, steers their children and future generations away from the humanities. Anybody who wants to become an artist, a writer, or a philosopher is met with confused and disapproving looks, to say the least. This is very analogous to the "Two Cultures" paradigm that Prof Vesna talks about, which is further illustrated by the UCLA Campus design of North Campus (humanities) and South Campus (Sciences). There is a distinct and strong separation of identities rooted in perceived economic and social value. Don't be an artist because you'll be poor. There are many parallels I can draw on in the push and pull of being Taiwanese and American, too.
This push and pull is further illustrated by the above graphic, which is taken from the "Changing Education Paradigms". The very structure of education explained in the video is prevalent in Asian Culture. At the root, Mathematics and Medicine are glorified, and what becomes disregarded is the value and the bridge of how Art plays in the communication of the sciences to the masses. I find myself caught between the crosshairs. Philosophy is a humanities Major, and the very essence of where I am fixated is in between two cultures of Taiwanese (Born in Taiwan) and Asian American (Raised here). The myth of the paradigm of needing to choose Art (humanities major) or Science, but ignoring the connection and Third culture forming and needing to form and emerge and evolve is a real experience. I am not either one or the other. By nature, I am both.
The separation is an oversimplification and a shortcut to a much more complex and nuanced understanding of identity, influence of economics, the power dynamics and interplay of Culture, and especially in particular to a dominant culture, and how education needs more communication and language that bridges this divide to reach new heights of creativity and acceptance of interdisciplinary and cultural growth.
Sources:
Global Taiwan Institute. (2023, September 6). The coalescing of a Taiwanese American identity and its impact on US policy considerations and reporting. https://globaltaiwan.org/2023/09/the-coalescing-of-a-taiwanese-american-identity-and-its-impact-on-us-policy-considerations-and-reporting/
RSA. (2010, October 14). RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Snow, C. P. (1959). The two cultures. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1578601.pdf
UC Online. (2012, March 26). Two Cultures intro [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAo6_f0jeU
UC Online. (2012b, March 30). TwoCultures part1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNI7dF3DIAM
Hi Jack, I totally resonate with the sentiment of anti-humanities in Asian cultures. In my family, those who are not in the medical or engineering field tend to be looked down upon even though they're totally independent financially - it often puzzles me. I agree with considering the Third culture that is the connection between art and science, which is coming from personal experience. I thoroughly enjoy reading your reflections!
ReplyDeleteHello Jack, I can relate to the stigma of humanities studies/careers rooted in Asian cultures. It is the same way in the Filipino culture, as you mentioned, "Don't be an artist because you'll be poor". First entering college, all I knew was the medical field or the engineering path, but never have I been introduced to the possibility of entering a marketing path. Just as you are both, I am both as well, as I've always been someone who strived in calculus class, but ultimately pursued a career in creative marketing. Thus, having to pick between science and art should not have to be the case. I do have a question for you because I feel like times are starting to change and with more Asian Americans pursuing an art related career, do you think this perspective in Asian Culture of "Don't take art, you'll be poor" has changed in the past years? And if no, do you think there will be a change?
ReplyDeleteHi Jack,
ReplyDeleteI can very much relate to many of the points you referenced in being an Asian American. As someone who come from an immigrant Japanese mother, and a Western European father, it makes navigating expectations that from either parent to be very difficult. In my experience this "Asian parent" stereotype can draw many parallels to that of Professor Vesna's lecture 2. While in many ways it can be unfair to draw broad generalizations about a certain race, group of people, or archetype, in this case I can completely identify with the pressures or questioning received from Asian parents. I am someone who felt the pressure from my parents to be a doctor, engineer, or a researcher, but none of those were really something I was fully passionate about. After many difficult conversations, I have now brought them both on board with my career ambitions, even if it may not be what they expected of me originally. I am glad you chose to pursue what you were passionate about, and similarly I am now pursuing a degree in economics! Thank you for sharing your insights I enjoyed reading your blog post!!