Why I Will Carry the Olympic Torch
New America Media, Commentary, Helen Zia, Posted: Apr 07, 2008
Editor’s Note: After rowdy protests in Paris and London, San Francisco officials prepare to welcome the Olympic torch in its only North American stop. Bay Area native Helen Zia, author of "Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People," and member of the Committee of 100, a Chinese-American advocacy group, explains her decision to participate.
I am in training for the Olympics – but not for any of the breathtaking feats that world-class athletes will perform this August in Beijing. As a sedentary 55-year-old, I am training to run a block or two without stumbling if someone tries to knock me down and to hang onto a torch-like object if people try to wrest it away from me.
The special event I am preparing myself for is the Olympic Torch Relay Wednesday in San Francisco, the only site in North America where the Olympic torch will pass on its world journey to promote peace and understanding through excellence and friendly competition.
Many will scoff at this Olympic ideal and I can understand why. As a longtime advocate of social justice, I’m familiar with the long list of failings attributed to China from the days of its founding in 1949, including the simmering tensions in Tibet -- especially since I just spent five months in Shanghai as a Fulbright Scholar conducting research on the mass exodus that took place at the time of the Communist revolution.
Being an American of Chinese descent, I grew up hearing constant critiques of the terrible Communist dictatorship. And as an open lesbian, my stay in China felt tenuous since, unlike the many explicit anti-gay laws in America, China doesn’t even recognize that we exist. These reasons might be enough to run as far from the Olympics as my middle-aged body can carry me.
But my time in China gave me another perspective. I observed the wide-ranging diversity and openness of viewpoints and cultural expression that now exists among China’s 1.4 billion people. I met hundreds of Chinese for my research and was struck by how outspoken and opinionated they are and, yes, even critical of their government.
Many of my conversations were with elderly survivors of civil war and revolution who have endured immense human suffering, from deprivation and humiliation and torture. Almost all had family members or friends who had committed suicide before or during the Cultural Revolution that ended three decades ago. Yet, nearly all said they believe China is changing for the better and they are hopeful that Chinese society will continue to become more open.
I’ve seen this evolution myself, from my first visit to China in 1972, to the time that I attended the International Women’s Conference in 1995 as a journalist, reporting on the 30,000 women activists who converged in Beijing. Only 13 years ago, there was just one program, a telephone hotline, for victims of domestic abuse in all of China. But feminist activists within China used the conference to create many new initiatives for women and girls, such as programs to end female infanticide and sex-selective abortions, to help rural girls get the same schooling that boys do – and to address the issue of family violence.
More recently, the Special Olympics were held last fall in Shanghai—along with a national education campaign about people with disabilities. This year’s Olympics has the potential to foster similar change in China on an even grander scale.
Such change might be led by some of the eager young adults I met who are looking for work at grass-roots organizations in China, not for high-paying multinational corporations. Some told me about a left-wing progressive movement that is growing in China. Others explained how activists and bloggers in China are constantly finding creative ways to get their messages out.
Until I left China, just before the uprisings in Tibet, the Chinese government was heavily promoting the Olympic spirit and teaching Olympic values of friendship, understanding and fair play in the schools. China is not a democracy, but its people – whether Han Chinese, Tibetans, Uighurs or its other many minorities – are becoming more vocal because of its increasing openness to the world.
Unfortunately the calls to boycott the Olympics and to label everything about China "evil" can only isolate China and the United States from each other. China is not a monolith and blanket condemnations of China and its people are as simplistic as blaming all Americans for the U.S. human rights violations at Abu Grahib and Guantanamo. Such rhetoric, however, is driving many Chinese bloggers into a nationalistic response.
Attitudes like these hark back to the Cold War days, when the US and China were completely shut off from each other. A recent survey conducted by the Committee of 100 on American and Chinese attitudes found that both countries have significant fears about the other and believe that news coverage about their own country is distorted by the other. It is worth remembering that during the Cold War, fear and ignorance of the “Evil Enemy Other” was used to suppress internal political dissent, in the United States with the McCarthy Red Scares and in China, through several of Mao’s “anti” campaigns.
Someday China will join the United States as a world superpower – but the American and Chinese people do not have to retreat back to those Cold War corners. The world will be safer if China, the United States and other countries can address human rights and other critical issues in the community of nations and peoples, not in isolation.
There is another vision: that a peaceful and better world is possible through friendly engagement and mutual understanding, not violent confrontation and polarization. It’s an Olympic message, a dream that our global civilization and everyone who is a part of it can aspire to – and why I am proud to carry a torch.
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User Comments
Peter Wong on Apr 20, 2008 at 14:18:03 said:
A lonely voice from a truly brave woman. I am an American. I also support China, but I am not brave enough to openly admit my support for fear of judgement from people like Ben Huang and Lisa Lee.
It is has become politically incorrect to be objective and critical when evaluating China.
bc on Apr 11, 2008 at 23:21:07 said:
In other words, you are either with us or you are a commie apologist. I believe George Bush shares a similar doctrinaire orthodoxy which got us into the mess in Iraq.
Ben Huang on Apr 09, 2008 at 17:57:34 said:
I really can't believe this is the same Helen Zia who sought justice for Vincent Chin and wrote Asian American Dreams! Of all people, I would have expected her to be sensitive to the struggles of the Tibetan people. As a Chinese-American roughly the same age as
Ms. Zia, I thoroughly condemn her complicity in
the Chinese government's propaganda.
Lisa Lee on Apr 09, 2008 at 10:13:07 said:
SHAME ON YOU, ZIA!
Pat Cheung on Apr 09, 2008 at 02:41:25 said:
Anyone who knows contemporary China can easily draw similar conclusions to those of Madame Zia. People in China aren't necessarily happy with every aspect of the situation, but vast majority of us believe the coutry is going in the direction for the better, and we clearly have the best Administration ever in China's history. Yes far from perfect, but plenty of positive changes have been taking place for most of us. Today's Chinese government may be bad in some ways, but is not evil! Nor is China "the world's largest prison" as some activist in France recently said. Do some first hand research or stop insulting us! Madame Zia is very right that some people are still trapped in cold war way of thinking. Oppose to all that the enemy supports - some of you may know this is a doctrine by Chairman Mao. Today most Chinese don't believe in it, but we see a lot of people in the world still practising it.
And maybe more importantly here, the Olympics are our people's olympics, and we love it and we have worked so hard for it. And you want to grab the torch away from us and you claim you are not enemy of Chinese people?! Really any of you think such acts are respectful?
And finally if you care to do something congenial to Chinese people, go to China and talk to people there and learn what their real concerns, difficulties, or aspirations are. Then next time when you critisize the Chinese government, you can make yourself endear to the people or even make some Chinese friends.
J. on Apr 08, 2008 at 10:01:02 said:
Good article and good stand, and you are my heroine.
Mz. Zia has the first hand knowledge of China, and understand the ever-changing dynamics and mentality of that country, and relationship to the US, and she stands up for what she believes in. Many \"China haters\" can only talk with sentences copied from media propaganda such as CNN/BBC etc, and probably can not even locate Tibet on a world map while echoing all the CNN lies on Tibet.
kawahchan on Apr 08, 2008 at 08:31:59 said:
Oh, sure Miss Helen Zia and San Francisco Mayor Newsom will has their great moment of limelight while carrying the Olympic torch. But I think this 2008 Olympics held in China is only the games entertainment for People's Republic of China's citizens; I feel I have my self-respect to being a lineage of ethnic "Han/Hon" of Chinese; but I do respect the Saffron Revolution running by Tibetan and Burmese; I'm not ready for the 2008 Olympics in China yet, but I'm looking forward to the 2009 JOHN McCAIN presidency in White House to send CIA mission to liberate the Burma's democracy freedom for Karen, Shan, and Karenni. MATTHEW: "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". JOHN McCAIN: "God Bless America, God Bless you all Tibetan and Burmese".
Tony Nguyen on Apr 07, 2008 at 21:34:25 said:
After seeing the pic of Helen Zia with Newsom in Saturday's Chron Bay Area cover page (4/5/08), I should have known that it would only be a matter of two days to see Zia explain herself.
Why?
Because for most peace & justice loving folks, it's difficult to ever consciously side with that of the oppressors -- in this case, the Chinese government. (Yes Helen, we understand that China itself is a monolith & I think that most folks protesting the Olympics & demanding justice for Tibetans can distinguish the Chinese gov from the many, many, many ordinary folks.)
This is why it boggles the mind that someone like Helen Zia - a "longtime advocate of social justice" - would participate in this symbolic act, which has become deeply political whether one likes it or not. Deeply political because as this torch makes it way around the world (and into your hands too! how personal!!) the government sponsoring these Olympic games is also busy trying to crack down on justifiable Tibetan uprising. To describe the reportedly 150 people killed by Chinese officers/military as "simmering tension" seems quite disingenuous, especially from "social justice advocate."
Lastly, the political reality is China, the chief holder of US debt, will never be isolated from global affairs, despite what Zia writes. (Just look on the back of your t-shirt!! Well that's another matter to write about!)
Conal on Apr 07, 2008 at 21:14:14 said:
I would also like to add that when we experience things close to the ground as opposed to from afar, which many western activists with regards to Tibet are spatially at, the experience and understanding may shift somewhat. It's easy to proclaim and defame from afar, but up close and personal, it always gets messy, complicated and one may even find that it is really not that black and white.
So, again, breathe, watch and pay attention. No need to despair.
Conal on Apr 07, 2008 at 21:13:32 said:
Breathe...keep breathing and watching. No need to despair.
Jay Guan on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:47:45 said:
Many activists outside the China overlooked the fact that the Chinese government\'s response is driven by domestic politics, just like the US. These embarrassment will only drive the Chinese government into clamping down on the Tibetan and political dissents(quite a few dissidents were arrested or are under house arrest, if you don\'t believe me, look it up.) If the activists \' goals are to promote democracy in China and freedom for the Tibetan, won\'t their actions right now be actually counterproductive?
Ravi Chandra on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:31:11 said:
There are so many holes in Zia's article I'd need to write another article to refute it. She seems to think that people protesting are 'scoffing' at the Olympic ideal. The Olympics have historically been political, and China is clearly using the Olympics in a political way, Doesn't Zia see this? Having a sports event, and exalting peace, does not allow nations to ignore those ideals in other venues. The Olympic ideal is to promote positive ideals - not to muzzle critics of countries that abuse those ideals, like China. Of course the world's reaction is going to be met with jingoistic nationalism by many in China. But there are many others who know they're being fed distorted realities by their media. Americans have to face criticism (rightly so) when they go abroad in the face of disastrous policies - why shouldn't China face the same criticism?
I'll believe Zia, LIng Chi Wang, and other Chinese Americans more when they become advocates for Tibetan autonomy and civil rights, the rights of prisoners in China, etc, when the Olympics are over.
Ravi Chandra on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:21:33 said:
And UNBELIEVABLY, Zia seems to equate honest talk about China's actions and responsibilities to Cold War fearmongering. Give the protesters some credit.
I am very disappointed in Zia's commentary.
Ravi Chandra on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:18:41 said:
Finally, Zia has some nerve to insinuate that protest against the Torch is akin to "violent confrontation". This is evidence of extraordinary confusion.
Ravi Chandra on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:12:25 said:
Moreover, Zia could have retained credibility had she welcomed protest against the torch and China. Now, she's in the camp of apologist Ling-Chi Wang who uses "olympic spirit" as a veil to his pride about China.
Ravi Chandra on Apr 07, 2008 at 18:09:25 said:
A well written, but disingenuous response to real concerns about significant human and civil rights abuse in China and Tibet, Darfur and Burma. Did Zia support Reagan's constructive engagement policy for South Africa? Please, I have lost a lot of respect for Zia as a person of conscience.
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