My China: My Fulbright

I recently read a historical novel (by Anchee Min) about Pearl S. Buck who led a remarkable life growing up in China during the early 1900s. She was a prolific writer who captured so deeply the heart and soul of China and the daily struggles its people went through during the turn of the century. Even though she was a foreigner, she spent her early years growing up in China (half of her life) until she was politically exiled from the country she cherished as her own. She eventually retired to a quiet community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania north of Philadelphia, and I plan to visit her house that is now a national historic site near the area where I live.

Her novel, The Good Earth, earned her both a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize for literature. It has been said about Pearl S. Buck that war and destruction pushed her to bring understanding among nations through her writings. In reading the cleverly construed novel, it has compelled me to learn more about this amazing woman who fought for the rights of orphans, the poor, and the handicapped (she had a daughter with developmental challenges). As I have learned more about her incredible life, I feel a kindred spirit with her because of her love for humanity and her heart for the beautiful country and people of China.

The first time I visited China about 14 years ago, it was a “knock your socks off" type of experience. China was so different than any other place I had ever experienced. I became enamored with the rhythm of the daily rituals and mystery of the unique language and meaning behind every stroke. The experiences – whether visiting a wet market in Wan Chai, Hong Kong; or attending a Chinese opera performance in Shanghai for the first time; or traveling to Inner Mongolia and riding a camel on the rolling grassland hills; or meeting a kind old man and chatting with him about his day while walking through the mountain village of Guang Yuan (where the massive earthquake occurred ten years ago), these experiences deepened my love and fascination with all things Chinese. I can understand, firsthand, the depth of feeling behind the stories that Pearl Buck wrote about her adoptive country. It’s a beautiful and captivating place because of its history, its culture, its language, its geography, and especially its kind-hearted people.

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I have lived abroad before, but this year as a Fulbright scholar was the most special year of my life. It has changed me forever – my experience has made me more open and less judgmental; more adventurous and less afraid; more easy-going and less impatient; more humble and less opinionated. When I talk with my other FB colleagues about their experiences, they will say the similar things – this is a truly brilliant way to develop world peace – one person – and one experience – at a time.

I write this blog with a sense of urgency – the Fulbright program that serves the world and aims to bring peace through education, friendship, and mutual understanding is in peril. Congress will vote soon to cut the Fulbright budget dramatically.

The deadline to sign a petition is JUNE 6th and the goal of 10,000 people has only been met halfway!

The June 6th deadline (75th anniversary of D-Day) serves as a reminder that the Fulbright Program was created as a force for peace after WWII. I apologize for writing so late but my efforts to time this just right and blog last week was impeded because the Internet was blocked for 5 days due to the 30th anniversary of the June 4th Movement.

But there is still time to help! Please click on this link Fulbright Petition (I just checked and it seems like it's STILL WORKING!) and in only a few seconds you can make a difference to ensure the future of Fulbright’s bold investment in leadership worldwide.

For more than 70 years, Fulbrighters have…

• Spread understanding and respect for American culture and values - - and the culture and values of people from other cultures coming to the USA as Fulbrighters.
• Built networks of friends that anchor American national security - - and doing the same by bringing people from other parts of the world to the USA as Fulbrighters.
• Brought expertise and critical language skills to every state in America - - many teachers from countries around the world come to teach their languages in the USA.

The Fulbright Program is the leading international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. To date, over 370,000 individuals have been sent around the world to participate in the cultures and lives of others as citizen-diplomats. It’s an honor to have served my country in this way and made many new friends with whom I will continue our relationship for the rest of my life. During my experience I have seen firsthand the multiplier effect through simple, little things that you don’t realize will have such a huge impact on other people - - and in return, have a huge impact on yourself:

• Helping students feel good about themselves by hanging back after class and taking the time to talk with them regarding things that were important to them.
• Being available after class for anyone who wanted to walk to the canteen and eat lunch together and talk about life.
• Working hard to adapt my lessons to fit the Chinese style of learning yet introducing new methods that would captivate and encourage them to learn about intercultural communication…and as they told me, to understand their culture better.
• Helping students study for their IELTs English proficiency test and then assisting them with applications for graduate study abroad.
• Helping colleagues with their journal manuscripts and conference papers by reading, commenting, and editing so that they could send to international journals.
• Writing letters of recommendations for students, and then excitedly being informed by one student that he got a huge scholarship to study at my former University which he confided in me how he grew to love bc of the stories I told about it! (Wow!)
• Helping a colleague (I met at one of the Universities where I was invited to speak) apply and then be accepted to be a Fulbright foreign language teacher in the USA. She leaves in August for the USA! Now she can have an amazing Fulbright experience and impact the lives of people she will meet. (Yay!)
• Being kind to people on the street when they stared at me out of curiosity because there were not a lot of foreigners in the area. A smile and an attempt at "ni hao" works wonders to build bridges within one's community.
• Learning the language so that I could communicate with people and join in their daily activities (like dancing in the parks at night with the older women). (Fun!)
• Becoming involved in the monthly lecture series at the US Consulate in Chengdu and spending time with attendees over coffee at a local café to discuss similarities and differences between our countries.

Sponsored by the US Government for over 70 years thanks to a bill proposed by J. William Fulbright immediately after WWII. “In 1945, Senator J. William Fulbright proposed a bill to use the proceeds from selling surplus U.S. government war property to fund international exchange between the U.S. and other countries. With the crucial timing of the aftermath of the Second War and with the pressing establishment of the United Nations, the Fulbright Program was an attempt to promote peace and understanding through educational exchange. The bill devised a plan to forgo the debts foreign countries amassed during the war and in return for funding an international educational program. It was through the belief that this program would be an essential vehicle to promote peace and mutual understanding between individuals, institutions, and future leaders wherever they may be.” (1)

Senator Fulbright has said, “The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.” (2)

Please take just a few moments and help save the Fulbright program and its necessary funding. Through this simple act of signing a petition, you will be helping save the world because of an amazingly creative program that promotes world peace through mutual understanding…one person at a time! Fulbright Petition

And, maybe someday you could become a Fulbright Scholar, Professional, or Administrator yourself and help promote mutual understanding somewhere in the world based upon your expertise and knowledge and willingness to serve! Please check out the Fulbright website and consider how you might serve your country…and the world. Fulbright Commission

Sources:

(1)  https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/history/early-years

(2)  https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/history/j-william-fulbright/j-william-fulbright-quotes