An Impression of Modern China Through a Pair of American Eyes
- CCEF series "Margaret's Journals of Modern China" completed with 27
articles.
By Scanews staff
Margaret Johnson, Professor of St. Louis Community College, was the first
exchange scholar between Forest Park Community College and Hunan Normal
University in China. She returned with many insights and personal
experiences after spending over 4 months in inland China of Changsha
during the fall of 2000. Without any knowledge of Chinese language and a
less comfortable environment and only equipped with a passion for China,
she ventured through Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, and as far as to Urimuqi
which is the most northwestern province and located on the old Silk Road.
Her journal was sponsored by the Chinese Culture and Education Foundation
(CCEF) and published in St. Louis Chinese American News from September 16,
2001 and the last article was completed on March 7, 2002, a total of 27
articles. All of these articles, both in English and Chinese
translation, can be seen on www.ccefoundation.org/publication/margaret.
She paced every corner not only within the campus of Hunan Normal University, but walked through streets, big and small, talked to students
in classrooms and on one-to-one, heart-to-heart in her guest house. She
visited middle class Chinese homes and witnessed very impoverished
Chinese peasants life, enjoyed a glorious holidays full of luxury in
Shanghai, and celebrated her 60th birthday with streams of friends and
roomful of students, with cards, flowers and much goodwill. Her respect
for the Chinese people and their culture deepened and felt close
and connected to many people when saying good-bye became such a hard thing to
do. She devoted 4 articles to biding farewell to many people who have
become friends.
CCEF would like to thank Prof. Grace Liu for her introduction of Prof.
Johnson to the Chinese American community. Prof. Johnson revealed her
feelings honestly and described China and its people with a different
angle. Not only readers in St. Louis shared her laughter and surprises,
distress and worries, professors and students thousands of miles away at
Hunan Normal University followed her article by article via Internet to
read at www.scanews.com.
When the delegation of Hunan Normal University visited St. Louis last January, Dr. Patricia
Nichols, President of St. Louis Forest Park Community College, showed "Margaret's Journals of Modern China" to
Chinese visitors. Everyone felt Margaret Johnson has linked St. Louis and
Changsha through her vivid writing. Local Chinese readers have enjoyed
stories translated into Chinese by Ms. Hai-Wen Chu. In order to carry the
messages as close as possible between two languages, Hai-Wen and Margaret
often discussed in length and revised many times before the final proof.
Many readers expressed interest and commented on Margaret's Journals via
Internet and emails. Prof. Johnson decided to respond by sharing her
Chinese cultural experiences with readers and her closing article is
published on this week of St. Louis Chinese American News, both in Chinese and English.
CCEF carries the mission to promote Chinese culture and heritage, to
cultivate mutual understanding between Chinese Americans and the general
public with a goal to bring togetherness and enrichment to our diversified
culture, and will continue to publish and to sponsor similar projects.
CCEF welcome comments and supports. Please visit our website at
www.ccefoundation.org. |
