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I'm Jack Tabor and this is the English 102 podcast and today in the studio,
I have Professor Jing Huang
and she's here to talk to you and to me
about America and Americans.
So Jing, tell us about America and Americans.
Where do you want to begin?
Prof Tabor - It's a big question. Dr. Huang - It's a huge question.
So where do we start?
First Jack ,thank you so much for having me here
and I really appreciate that.
In thinking of America and Americans,
I think America has the most movies in the world probably.
and mostly the best movies in the world.
I say this with some hesitating
I told my class, shut off your TV
do the homework and you get a better grade. And they probably think "What are you watching?"
I do watch some TV and I watch some movies.
Especially i'd like to recommend this one, it's called
"Extraordinary Measures"
So in this movie,
There is Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford and it's based on a true story.
This family has two children who have
severe diseases and
the father pleaded to the scientists and
to find a cure for this disease and unbelievably, it was done.
That's one part.
The other part is that by coincidence,
I happen to live in the same school district as the family
and I attended the eighth grade graduation ceremony for the daughter.
It just brought me into tears and I believe a lot of other people too,
to watch this girl in her wheelchair
go across the stage and she's received
her graduation diploma. It's just touching and it's not possible
anywhere else in the world.
You bring up this story to talk a little bit of what can happen in America.
Her father works very hard to help find a cure for her
and actually is successful in doing it.
That's part of the story.
She is cured.
And in the story we're talking about, not only is she cured, but
she's really embraced by her community.
You saw this as being a really prime example
of what America means.
So what is that exactly, in your mind?
What is it that can
be achieved in America?
Not that these things can't be achieved in other places in the world certainly
It's just that you really see this as being a fundamental difference.
Is it the idea of community?
Is the idea of setting oneself to a task? What is it that you saw in that?
I see in this that America is
very special in
the valuing of diversity.
Not just value, I think diversity is really celebrated in America.
and that goes beyond. To understand diversity...
My first reaction is that diversity is that we like to eat different foods. That's diversity.
Maybe we
speak a different second language, that's diversity.
Then there's the man/woman gender difference, that's diversity.
I think in America it goes way beyond that.
For people with disabilities in America, they are so respected.
I think this is an example. Ihe school has all kinds of
accommodation
to make it possible for the students to learn so much and grow
and mature, just like other kids.
In your experience being a professor here at Mercer,
how have you encounterd this same kind of diversity here
as a teacher working with students?
That's a very interesting question.
I think it's like a work in progress. I don't think we have
achieved everything yet.
But when I started teaching in the classroom I did understand
the need to accommodate diversity
but my thinking was just like, "Some may not understand English very well."
So we need to put thing in writing so that we'll help them
In fact it when I started graduate school in this country, I did not speak a
word and I did not understand a word, because I learned English mostly from
myself and the use of British textbooks
and Chinese teachers.
We have nobody to talk to and it's really difficult, so I could understand that part easily
But it's really later after working with many of my colleagues here, for
example recently we're working on a
committee
and we talked a lot about diversity such as students who have
different learning styles. So i'm thinking that
in America, even your learnings styles
are taken into consideration by the professors when they design the class,
so that the class will provide everybody that best opportunity to learn.
So I think that's really very special.
So a real drive to consider all different kinds of people
and include them in this sense of community
and it's not just race or ethnicity.
So what you're saying is that
what really defines Amerca and Americans
is this real sensitivity to...
If I say it's a sensitivity to differences, it's not just that we understand that
there are differences
and that's fine. There is room for everyone here in this country.
I agree with you. It goes beyond sensitivity.
It's really empowering all kinds of people and that's truly very special.
Previously when we were talking,
we were talking about when you first came to the United States and you went to U.C. Irivin.
That's where you studied and went to graduate school.
Talk to me a little bit about...
That was when you came to the United States from China
Decribe a moment where
you really realized
This is America. This is what America means.
Talk about a moment where that
really became defined in your mind.
My plane landed, I found lots of things
interesting. Irvine California is a very interesting place. It's a neat town.
Tabor: California is a very interesting place. Huang: California is a VERY interesting place.
Tabor: I went to U.C. Berkeley. It's a VERY interesting place.
Huang: Isn't it? [laughing]
So first, that's a shock, with all these flowers all around and I was thinking "Where am I?"
And then the weather. I did not take out my umbrella for six months, maybe.
So it's like, everything is so perfect and the people are nice.
We had our first quantum mechanics class I remember this professor,
his name is Roger Williams
He literally walked in with flip flops and floral pants. I mean FLORAL PANTS.
He'd just come back from a surfing trip and I was pretty shocked.
Tabor: And this is your Esteemed Professor. I take it that in China
your professor doesn't wear flip flops and floral pants.
Huang: No. Not really.
But it's really something else we saw that truly shocked us.
I mean, hit me and my officemates.
We started grad school at the same time and we happened to be roommates too.
One day, and this is after the San Francisco earthquake of 1989,
Our offices moved to these trailers
and hte trailers are extremely noisy. If somebody walked by, you would hear
this thumping stomping sound.
So one day there was one student coming
actually, in a wheelchair.
Of course, then we saw his hair all colored in different colors and shades
but we already got used to that. We got over that part of the culture shock.
But he came up and he didn't really see us
But he came up with this bright sunny smile on his face
with the wheelchair, and we looked at each other,
my office mate and I, we looked at each other and said
"Wow!"
This is different. America is different. Everybody has a chance, has opportunity,
and you really are
I say, empowered
to get over your difficulties.
Being physical or any other form of difficulties or differences .
So we promised to each other in our life, ever since that point,
we're going to always remember this moment and we're going to always try to put on
our best smile
in the face of any situation.
So in that sense, it's
one of the reasons i'd really
like this movie. I think in America
diversity is so valued and
everybody's encouraged to succeed.
If you put up
a big effort or, extraordinary measures,
you are going to succeed.
and it's possible.
probably only in America. That's very special, I think.
Jing, thank you so much.
Thank you so much Jack
for the opportunity, I appreciated it.