Fighting For Free Press

I think I need to clarify my previous post just a little bit.  I'm afraid it may have given the impression that I feel angry, misled or deceived.  I assure you, that was not my intention.

I know that my great-grandfather and grandfather were true journalists in the context that they were allowed.  Unfortunately, they were not given the freedom to do what the profession is meant to do.

My great-grandfather believed it was his duty in life to fight for his country.  In fact, he had dreams about being a soldier and fighting for China.  That's why he accepted a teaching position at a military school in Wuhan.  At one point, he even joined the war to unify China.  (*history note: in the early 20th century, China was split into many many areas of land run by warlords.  All the warlords were fighting against each other.  The country was a mess.  So the initial revolution involved Chiang Kai-shek AND the Communists.  Their overall goal was to unify China.  Of course, each had ulterior motives.  They wanted to unify China under their own rule.  It wasn't until later in the 20th century that the Communists split and eventually began the Communist Revolution.)

Okay, back to my original point.  My great-grandfather's love for his country always took priority.  That's why he became a writer, a journalist.  He researched, examined and observed.  Everything he wrote was to give his readers insight into their great nation.  To help his country progress and grow.  He wanted China to have a solid identity, to be able to stand on her own in the world.  He wanted it to be a better place for his children when they grew up.  His motives were noble, I know.  And he was probably a better journalist than I'll ever be.

 My great-grandfather, Tao Xisheng, and two of his sons

There have been days when I've wondered why I'm doing what I do.  Journalism simply is not anymore what it was meant to be.  But as I read (or listen) to more of my father's book and learn more about my great-grandfather, I realize that I do need to carry on his mission.  It may not be done in the same way, but the basic principal is still there.

Journalism in its purest form provides a voice for the people.  We are supposed to speak for those who can't speak for themselves.  We are supposed to keep the powers that be in check, make sure they are not taking advantage of the people.

I know that's a very idealistic view and in today's business world, it's simply not realistic.  But we still have to fight for it.  What other profession is protected in the First Amendment?  We are fortunate enough in this country to have a free press.  We must continue striving to uphold that privilege.

My great-grandfather...and my grandfather...were great journalists in their own sense and for their time.  If they were able to do it in a repressed society, fighting government oversight and censorship, then we can certainly do it here, in the United States.

I hope this clears up any confusion from my prior entry.

Is it Journalism? Or is it Propaganda?

A couple of months ago, my father told me something about my great-grandfather, and even my grandfather for that matter, that really made me think about my career.

Before I get into that, a little background on how I chose my profession.  When I was growing up, I wasn't allowed to watch a lot of television.  Some cartoons here, a movie there.  Mostly, I watched the news.  When we got a video camera, I would "broadcast" my own newscasts from the coffee table.  I'd highlight what we had for dinner or where we were going for the day.  During Christmas, I went "live" from our Christmas tree explaining how there were different types of Christmas carols.

When I went to college, it was only natural that I study journalism.  I went to Mizzou because my grandfather was accepted to its journalism school when he was young, but did not have the money or means to leave China.  So I was fulfilling his destiny, if you will.  I loved every moment of my experience there and on most days, I love my job now.  I always thought I was meant to work in journalism.  My great-grandfather was a writer, published in numerous magazines and newspaper in his day.  My grandfather also worked for magazines in China.  My own father is routinely published in newspapers in the U.S. (Chinese ones) and in China.  I truly believed continuing the family tradition was my fate...journalism was in my blood.

Until my father told me technically...technically, both my great-grandfather and grandfather helped spread propaganda

You know, that dirty word in the world of journalism.

Now, I suppose in China, there is no true journalism.  It is all propaganda.  My great-grandfather even became the director of propaganda at one point.  Not for the Communists, but for the Kuomingtang.  My grandfather had an amazing understanding of the English language so during the Cultural Revolution, he was forced by the Communists to spread its propaganda in English.  So it really wasn't his choice.

Nevertheless, I can't help but feel like I was led astray in a way.  Here I was, thinking I was continuing a great family tradition.  Only to find out my ancestors did the very thing that true journalism frowns upon.

Don't get me wrong, I still think my great-grandfather was an amazing man.  Reading (or listening to) my father's book is making me realize his strength in character.  He was so strong and stayed so firm to his convictions during such a difficult time in Chinese history.  He never wavered from his beliefs: never judge one's appearance, always strive to be intelligent and treat others with respect and you will receive it in return.

My grandfather as well.  But I wonder, if my grandfather had the opportunity to attend the University of Missouri School of Journalism, would he have gone back to China, where journalism is synonymous with propaganda?  Would he have taken part in that...even if he didn't have a choice?  Would he have gone on to do something else?  Of course, I don't want to think about that too much because if my grandfather had gone, I would not be here.

I still love what I do...most of the time.  And I'm glad I chose this profession...again, most of the time.  But I guess knowing my path was not as paved as I previously thought, takes some of the pressure off.  And that does feel really good.

Getting Back To My Father's Book

Wow!  It's been so long since I've updated this blog.  This summer has been so busy, between my vacations and co-workers' vacations, which mean I have a forever alternating work schedule, I just have not had time to concentrate on this project!  But now, I'm back at it.  I spent three hours on the phone with my father yesterday and got two interesting blog topics to write about.  What I'm focusing on today is mostly historical.  1927 was really a turning point in Chinese history, particularly how it led to the fall of the Kuomingtang and the Communist Revolution.  (Keep in mind, I'm writing this as a descendant of so-called "Communist traitors.")

For many years, China was split into states, all of them controlled by warlords.  In 1926, the Kuomingtang began what was called the Northern Expedition, which was an effort to unify China.  It began in the south and moved north, hence the name.  The Communist Party, which was smaller at the time, joined in on the effort.  During this period, the Communist Party consisted of a lot of peasants and it was still relatively disorganized so most of its movements were somewhat chaotic.

In April of 1927, Chiang Kai-shek, who was an important military leader then, announced he wanted the Kuomingtang to separate from the Communist Party.  As a result, many of the Communists were caught and executed.  A few months later, in July, the Kuomingtang officially announced it was going to split from the Communist Party.  The Communists retreated from Wuhan quietly.  It was from here on out that the Communist Party was declared an illegal organization.

However, just because they were no longer "in power" the Communists did not stop organizing.  In fact, it was probably because they were forced to retreat that anger and resentment grew.  The party recruited peasants and other uneducated people who were unhappy with the way they were treated by the wealthy.  Therefore, the Chinese Communist Party become the force that eventually overthrew the Kuomingtang.

Back to 1926-1927, Wuhan served as a center for all of this activity.  This was when my great-grandfather joined the movement and served as an instructor at a military school there.  He supported the idea of a unified China.  However, he was mortified by the amount of unnecessary violence the Communist Party used to gain control.  When the Kuomingtang announced the separation, my great-grandfather was afraid he would be captured by the Communists so he went into hiding with his family.  They rented a small apartment in another section of Wuhan and used another name for a while.  It wasn't until the Kuomingtang took complete control of Wuhan that my great-grandfather and my family were able to lead somewhat normal lives again.

This was always a very confusing part of Chinese history for me.  I wasn't aware the Kuomingtang and the Communist Party worked together for a while.  I remember my LaoLao (my mother's mother) telling me when she was young, she was a part of the Communist Party.  I was shocked because I know my grandfather, her husband, died at the hands of the Communists during the Revolution in the 1960s.  Now I understand.  At one point, the two parties were mixed, supposedly fighting for the same goal on the surface, while each secretly wanted to gain total control of the country.

Through this process, I am not only learning about my family's history, I'm learning so much more about Chinese history as well.  And what I wrote here is an over-simplified version of events.  China's history is so much more complicated than I think I will ever understand.  I just hope I can get enough insight to know where I come from.

Revisiting Emotions

After several busy weeks at work, I am finally back on a normal schedule and back to working on my father's book.  I have to admit, and I know my father reads this, but I was bored for a few chapters because they were mostly historical. 

Then today, that all changed.  Chapter 32 brought me back to the early chapters of the book.  The ones that I enjoyed so much...when my great-grandmother was first married and living in her mother-in-laws house.   She returned to the house after several years away in Shanghai, living with her husband, my great-grandfather.

Before I get too ahead of myself, here's a peek at what led to this.  My great-grandfather left his publishing job in Shanghai to join the revolution.  He accepted a position at a military school in Wuhan.  The revolution was picking up speed and soon war broke out.  It was making its way to Wuhan, so my great-grandfather had to join the battle.  For their safety, my great-grandmother took the children and returned to her mother-in-law's house.  It was as if nothing had changed.  Her mother-in-law immediately blamed my great-grandmother, saying she did not do enough to keep my great-grandfather from war.  She said my great-grandmother killed him, sent him to his grave for "allowing" him to join the military.  She ordered my great-grandmother to go find him and bring him home.  Fortunately, to protect the family line, her mother-in-law allowed my great-grandmother to leave her two older children at the house.

Before she left, my great-grandmother went to visit Li Zhu's grave.  You'll remember, Li Zhu was her oldest daughter, who had died several years earlier, at the end of Chapter 8.  My great-grandmother's pain and heartache was still so fresh.  Despite the years that had passed, she never once forgot about Li Zhu.  The raw emotion was overwhelming.  My eyes were so filled with tears as I listened to this passage, I could not see the computer keys or what I was typing on the screen.

Nothing in their lives were easy.  It was a constant struggle to survive.  And, this is just the beginning.  The worst is yet to come.  Nevertheless, my great-grandparents managed to lead a life filled with integrity and honor.  They passed onto their children that same sense of sincerity and virtue.  My grandmother instilled the same into my father.  Now, I can only hope that I carry some of those qualities as well.

Good People

Before starting this process, I knew very little about my great-grandfather, Nai Nai's father.  I knew he was famous and very smart.  I knew he was one of the top leaders in the Nationalist Party, working with Chiang Kai-shek.  But I did not know who he really was.  What kind of man was he?  Husband?  Father?

As I've mentioned in the earlier posts, I strongly identify with my great-grandmother.  But I'm at a place in the book now where my father is beginning to focus more on my great-grandfather.  Just based on what I've read so far, I have such a deep admiration for him.

I must admit, during the first several chapters of the book, when he was away at Beijing University, I almost resented him.  He left my great-grandmother alone, to live in a house where she was terrorized every day by her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.  But just when I really began to ask where the heck was my great-grandfather, my father would include enough little nuggets to show his strength of character and renew my trust in him.  Even though tradition bid against it, he vowed to care for his daughters and build a life for his family.  In order to get his wife away from that horrifying environment, he moved the family to Shanghai where he had a job as an entry-level editor at a publishing house.  He made very little money.  But yet, this man, who grew up in a wealthy home, worked for every penny he earned.

The last several chapters have given me great insight into my great-grandfather's brilliance.  (I'm on chapter 20, by the way)  Two major incidents have happened so far.  First, my great-grandfather was able to stop the sale of a huge Shanghai factory to a German company.  Representing two big stakeholders of the company, my great-grandfather went to a stakeholders meeting and essentially said the company was breaking its own policy by agreeing to the sale without a vote.  And the two-thirds majority needed for a sale actually voted against it.  Had my grandfather not stood up at that meeting and spoken up, the company would have been sold to Germany.  Because of that, my great-grandfather became famous, almost overnight.

The second major incident involved an article he wrote.  On May 30, 1925, labor workers protested in the streets of Shanghai.  Shanghai Municipal Police officers (made up of British officers) opened fire and killed several workers.  As you can imagine, this caused massive fury among Chinese people.  How can foreigners come to China and kill Chinese people?  My great-grandfather, having studied law at Beijing University, was asked to write an article about how these British officers broke British law.  His article appeared in the largest Shanghai newspaper at the time.  As a result, he was taken to court by the British consulate.  I don't know what happens next because this is about as far as I've gotten.

I have to say, what's impressed me the most, so far, have been the conversations my great-grandfather has had with Nai Nai, who is only three-years-old at this point.  For example, I mentioned how my great-grandfather worked very hard for every penny.  Despite his family's wealth, he did not get anything from them.  Therefore, he and his family lived a modest life.  My great-grandfather wore a lot of old clothes.  On numerous occasions, my great-grandfather was treated poorly based on his appearance.  He told Nai Nai each time, never judge people based on what they look like on the outside.  It's their mind, intellect, character that's important.  Treat people with respect and you will receive it in return.

It makes me feel good to know this is where I come from.

 My great-grandfather with two of his sons

Historical Context

I remember watching a documentary when I was young about an event I knew very little about. It's referred to as the Rape of Nanking or the Nanking Massacre. I remember being absolutely horrified at the atrocities being committed by Japanese soldiers.

Let me preface this by saying I, personally, feel no hatred or disdain for Japanese people. I understand what happened then has little to do with people now. However, I get asked a lot, why do Chinese people hate Japanese people? I believe this may be one of the reasons why. Keep in mind, this is simply a blog, not a historical text so much of this is opinion and events from my point of view.

In 1937, Japan invaded China and started taking over cities. Nai Nai's family was caught up in this and forced to move from city to city to escape the Japanese. They were brutal. If you type Nanking Massacre into google, you'll find numerous articles about the event. Some estimates say 300,000 Chinese people were killed during the 6 week period. I won't go into great detail here, but it is shocking to think of the viciousness and cruelty the Japanese soldiers were capable of. They went door-to-door, searching for women to rape. Not just young or middle-aged women, they went after elderly women, pregnant women, young girls, even infants. After they raped them, some gang-raped, they killed them, sometimes mutilating them first. I think what is most disturbing about all this, is the amount of documentation. I'm not talking about news articles or journals kept by people who lived through it, or even their personal accounts by memory. I'm talking about photos of Japanese soldiers holding up severed heads and smiling, standing over dead bodies looking pleased. What a dark time in China's history, and one that so few people know about.

When I watched the documentary as a child, I didn't make a connection to my own family living through that time. While my father's book does not discuss the violence directly, he makes reference to it. In fact, my great-grandfather, Nai Nai's father was a government official at the time who got caught in the middle. You see, Japan took advantage of a country that was already weak and torn. Japanese occupation only further ripped the country apart, with some supporting a military defense, others supporting negotiations. My great-grandfather was somewhere in between. He already left Chongqing, which is where the Chinese government was stationed during the war. That was viewed as a betrayal. Yet, he did not know if negotiations would be successful. Either way, he felt like he had signed a death sentence.

I just finished the chapter where my great-grandfather leaves his family in Hong Kong and goes to Shanghai to join the negotiations. He doesn't know if he'll ever come home.

 

 Nai Nai's family, my great-grandfather is on the right

Getting Started

My father is a writer. Unfortunately for me and, in my opinion, other American readers, he writes in Chinese. All of his books are published in China and Taiwan. His greatest piece of work is the book he wrote about his mother, who I call Nai Nai. That book is the inspiration for this blog.

I remember when he started writing this book. I had just started high school and was too busy trying to be American to really care. I grew up hearing my dad's stories about our family's history, so I usually just feigned interest, rolled my eyes and sighed loudly.

It wasn't until recently that I began to think about Nai Nai's life. This woman, who died when my father was a teenager during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, was such a mystery to me. Sure I've heard my dad say she led a remarkable life. She was incredibly strong during a very difficult time in Chinese history. With everything going against her, she was able to rise above and continue to live her life with class and dignity. But that's all so general! Who was she really? I can see the black and white photo my dad hangs in his office perfectly in my head. What an embarrassment. Not only am I a granddaughter who doesn't know a thing about her grandmother, I am a daughter who has never even read her own father's book.

So, a couple of months ago, I decided to start this journey. I asked my dad to read his book and record it for me. Right now, I'm translating the chapters into English. The goal is to someday write a book about Nai Nai's story myself. I know my father never wanted his book translated into English so it could be published in the United States. He probably felt it was too personal and the emotional attachment would get lost in translation. More importantly, he probably waited because he wanted me to write it. Well, scratch that "probably" because I know he's always wanted me to write it. And that's most likely the reason I've avoided the subject for as long as I did.

It's incredibly intimidating. From just the writing standpoint, this will be challenging enough. I spent the last 7 years of my life writing at a 4th grade level for TV news viewers. But, personally...I just don't know what to expect. My mother once told me, while my father wrote this book, there were nights he would cry himself to sleep. While telling his mother's story was one of the most important things he had to do in life, it was also one of the hardest. He essentially had to relive all of her pain and suffering. She grew up during the Japanese invasion of China and died during the Communist takeover. What will all of this mean to me?

This blog is a journal of my experience as I explore Nai Nai's life. I'm still working on a title and how I want to chronicle this. After all, if the book ever gets published (fingers crossed!) I don't want to give away too many details about the book itself.