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Feb 22

Wellcome Collection – China: Birth and Belonging

Written by: guest | Filed under:-guest-posts | Tags:, , , , , , , ,
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The Wellcome Collection is hosting a symposium on China on 26 and 27 of February.

This two-day symposium, ‘China: Birth and belonging’, starts with a curated evening of performance and is followed by a day of discussion and learning. International experts will explore the complex nature of Chinese identity, with sessions on ancient ideas of the body, individualisms, the diaspora, and contemporary biomedical ethics and science – as well as plenty of time for audience debate.

The speakers include Professor Rana Mitter from the University of Oxford, speaking on the Chinese history of conflict, and Professor Therese Hesketh from the University College London Centre from International Health and Development, who will be exploring the impact of the one-child policy.

Tickets are £30 (£20 for concessions) for the entire two-day programme, including entrance and a guided tour of the acclaimed Identity exhibition, as well as refreshments throughout and lunch.

For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.wellcomecollection.org/china.

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Sep 22

(Letter) Chinese Passport Design and Content– What does it Say about the Government´s Role in People´s Lives

Written by: guest | Filed under:-guest-posts, General | Tags:, , ,
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I have a U.S. passport and it is full of strange text and images designed to emphasis the positive aspects of the U.S., many of which are at odds with policy of the Bush regime and indeed the history of the nation´s formation. Much of the design and content of my U.S. passport is meant to be both aesthetic, patriotic and lend an air of ancient authority to the entity that issued it to me (the U.S. Department of State). Continue reading »

Jul 03

What does it mean to be Chinese?

Written by: Buxi | Filed under:Letters | Tags:, , ,
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Seems like a simple enough question. Actually… while the question of what it means to be Chinese is very simple, it is all of the numerous, equally valid answers that make the issue complicated. We have to accept that there are different answers for different people.

Here is one answer, translated from a post written by an American-raised Chinese on MITBBS (原贴):

I was eating lunch with a good friend (both a colleague and a classmate) a few days ago. He’s a true Englishman, having lived in England from birth through university. Although he’s now attending school with me in the United States, he naturally does so with the identity of an Englishman. Whereas I, as an ethnic Chinese person raised in the United States, have in his eyes been categorized as an “American”. And I will often correct him by saying “I’m Chinese”. This time, when the topic popped up again, he laughed and asked: “From your point of view, what is a Chinese person?”

I believe “Chinese” has three different meanings.

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