A view from the other side about this case

From http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/others/jump18.html

As a PhD student in traditional Chinese history, now studying in one of America’s distinguished universities, I think I want to say a few words at this moment.

Sure, I do not know Zihui Tang or her advisor personally, and do not know the details of this incident except for Tang’s own account. So my point here is not conclusive, but only tentative.
What Tang is talking about is no surprise to me.

1. I have heard from professors around who keep complaining helplessly that they can do very little about a Chinese student, once they enrolled him/her. At first, I was very confused, because I naively assumed that since the university has the right to drop a student if the university finds out the student fails to meet the lingusitic or academic standard here. Those professors only replied by say: We cannot drop a Chinese student, who will use whatever means and moblize whatever resources they have in order to stay. This is a pressure they can hardly stand. Now I know why they say so. To drop a student cannot always be described discrmination. Before this is ascertained, neither the Chinese community nor the consulate should step in. We cannot believe a student simply he/she is a Chinese — this does not necessarily mean that she is an opportunist who is cheating us; indeed, sometimes people think too high of themselves and blame too much on others before they themselves know it.

2. Language issue: I did not take extra courses in spoken English or expository writing after my enrollment in the university. But I do know that many students are asked to do so — a decision which I think is absolutely justifiable. In such language courses, one will obviously be asked to write something not directly related with their narrow academic specialty. Nothing can be complained about this. I also know that many students actually fail meet the language standards even after they finish the language course. Professors do not necesarily expel these students as I mentioned above; but if they do, they are justified in doing so. Lack of proficiency in language is a big deal — unlike students in natural sciences, we rely heavily on our language skills to lead disccusions in our TA jobs. Undergraduates are complaining frequently about this. So when a professor does not expel such a student, he/she is protecting (even harboring) that student — and under great pressure.

3. Academic training: A master’s degree at a Chinese university does not count here. Even a master’s degree from most American universities does not count at top universities. No surprise. Examples are numerous. The training in Chinese history at Chinese universities is so different (if not necessarily inferior– which I personally think often is). I actually know a student (who almost got a PhD in a more distinguished Chinese university than Nankai) who failed the qualifying examinations the first time, anyway. A master’s degree from Nankai really does not mean anything; straight A’s do not mean anything.As for Prof. Mazumdar, I do not know her personally either. But as a student working a field closely related with Mazumdar’s early research, I know she is a great professor (at least in judged by her academic achievements, if not her cahracter). The first time I read her dissertation-book “Sugar and Society,” I just got so amazed, which is empirically rich and well-grounded, theoretically challanging, and takes earlier schoalrships by Elvin and Philip Huang amogn others very seriously. That is a book on socio-economic history of late imperial China I only rarely see. Her later research turns towards women studies and post-colonial discourse (if I remember correctly), which I am not familiar with and do not want to comment.

I am not sure what Zihui Tang is working on. She might be working on gender studies or economic history. But for such an accomplished professor as Mazumdar to feel unsatified with Tang’s work is no surprise. More probably, I might say Mazumdar might be a strict instructor, but I don’t think she can be criticized for discriminating based on nothing but this incident.
Someone above mentioned different interpretations of Chinese philosophy. This does not make any sense at all. No need to say that American scholarship has a lot to teach Chinese students on Chinese intellectual history. It suffices here to note that Tang is very likely to be working on anything remotely related to Chinese philosophy. Mazumdar is working on socioeconomic history of Southeastern China (particularly Guangdong and Taiwan) and gender studies in late imperial and modern eras.

I said my arguments are tentative, given my lack of personal acquaintance with either Tang or her advisor and my igorance of the details of the incident.

I only want to say we simply should not support anyone because he or she is a Chinese. In view of the complaints I heard from professors noted above, I can sense their frustrations when they encounter such issues. I don’t assume they are discriminating against Chinese (which I personally think is far less likely for a professor who specializes in Chinese history and has first-hand knowledge of its successes and problems, than for a professor, say, in natural sciences who might never been to China and often does not speak the language, etc.). But IF WE DO ACT IRRATIONALLY TO SUPPORT SOMEONE WITHOUT FURTHER KNOWLEDGE, I think they will begin to think low of us fellow Chinese, maybe as if we are riffraffs.

Enough. I have no personal grudges with Miss. Tang and am not eager to drive her out of the States, nor do I want to curry favor with Prof. Mazumdar. What I am really concerned is that professors will think low of my fellow Chinese, if we react to normal decisions by framing them as “racism or discriminations” and exerting unwarranted pressures, and will choose to admit as few Chinese students as possible in the future. Mazumdar is working on the colonial and post-colonial discourse, and once co-wrote an article titled “Race, Orient, Nation in the Time-Space of Modernity.” I think I can assume she knows much more about what racism and discrimination is than most of us here. Do not let her laugh at us Chinese or the Chinese diplomats (should the embassy step in, as someone hopes), OK?