Better to Raise Geese than Girls

In October, Dave and I heard the following story on NPR.

The point of the story was to show how the Chinese government cracks down on activism.  The interview took place in an alley with paper over the windows.  The interviewer suggests that feminism could lead to governmental crackdowns and silencing.  Feng, the subject of the interview speaks of her three identities—activist, watchdog and thinker.   

The  NPR interviewer says:  “That trinity - activist, watchdog and thinker - forms the activist Feng is today. She runs a 24-hour hotline taking calls from women experiencing domestic or sexual violence. It's work that's done mostly in the shadows here.

(SOUNDBITE OF SWEEPING)

NPR Interviewer: I met Feng in one of old Beijing's hutong alleyways.

(CROSSTALK)

NPR Interviewer: She rushes me into a small room with these windows all covered up with black paper. Easier to talk with the door closed? Yeah.

FENG: Also, we don't know who...

NPR Interviewer: Is out there.   And this caution, it's for good reason. In recent years, feminist organizers have been harassed by authorities. Just planning a seminar now can land you in jail. Still, Feng says she's very proud to call herself a feminist, even though in China that word is loaded.

FENG: (Through interpreter) For many ordinary Chinese people, the word feminism is still a derogatory term. Like, a feminist is someone who is aggressive, disliked by men, a woman who is radical.

 NPR Interviewer:  Which feels like such a stark departure from 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. Back then, the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, promised to elevate gender equality. It pushed through laws ensuring women equal pay and the right to divorce. But today, Feng says, so much has changed.

This interview—like a lot of reporting on China from the west—doesn’t ring true with my experiences teaching women between the ages of 18-22.   In the final class, we read a chapter from Maxine Hong Kingston’s Woman Warrior--a chapter that is included in the students' American Literature anthology   The novel is very clearly feminist.  And the students were extremely open and able to discuss it. 

Here is a quick summary of the chapter, “White Tigers,” provided by Clove (E73), one of my students:

WhiteTigers consists mainly two parts: the fantasy part and the reality part. The fantasy part revolves around the narrator’s dream of becoming a warrior woman, Mulan (Fa Mu Lan in Chinese). Following a mysterious bird, she is taken to a hut in the mountains where she meets an old couple. They want to train her to become a female warrior in fifteen years so that she can avenge for her village. The girl agrees and is trained in the ways of the Tiger and the Dragon. In the tiger lessons, she learns how to be quiet and fasts for days.  She then begins to take her dragon lessons, in which she exercises her fighting skills and learns to enlarge her minds.

After finishing her training, she returns home to avenge for her village. In order to prepare for her fighting, the girl’s parents carve oaths of revenge on her back. As one of the leaders of the peasant uprising, she fights fearlessly, beheads the emperor, catches the evil baron and executes his associates. She then returns home with all the glories she has achieved. Her son, families, and villagers are all proud of her.

The reality part  of the chapter tells about the narrator’s life now, living the life of an immigrant in California with her Chinese American family. She gets A’s in school but is dismissed by her mother. Her family had been criticized a lot by their emigrant villagers for not having a boy. Her great-uncle only takes boys out and girls can only stay at home. What’s worse, there are racist bosses and businessmen that bother her very much. At the end of the story, the narrator compares herself with the swordswoman, Fa Mu Lan, saying her words can be her weapons to fight against all the discriminations. 

 When asked to write about the piece, the students were asked to pick out three key quotes, and then explain why they chose them.  They were also given the option of guessing at what Kingston is “witnessing” or criticizing.

Clove (E73)  chose passages from the beginning -- when the narrator's mother taught her the myth -- the middle -- when Mulan defeats the emperor, and the end,  when the contemporary Mulan is a Chinese immigrant in America, unable to act.   In each, she articulates a strong and positive perspective of feminism.  

The Novel: “I had forgotten this chant that was once mine, given me by my mother, who may not have known its power to remind. She said I would grow up a wife and a slave, but she taught me the song of the warrior woman, Fa Mu Lan. I would have to grow up a warrior woman (1).”

Clove's response:  The narrator hears conflicting messages from her mother about the role of women. On one hand, her mother says that girls are born to be wives who serve their husbands and raise children. On the other hand, her mother tells her about the story of the brave woman warrior, Fa Mu Lan, planting a dream in the girl’s heart to become a fighter. A huge contrast between the luminous fantasy and the harsh reality can be seen from her mother’s words. Although traditional Chinese parents are willing to tell their kids about Fa Mu Lan’s great story, they do not believe that girls can make achievements in their real life. This discrimination can be seen in an old Chinese proverb, saying a woman without talent is virtuous. But one should never underestimate the power of fantasy. It is Fa Mu Lan’s story that makes the narrator want to overcome the bias.

The Novel:  “I went home to my parents-in-law and husband and son. My son stared, very impressed by the general he had seen in the parade, but his father said, “It’s your mother. Go to your mother.” My son was delighted that the shiny general was his mother too. She gave him her helmet to wear and her swords to hold (14).”

Clove's response:   It seems that roles of genders are reversed in the above quote. The narrator, a woman, returns home with glories after fighting for her village as a general while her husband stays at home and takes care of the family. This shows the charming part of a fantasy, in which characters can choose their life as they wish without caring other people’s judgments. In her fantasy, the narrator is a warrior who makes great achievements, a wife loved by her husband, and a mother admired by her son. She is a winner not only in her career, but also in her family and life. But can this be achieved in the narrator’s real life? I do not think so. She says that her American life disappoints her very much with her racist bosses and judgmental neighbors and families.

The Novel:  “The swordswoman and I are not so dissimilar. May my people understand the resemblance soon so that I can return to them (17).”

Clove's Response:  By saying that she and the swordswoman are not so dissimilar, the narrator means that they both have weapons to fight against all the biases around the world. “My people” refer to women or emigrants who are discriminated and can be extended into all the minorities confronted with unjust treatments. Fa Mu Lan’s weapon is her sword that kills villains while the narrator’s weapon is her powerful language. When she learnt that her boss deliberately chose racist restaurants for banquets, she refused to type the invitations. Although she was fired for that, she had defended her dignity as a human being. White Tigers is an example of how powerful the narrator’s language can be. It claims that even girls can have ambitions and opportunities to realize their dreams. We are not kids raised for strangers but individuals who want to master our own life.

As you can see from this lengthy passage,  my students don't shy away from political issues or resist discussing  feminism.   In fact, when given the choice, Clove has chosen the three most political and feminist quotes in the book. So, I honestly don't understand the point that  the NPR piece was trying to make! 

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Feminism is something that is hard to talk about with US students.  They, like their Chinese counterparts, sometimes see strength as strident and resistance as recalcitrance.  In this same assignment,  Estella criticized the Chinese American narrator.   The character says proudly:   “I refused to cook. When I had to wash dishes, I would crack one or two. “Bad girl,” my mother yelled, and sometimes that made me gloat rather than cry. Isn’t a bad girl almost a boy.”

Estella's analysis suggests that she thinks that the central narrator is not the best role model:

The author has to face the double dilemma of racial discrimination and sexual discrimination. She was struggling to reject family expectations and authority and to find new values. I admire her persistence and courage. But I think sometimes she goes to extremes, like refusing to do the dishes. The essence of feminism is the pursuit of gender equality. In a family, both men and women should bear corresponding responsibilities. Men and women cannot escape. A woman shouldn't do all the housework doesn't mean a woman should not do any housework. What she should pursue is that everyone, male or female, does the housework equally.

Chloe E72 disagrees.   She looks at the same passage, but instead sees the American immigrant as similar to the historic Mulan, leading the Chinese army against the emperor.   In the novel, the American narrator's immigrant neighbors reflect:    "I don't know. Bad, I guess. You know how girls are. 'There's no profit in raising girls. Better to raise geese than girls.'  ..."I would hit her if she were mine. But then there's no use wasting all that discipline on a girl.' When you raise girls, you're raising children for strangers.'"

Chloe sees these lines as sad:  "These words fully demonstrate the traditional preference for sons over daughters rooted in people's hearts. Until now, many people still think that girls' education is useless because they will marry. In this novel, I saw the imaginary heroism of the girl leading the army, and then saw this poor reality, I felt very sad and ironic. Girls should be independent, brave and treated equally.

Yasmine offers a  historical explanation for why girls are devalued.   

Yasmine:   For one thing, in China's ancient yeoman farming economy, men could undertake more physical labor and, accordingly, had a higher status in the family. In addition, violence was a major tool of dynastic change and social reform in ancient times. The role of men in the war was superior to that of women, so the ruling class was mostly male.  

Also, mainstream thoughts in ancient China, such as Confucianism, and Song and Ming dynasties, all had the ideological oppression on women. Therefore, the idea of son preference has been prevalent in China since the feudal society. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, such prejudice is still really hard to change immediately. This passage shows the harm of son preference from a young girl's point of view. A string of questions, along with accusations of parental favoritism, has led us to think about gender equality.

This feels like a nice response to the NPR interviewer.   While the interview in the back alleyway pinned the blame for anti-activism on the Communist Party, my student provides a more nuanced opinion.  Change is  hard.  We  see that in America, too.  For every step forward, there is a backlash or a step sideways or a correction.  For laws that encourage equal pay, there are those who undermine those laws. My student ends noting that:   

[Maxine Hong Kingston] witnesses the plight of a Chinese girl, the oppression of her parents and relatives who preferred sons over daughters, the unequal treatment or insult because of racial discrimination, the difficulty of finding a sense of belonging in the American society while going back to China is impossible. She witnesses the girl's confusion and helplessness, as well as her anger, dissatisfaction and her dream of fighting like the swords-woman in the myth and changing the status quo. She criticizes prejudice and discrimination against women, as well as racial discrimination.

Some of you may know that Disney recently made a movie about the Chinese hero Mulan, who is the same female hero in this story. Cathy (E73)  tied the strength that she saw in Hong-Kingston’s Mulan to Mulan as represented in the Disney movie.  She first mentions the passage where the narrator realizes that, although her immigrant mother was conflicted about having a girl, she still was the person who taught the young narrator about women’s strength:  “I had forgotten this chant that was once mine, given me by my mother, who may not have known its power to remind. She said I would grow up a wife and a slave, but she taught me the song of the warrior woman, Fa Mu Lan.”

Cathy’s interpretation: “I am impressed by the quote as it shows the impact of representation, especially the representations of those who are at disadvantage.”  In other words, celebrating female heroes is important.  She continues:  “It is a stereotype that women are always needed to be protected, and they are born to be wives and do housework. Growing up in a society where the system of sexism works, it is inevitable for girls to have such stereotype rooted in their minds. But powerful female figures, like Mu Lan, can be a inspiration as it tells women that their lives have more possibilities.”   She then defends the Disney Mulan:  “[Disney] Mu Lan is the only character that has nothing to do with the royal family in the series of Disney Princess, and some think she shouldn’t be in this product line. However, her bravery, determination, intelligence and achievement make her a princess in a broader sense. “        

In conclusion, Dorothy summarizes the central points of the chapter.  In doing so, she clearly articulates a feminist perspective:

Gender inequality has been a serious problem in many countries and deep-rooted feudal ideology tortures women in every way. Mothers may be forced to abort their daughters or watch their families abandon the newborns. If the girls “fortunately” get the opportunity to live, they might be raised up as nannies or money-makers. When they grow into working women, they will face sexual harassment and work discrimination. “She talks too much.” “She must be the mistress of the boss.” “Why does she insist working when she is pregnant? Go home and be a housewife!” “A woman working hard like her must not get married.”...Things are much worse for the writer because she is a Chinese living in the U.S.. She must have heard words like “Go back to China! You don’t belong here!” “You occupy my homeland so you don’t deserve equality!”...The U.S. has been proud of “freedom” and “human rights” for hundreds of years, yet we have George Floyd killed by the police for no reason. When people have no “freedom” or “rights” to be the master of their own lives, how can they possess the courage to live on? With all forms of communication increasing worldwide, xenophobia is definitely not one of the means of promoting social progress. We are the people of a shared future and we should work together to make a better world for next generations, regardless of gender, color or age.

To return to the NPR interview, the secretive feminist reflects:  “For many ordinary Chinese people, the word feminism is still a derogatory term. Like, a feminist is someone who is aggressive, disliked by men, a woman who is radical.”   This is true in America, as well. However, when asked to write about it, my students were open and interested.  I received no sense from anyone that this was a taboo subject.

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As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the final assignment in my American Literature class was:

So, two parts:  1. A rant
                         2. A poem

Most of my students wrote about the issues suggested – ecology, climate change, sexism, global conflicts.    Several wrote about issues of feminism.  Here is Dina’s rant and poem.  I think it nicely captures the spirit of this post:

MY RANT:

“The greatest failure of women is by giving birth, your beauty and slender figure couldn’t remain perfect over time. Then the greatest happiness is to be surrounded by children.” This ridiculous comment was made by a net friend about a video clip of the famous female dancer, Yang Liping. It irritated hundreds of females in China. She herself and many other famous female artists, and singers expressed their indignation towards this absurd view online. I was no exception.

 Living in this free and equal time, what kinds of people still have this decay and impenetrable idea? This is not only an issue about sexism but also about people’s freedom. We are born to have different body structures which couldn’t be decided by ourselves, but we do have freedom to decide what kind of lives we will have. Being women doesn’t mean we have to give birth; it’s our privileges but not duty. Does any single male ever feel the pain of giving birth? Do any of them know the feeling of being out-of-shape after delivery? No, none of them know. Prejudices not only exist when we don’t want to give birth, but also when we don’t want to get married, when we try to work in some fields that underrepresented by women, etc. We have suffered a lot that we shouldn’t have, just because we aren’t similar with males physically. We think the society and people around us have accepted the fact that there is nothing different, man isn’t superior to woman. Why the world is still inundated with those ignorant, stupid and discriminated words?

We are females.  We do have the faculty to give birth, to create lives; but we do that only because we want, never because we should.

THE POEM

              I Want to ……

I couldn’t help thinking of that terrible night.

The speeding black car driven by my uncle,

four of us crowded in it,

if counting the new life in the belly, actually, five.

Outside, the rustle of aspen leaves,

 the fierce sound made by the car

 the chilly winter wind whispered.

We all were nervous.

Inside, the twisted look,

the groan of pain of my aunt

made by the coming of her baby,

We all were anxious.

We spared no effort comforting her.

 Except the elegant woman—her mother-in-law.

No comforting word! No worry! No concern!

              “Dear god! Please let me have a baby boy!

                                                          I want to name him as……

                                                                                           I want to buy him fancy toys.”

All expressed her wish of having a grandson.

               “I want to let him go to top five kindergarten;

                                     I want to let him learn to play an instrument;

                                                              I want to……Please don’t be a girl!”

These murmurs annoyed us, hurt my aunt,

faded as the car stopped.

The old lady’s voice was swallowed by the wind,

as doctors took away my aunt.

Here are some of the strong women from E72 who inspired me over the past year.

Students from EF81 who were also strong women