How Authentic Is American Chinese Food?

Photo Credit: yorkd

From Mental Floss:

"If you showed one of these iconic white pails to people in China, they might scratch their heads. The little boxes were patented on November 13, 1894 in Chicago by the not-so-Chinese inventor Frederick Weeks Wilcox (who wanted to improve the wooden oyster pails commonly used to transport raw mollusks from fish markets). They’re distinctly American—as is the takeout packed inside them. 

Chinese restaurants first started popping up in America in the mid-1800s when immigrants—mostly from present-day Guangzhou—flocked to California during the Gold Rush. The eateries spread, and by the 1920s, Chinese restaurants were featuring two menus: one with traditional fare; the other an Americanized version. The latter menu, which featured foods doused in sweet, salty, syrupy sauces, became a cuisine all its own. 

For example, the broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and yellow onions found at American Chinese restaurants aren’t part of traditional Chinese cooking. (Tomatoes and broccoli aren’t even native to China!) That General Tso’s chicken you adore? American. Those fortune cookies? Not just American, but based on Japanese crackers. Chinese food is so ingrained in American culture that there are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than there are McDonald’s."

What we view as culturally authentic may really not be when distinctiveness is sacrificed in order to gain mass appeal.

U.S. To Be Most Popular Destination for Foreign Students

Photo Credit: Easten Law

From Karin Fischer of The Chronicle of Higher Education:

"The United States is projected to be the largest and fastest-growing destination for foreign students over the next decade, according to a report released on Tuesday by the British Council's Education Intelligence global-research service. 

But American universities' heavy reliance on students from China and India could make them vulnerable if an economic slowdown in those and other emerging countries put a college degree—particularly a costly foreign diploma—out of the reach of many families. India and China are predicted to account for fully two-thirds of the growth in international students at American institutions from 2011 to 2024, the research shows. 

Worldwide, the two countries are expected to contribute 35 percent of total foreign-student growth during the forecast period. 

The report, "The Future of the World's Mobile Students to 2024," examines the demographic and economic drivers of higher-education enrollments in 56 countries. Its authors project that overall enrollments will climb by 32 million, or 1.4 percent per year, to 196 million globally. 

By 2024, nearly 3.9 million students will study outside their home countries, up from about three million in 2011, according to forecasts by the council, the British government's educational and cultural arm. (Because of data availability, that figure may include students who are not citizens of the country in which they are studying even if they already were living there.) 

One-third of those globally mobile students will hail from either India or China. 

While the number of Chinese students going overseas will continue to grow, the report suggests, the rate of increase is likely to slow compared with recent years. From 2009 to 2011, the number of outbound Chinese students shot up by 150,000, although an earlier British Council study had forecast a far-smaller increase, of just 13,000. 

In the next decade, the number of Chinese students pursuing an international degree is expected to climb by a more modest 132,000, to 855,000."

To read the rest of the article please click here.

(HT: Trae Vacek)

What A Coffee Purchase Teaches Us About Humility & Leadership

Photo Credit: Center for American Progress

It is doubtful that Ambassador Gary Locke, U.S. Ambassador to China, anticipated the news that would be generated by his purchase of an airport Starbucks coffee but it has caught the attention of those he serves.

Locke, the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history when he held that office for the state of Washington from 1997-2005, caught the media's attention when he was recently photographed at the Seattle-Tacoma airport carrying his own backpack and attempting to purchase a coffee through the use of a coupon. You can see the photo here.

For those of us that are Americans, we may not understand what the fuss is all about but for the citizens of China, the country that he relates to as a representative of the United States, it has caused a stir. Look at what Chen Weihua, a writer for the China Daily, has to say on the matter:

"To many Americans, there was probably nothing unusual about this. But to most Chinese people, the scene was so unusual it almost defied belief.

How could someone who holds the rank of an ambassador to a big country not have someone to carry his luggage, and not use a chauffeured limousine. In China even a township chief, which is not really that high up in the hierarchy, will have a chauffeur and a secretary to carry his bag.

Watching this episode, many Chinese people might start to wonder if the people at the US embassy in Beijing in charge of arranging Locke's reception would keep their jobs.

I am sure they did given another photo of Locke that was circulated by netizens [active members of online communities]. It features Locke, with the same backpack he was carrying at the airport, apparently trying to buy a cup of Starbucks coffee with a coupon at the Seattle airport. When the coupon wasn't accepted, he paid with his credit card.

"Why was there no one to buy a coffee for the boss?" many Chinese netizens asked."

Ambassador Locke demonstrates an important lesson for us in humility and in leadership. When appointed to a position of public service, the expectation is that we would serve our constituents. All too often, however, the roles get reversed and those of us in leadership positions ask others to serve us.

As great as the example that Ambassador Locke has shown us, Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what it means to be a servant leader. From John 13:

"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. ..."You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

There are many ways that a leader can be described but one of the best ways is as one who serves others.

China, Human Rights and American Slavery

With the Beijing Olympics going on right now, the world's stage is in China. Along with the attention given to the well-done opening ceremonies and the dominance of Michael Phelps, is the focus being placed on human rights violations by the Chinese government. President Bush has addressed this and the abuses directed towards Christians in China has been well documented.

Although it is proper for these abuses in China to get addressed to a watching world, I find that many Americans are quick to forget our country's own sordid history when it comes to human rights violations.

The harsh reality is that our present position in the world as a wealthy superpower came in large part as a result of human rights violations, namely towards the indigenous peoples of this land we now call the United States, as well as Africans that were forced into slavery. Although we should recognize the culpability of the Chinese government when it comes the treatment of its citizens, we would do well to not forget our own past.

When it comes to slavery, many nowadays are quick to stereotype those in former slave states as the main culprits during the sad chapter of American history when human beings were treated as chattel. While it is true that plantations in the South were where slaves lived and worked, not all Southerners were involved in the slave trade. And while it is true that there were some in the North that were active abolitionists, some were heavily involved in slavery.

Thanks to Racilicious I came across a story that shares the inside scoop on a family from the North that was one of the most prominent families involved in the U.S. slave trade. Having never really questioned how her family came to such affluence, Katrina Browne eventually learned the full extent to which her family had been involved as slave traders. Her research led her to contact a number of her relatives who joined her in examining this aspect of their family's history. Browne is also the producer, director, and writer of "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North", a PBS movie which chronicles her journey of discovery about her family, the DeWolfs. The article mentions how it benefited Browne's family:

"Even though none of the modern DeWolfs directly inherited any money made during the slave trade, there is a definite sense that their current affluence is a result of their ancestry. The DeWolfs' influence was so far-reaching that President Thomas Jefferson gave them a dispensation to continue trading slaves after it became illegal in 1808. It's hard to ignore that this kind of elite status typically sustains itself for generations; many members of Browne's group, including Browne herself, attended Ivy League schools and lead very affluent lives."

You can read the article here.

In contrast to what Katrina Browne learned, I found out a little personal history when it comes to the slave trade and it was surprisingly positive. My hometown of Port Huron, Michigan recently celebrated 150 years of existence. Not only is it a beautiful location on the St. Clair River, it was home to Terry McMillan (author of popular books like "Waiting to Exhale" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back") and inventor Thomas Edison. It was also one of the last major stops on The Underground Railroad before runaway slaves left the United States and entered into Canada.

As much as I am ashamed of the mistreatment of African Americans in our country, I can take some pride in knowing that the town I grew up in was a place of refuge and hope for those seeking freedom. Maybe some of that rubbed off on me...