US academic Wu Guo looks into what makes Chinese scholars a success in the US. Were they already considered a talent in China before heading to the US, or did they become talents only after completing their studies in the US? And while these Chinese scholars have gained recognition in the US, they are still anxious about being “seen” by mainstream American academics and building rapport with their American students.
Society
Commentator Wu Guo notes how Ivy League schools in the US have churned out people who are academically brilliant, but unable to connect with real life or relate to real issues around them. Such indifference is symptomatic of US elites from top backgrounds.
Society
Academic Wu Guo notes that ethnic politics is fundamentally a narrative and institutional tool dominated by the ethnic majority. He looks at how white elites in the US shaped the politics of demographic categorisation and identity labels in the country and at their attempts to stir up identity politics in other countries. He asks: are the very people classified as "people of colour" aware of these issues or are they just as guilty of racism and having a tendency towards "social Darwinism"?
Politics
Academic Wu Guo notes that if Chinese academics in the West are unable to get out of their narrow-minded “box stuffed with Chinese-ness” worldview and stop evaluating individuals based on the sole criterion of improving China-US relations, it may be difficult to have a truly insightful global dialogue.
Society
Issues such as gender diversity and environmental protection seem to be too abstract for first-generation Chinese immigrants in the US, who see these problems as having no impact on day-to-day life. US academic Wu Guo mulls over the reasons why this group of new immigrants, for all their desires to be part of the American education system, is a staunch detractor of progressive ideals that are part and parcel of the system itself.
Society
US-based academic Wu Guo visited his friends and relatives in China after the lifting of Covid restrictions. Based on his observations and interactions, he shares his worries that most Chinese only have one single source of information, and live in a world of simplified Chinese characters, which could result in them developing a distorted and illusory view of the world.
Society
Wu Guo notes that local governments in the US are rarely intrusive in the lives of residents, often getting involved only in matters of taxation, public environment and public health. But corruption and dereliction of duty does exist too, and Chinese immigrants may miss that if they do not cast off their utopian blinkers.
Society
Asians are generally known to be humble, tend to keep a low profile, and not strive for leadership positions. However, US academic Wu Guo argues that perhaps it is time for ethnic Chinese to take a leaf from white Americans’ book and learn to be confident enough to step up.
Politics
Political rising star and possible candidate for future US president Ron DeSantis has set off a public debate on racism and its place in the American education system. But beneath the public backlash lies the perennial tussle between the conservative right and progressive left. While the US’s polarised state is a given, is the US society shifting further towards the right?