>> HI, EVERYONE. >> WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED HERE. GOOD EVENING, I'M DIRECTOR OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE MONTH. THE KALEIDOSCOPE HAS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS WHO HIGHLIGHT ASIAN AMERICA. WE WILL CONTINUE THIS TRADITION. OVER THE LAST MONTH WE'VE SEEN PERFORMANCE BY THE MANGO TRIBE AND WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE AND SEEN SPOKEN WORD ARTIST AND LECTURE BY A JOURNALIST. TONIGHT, WE HAVE A MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT FOR MANY OF US. DR. SA TACKY'S VISIT HAS -- DR. TAKAKI'S VISIT HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HARD WORK TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. I'D LIKE TO THANK A FEW PEOPLE. I'D LIKE TO THANK DR. RONALD TAKAKI FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING. I'D LIKE TO THANK DAVID BUCHALTER, ACCENT SPEAKERS BUREAU FOR GENEROUSLY SPONSORING THIS EVENT AND PRIMARILY DR. MALINI SCHULER, WHO HAS SUPPORTED ALL OUR EFFORTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. DR. SCHULER HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UF FACULTY SINCE 1986 AND THE AHTOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS INCLUDING THE POLITICS OF THE VOICE LIBERALISMS AND SOCIAL POLITICALISM AND SEVERAL OTHERS. HER ESSAYS HAVE APPEARED IN JOURNALS SUCH AS AMERICAN LITERATURE, AMERICAN LITERARY HISTORY, MODERN FICTION STUDIES. SHE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ON A BOOK. AND ALSO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SHE'S BEEN AN ARD DENT SUPPORTER OF OURS ON ALL OF OUR EFFORTS AND FOR THAT, WE THANK HER VERY MUCH. WITH THAT, DR. MALINI SCHULER. IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS WHEN ACTIVIST STUDENTS AND FACULTY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WERE DIVIDED ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN ETHNIC LITERATURES, PROFESSOR RONALD TAKAKI OFFERED THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE IN 1967. SHORTLY THERE AFTER, HE OFFERED HIS GROUNDBREAKING COURSE, THE HISTORY OF RACIAL INTERQUALITY WHICH GENERATED CONTROVERSY IN HIS LONG AND PROLIFIC CAREER AS HISTORIAN OF RACE, MULTICULTURAL AMERICA AND PIONEER HISTORIAN OF ASIAN AMERICA, PROFESSOR TAKAKI HAS ALWAYS BROKEN NEW GROUND, REVISING AND REVISIONING THE TRUISMS OF U.S. HISTORY. I CAN HARDLY DO JUSTICE TO HIS INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE CAREER THUS FAR SO I WILL SIMPLY HIGHLIGHT A FEW MOMENTS. ANTICIPATING THE CURRENT INTEREST IN EMPIRE IN AMERICAN STUDIES BY MORE THAN TWO DECADES, RONALD TAKAKI DEMONSTRATED IN HIS 1979 BOOK "IRON CAGES, RACE AND CULTURE IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICA" HOW THE IRON CAGES OF PROTESTANT OPPRESSION, BUREAUCRATIC CAPITALISM AND IMPERIAL EXPANSIONISM EXPLAIN 19TH CENTURY U.S. CULTURE. A DECADE LATER, IN HIS MASSIVE STUDIES "STRANGERS FROM A DIFFERENT SHORE, A HISTORY -- SORRY. MASSIVE STUDY, STRANGERS FROM A DIFFERENT SHORE, HISTORY OF ASIAN-AMERICANS BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT THE LONG HISTORY OF ASIAN-AMERICANS IN THE U.S. THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED AND RECEIVED VERSIONS OF CULTURAL LITERACY. WITH A BOOK PUBLISHED IN 1993, RONALD TAKAKI ANSWERED THE CULTURAL WHITE SOCIETY BY PRESENTING A HISTORY EMPHASIZING THE MULTICULTURAL REALITY OF THE COUNTRY. BEGINNING WITH JAMESTOWN WHEN THE FIRST 20 AFRICANS WERE BROUGHT A YEAR BEFORE THEY ARRIVED AT PLYMOUTH ROCK. AND TWO YEARS LATER IN HIROSHIMA WHY THEY DROPPED THE ATOMIC BOMB. IT WAS A MEANS TO END THE WAR AND SUGGESTED INSTEAD, IN A LARGE COMPLEX THESE HERE, THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR IDEOLOGY AS WELL AS VISION STEERED BY JAPANESE WAS SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. IN A THESE ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY, WRITTEN QUOTE THERE IS NO DOCUMENT OF CIVILIZATION WHICH IS NOT AT THE SAME TIME A DOCUMENT OF POWERISM. JUST AS SUCH A DOCUMENT IS NOT CLEAR BASH BARISM, BARBER ITEM NUMBERS IS THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM ONE OWN TORE ANOTHER. A HISTORICAL MATERIAL LIST, DISASSOCIATED HIMSELF FROM IT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. HE REGARDS IT AS HIS TASK TO BRUSH HISTORY AGAINST THE GRAIN UNQUOTE. HE IS A SCHOLAR WHO BRUSHES HISTORY AGAINST THE GRAIN. AT THE PRESENT MOMENT WHEN BUSH'S IMPERISTIC AGENDA SEEKS TO UNITE THE RACES AGAINST OTHERS, AND EXCLUSIONS AND QUALITY, SUCH HISTORY IS SORELY NEEDED TODAY, IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU RONALD TAKAKI PROFESSOR OF STUDIES AT ANY UNIVERSITY OF BERKELY "AMERICAINE DIFFERENT MIRROR, REVISIONING THE NATION'S PAST. " >> FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY TO ALL OF YOU, GOOD EVENING. ISN'T THIS MORE THAN A GOOD EVENING? ISN'T THIS A GREAT EVENING >> FABULOUS >> THERE'S SO MANY OF US GATHERED HERE TOGETHER. DID YOU EXPECT TO FIND THAT SPREAD OF FOOD BACK THERE? WOW, WHAT A GREAT EVENING. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS AND PROFESSOR SCHULER FOR BRINGING ALL OF US TOGETHER HERE LIKE THIS TONIGHT. PROFESSOR SCHULER, I LIKED YOUR INTRODUCTION. YOU DID NOT POINT OUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO OUR GUESTS HERE TONIGHT. AFTER ALL, THIS IS FLORIDA, RIGHT? SO, AS I WAS FLYING IN TO FLORIDA, I WAS THINKING ABOUT MYSELF. I WAS BORN AND I GREW UP IN HAWAII. AND WHEN I WAS A TEENAGE R, LIKE SOME OF YOU OUT THERE, I WAS NOT ACADEMICALLY INCLINED, IN FACT, I USED TO BE A SURFER, YOU KNOW. A SERIOUS SURFER. I EVEN HAD A NICKNAME F-TAN COAST TAKAKI. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WHEN MY BERKELEY STUDENTS FIND OUT ABOUT THIS PAST, THEY GET VERY CURIOUS. HOW DID A SURFER BECOME A SCHOLAR AND PROFESSOR? WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THIS. I ATTENDED A PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL. AND EPISCOPALIAN HIGH SCHOOL IN HAWAII. DURING MY SENIOR YEAR, I HAD TO TAKE A REQUIRED COURSE IN RELIGION. MY TEACHER'S NAME WAS DR. SUNJI NIJI PH.D., ASIAN-AMERICAN, JAPANESE AMERICAN WITH A PH.D. ALL OF US IN HIS CLASS WERE VERY IMPRESSED. WE KNEW OTHER ASIAN-AMERICANS DOCTORS IN HAWAII BUT THEY WERE ALL M.D.'S. THIS ONE WAS A PH.D. AND I CAN REMEMBER GOING HOME, AND ASKING MY MOTHER A QUESTION. MY MOTHER, WHO HAD BEEN BORN ON A SUGAR CANE PLANTATION AND WHO HAD ONLY AN 8TH GRADE EDUCATION, I SAID, MOM, MY TEACHER'S NAME IS DR. SUNJ NICHI, PH.D. MOM, WHAT'S A PH.D.? AND SHE SAID, I DON'T NO, BUT HE MUST BE VERY SMART. I THINK A LIGHT WENT ON IN MY HEAD. MAYBE SOME DAY I COULD BECOME RONALD TAKAKI, PH.D. SO DOCTOR NIJI BECAME A ROLE MODEL FOR ME THIS HIGHLIGHTS DIVERSE IN TO THE FACULTY. HE REQUIRED US TO WRITE AN ESSAY EVERY TWO WEEKS. AS I BEGAN STUDYING HARD UNDER DR. NIJI, HE WOULD RIGHT EXTENSIVE MARGINAL COMMENT. HE WOULD SAY, THIS IS AN INTERESTING POINT. THIS IS INSIGHTFUL. HE WOULD ALSO ASK ME CRITICAL QUESTIONS. HE WOULD ASK ME QUESTIONS. DO YOU KNOW THE DEFINITION OF EPHISTIMOLOGY. THAT'S A GOOD 50 CENT TERM ALL MY BERKELEY STUDENTS KNOW. WHO KNOWS WHAT IT IS? WAY BACK THERE. >> MEANING A VICERY OF WORDS-THE HISTORY OF WORDS. >> STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE. ETTY METEOROLOGY, YEAH. >> STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE. >> THE STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE. DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? NO. >> ARE YOU MARK >> YEAH. I KNOW SOME THINGS. >> THE STUDY OF WHAT YOU KNOW IS TRUE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU KNOW IS TRUE. OKAY. LET ME GIVE YOU A WORKING DEFINITION OF THAT WORD. IT IS A CRITICAL THINKING SKILL. IT'S A THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE. IT ASKS THE QUESTION. THIS IS CLOSE TO YOURS, MARK. IT ASKS THE QUESTION. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW? HUM? HOW'S THAT, HUH? HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW? IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW IT? A QUESTION OF YOUR METHODOLOGY. YOU SEE? SO DR. NIJI AND I DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, THROUGH MY ESSAYS AND THROUGH HIS MARGINAL COMMENT. IN APRIL OF MY SENIOR YEAR, AS I WAS WALKING ACROSS CAMPUS, HE FLAGGED ME, SAID, RONALD, RONALD, WAIT A MINUTE. I HAVE A QUESTION I'D LIKE THOUGH ASK YOU. HE SAID, RONALD, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO GO AWAY TO COLLEGE, GOOD FOR YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH AND FOR YOUR INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S THIS FINE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN OHIO CALLED THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER. W-O-O-S-T-E-R. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THAT COLLEGE IN OHIO? I BLURTED OUT, NO, NO, OHIO. THAT SEEMED SO FAR AWAY. SO I SAID, NO. AND HE SAID, WELL, WOULD IT BE OKAY IF I WROTE TO THE COLLEGE TO TELL THEM ABOUT YOU. I SAID, OKAY. I WALKED AWAY AND FORGET COMPLETELY ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION. THIS WAS IN APRIL. A MONTH LATER, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER. THE LETTER READ, DR. MR. TAKAKI, YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER. PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM. YOU KNOW, THAT ONE LETTER DID IT. THIS DEAN HADN'T RECEIVED MY SAT SCORES YET. MY SAT SCORES WERE NOT IMPRESSIVE. ONE THING WE DO KNOW FOR CERTAIN ABOUT SAT SCORES, THEY CORRELATE WITH FAMILY INCOMES, THEY RISE TOGETHER. OKAY. FOR YEARS, AT BERKELEY, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING THE ELIMINATION OF THE SAT. YOU KNOW. IT'S NOT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. THE COURSES AND SAT PREP COURSES. OKAY. THIS DEAN HADN'T RECEIVED MY TRANSCRIPTS YET. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT MY GPA WAS. HERE, DURING MY SENIOR YEAR, I WAS RECEIVING GOOD GRADES, BUT GPA IS GRADE POINT AVERAGE, RIGHT? THAT'S THE PROBLEM. IT DOES NOT GIVEN A ACCURATE SNAPSHOT OF THE STUDENT, AT THE TIME OF APPLYING FOR ADMISSION. I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE GPA. LET'S GIVE HEAVIER WEIGHT TO THE GRADES YOU RECEIVE DURING THE SENIOR YEAR? DON'T YOU THINK THAT'S FAIR? YES. MAYBE NOT. SO WHAT HAPPENED? I WENT TO WOOSTER. WHEN I ARRIVED THERE, I EXPERIENCED A CULTURE SHOCK. IT WAS A PRETTY HOMOGENIUS CAMPUS, A THOUSAND STUDENTS. SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE. I CAN REMEMBER MY FELLOW STUDENTS ASKING ME QUESTIONS LIKE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY? WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH? ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS TODAY TELL ME THEY STILL GET ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS. MY FELLOW STUDENTS COULD NOT AND DID NOT SEE ME AS A FELLOW AMERICAN. I DIDN'T LOOK LIKE AN AMERICAN AND I DID NOT HAVE AN AMERICAN SOUNDING NAME. SO, AT WOOSTER, I FELT LONELY, I FELT ISOLATED, I FELT HOMESICK. BUT AFTER I LEFT WOOSTER, I REALIZED IT WAS NOT THE FAULT OF MY FELLOW STUDENTS THEY COULD NOT AND DID NOT SEE ME AS A FELLOW AMERICAN. THINK ABOUT IT. WHAT HAD THEY LEARNED? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? COURSES CALLED UNITED STATES HISTORY, ABOUT ASIAN-AMERICANS? OR MEXICAN AMERICANS OR PUERTO RICANS? THERE IS WHAT CAN BE CALLED THE MASTER NARRATIVE OF AMERICAN HISTORY. EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS FAMILIAR WITH THE MASTER NARRATIVE OF AMERICAN HISTORY. IT'S THAT POWERFUL PERVASIVE BUT MISTAKEN STORY THAT OUR COUNTRY WHAT CESSLED BY EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS AND AMERICANS ARE WHITE OR EUROPEAN IN ANCESTRY. WE CAN JUST LOOK AT OURSELVES IN THIS ROOM AND SEE THE MASTER NARRATIVE LEAVES OUT MANY OF US. FORI GRADUATED FROM WOOSTER IN 1961. THEN I ENTERED THE PH.D. PROGRAM IN AMERICAN HISTORY AT BERKELEY. AND BERKELEY IN THE '60S CHANGED MY LIFE. I WOULDN'T BE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR BERKELEY AND THE '60S. AND LIKE THOUSANDS OF BERKELEY STUDENTS, I WAS INSPIRED BY THE MORAL VISION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING. AND THEN IN 1964, MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM SUMMER. I WAS HORRIFIED BY THE MURDER OF THREE YOUNG CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS IN MISSISSIPPI. IT WAS 1964. AT THAT POINT, I WAS LOOKING AROUND FOR A DISSERTATION TOPIC AND SOME OF ION THIS ROOM WILL REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO TRY TO FIND A TOPIC FOR YOUR DISSERTATION. IN 1964, I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO DO A STUDY OF SLAVERY. SO I BEGAN TO DO RESEARCH FOR THIS DISSERTATION ON SLAVERY. IN 1965, WATTS EXPLODED. SOME OF YOU CAN REMEMBER WATCHING THE REBELLION ON BLACK-AND-WHITE TELEVISION SEEING THE BLACK SMOKE RISING ABOVE THE SKIES ON TELEVISION. AND WATCHING IT LOOK LIKE A BOMB ON THE CITY. IN 1966, UCLA DECIDED TO CREATE A NEW POSITION IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AND OFFER ITS FIRST BLACK HISTORY COURSE. I WAS FINISHING MY DISSERTATION. I APPLIED FOR THAT POSITION AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? UCLA OFFERED THE POSITION TO ME. SO I WENT TO UCLA. YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, PROFESSOR, TAKAKI, WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO TEACH UCLA'S FIRST BLACK HISTORY COURSE? WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS. I WAS YOUNG AT THAT TIME. I WAS 28 YEARS OLD. I HAD BLACK HAIR. I HAD A CREW CUTOUT. MY FIRST JOB, MY FIRST COURSE, MY FIRST LECTURE. AND THIS CLASS WAS HELD IN THIS HUGE AUDITORIUM, 500 SEATS IN IT. WHEN I WALKED IN, EVERY SEAT WAS TAKEN. THE STUDENTS WERE EVEN SITTING IN THE AISLE. THERE WAS A LOT OF CHITTER CHATTER. THE STUDENTS WERE REALLY EXCITED, UCLA'S FIRST BLACK HISTORY COURSE. WHEN I WALKED IN, I HAD TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WITH A STAGE AND PODIUM. ALL OF A SUDDEN A SILENCE DESCENDED ON THIS ROOM AND THEIR EYES WERE RIVETTED ON ME. I COULD JUST FEEL THEM SAYING TO THEMSELVES. FUNNY, HE DOESN'T LOOK BLACK. IMAGINE HOW NERVOUS I MUST HAVE BEEN. THESE WERE THE DAYS OF BLACK MILITANCY WHEN BLACK STUDENTS SPORTED HUGE AFROS. I GOT TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AND GOT BEHIND THE PODIUM. BEFORE I COULD SAY ANYTHING, THIS TALL BLACK STUDENT IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM STANDS UP AND HE RAISES HIS HAND. AND HE SAYS, WELL, PROFESSOR TAKAKI, WHAT REVOLUTIONARY TOOLS ARE WE GOING TO LEARN IN THIS CLASS? AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, THIS IS NOT THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN MY CAREER. YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, HOW DID I ANSWER HIS QUESTION? THERE WIRE LIKE 500 STUDENTS SITTING ON THE EDGES OF THEIR CHAIRS AT THAT POINT? WELL, I THINK I SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO STUDY THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AS IT RELATES TO BLACK PEOPLE. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO STRENGTHEN OUR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND OUR WRITING SKILLS. AND THESE CAN BE REVOLUTIONARY TOOLS, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM SO. AS I TAUGHT THIS CLASS, I LOOKED OUT AT MY STUDENTS AND I SAW STUDENTS WHOSE ROOTS WENT BACK TO AFRICA AND MEXICO AND STUDENTS WHOSE ROOTS WENT BACK TO ASIA. AND THE DIVERSITY OF MY STUDENTS LED ME TO ASK MYSELF AN EPISTOMOLOGICAL QUESTION. HOW I DO KNOW WHAT I KNOW I KNOW ABOUT THE DIVERSITY REFLECTED IN THE FACES OF MY STUDENTS? AND THIS LED ME THEN--- AS DR. SCHUELLER POINTED OUT, YOU TEACH A NEW COURSE, RACIAL INEQUALITY IN AMERICA A COMPARATIVE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. I FOUND MYSELF GOING UP THE LEARNING CURVE. THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I WAS LEARNING ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND ALSO LEARNING MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, NATIVE-AMERICAN HISTORY. I ALSO DECIDED THAT, HEY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHITE SOCIETY, IT'S NOT HOMOGENEGENOUS. I STARTED TO START LOOKING AT WHITE IRISH AMERICANS AND JEWISH AMERICANS. IN 1972, I LEFT UCLA TO JOIN BERKELEY'S ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT. I TOOK WITH ME THIS COMPARATIVE MULTICULTURAL APPROACH. OUT OF THIS COMPARATIVE MULTICULTURAL APPROACH CAME THE WRITING OF AN ABUNDANCE OF BOOKS. MY AIM WAS TO STUDY DIFFERENT GROUPS IN AMERICA AS PIECES OF THE MOSAIC CALLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND MY HOPE WAS TO OFFER A MORE INCLUSIVE, HENCE MORE ACCURATE DEFINITION OF WHO IS AN AMERICAN. SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ASKING ME QUESTIONS LIKE HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY? NOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY ASKING, PROFESSOR TAKAKI, WE LIKE YOUR INCLUSIVE APPROACH, YOUR COMPARATIVE MULTICULTURAL APPROACH, BUT WHAT DOES THIS APPROACH LOOK LIKE CONCRETELY? WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO AT THIS POINT, IS TO BE A HISTORY TEACHER. I'D LIKE TO OFFER A 15 MINUTE LECTURE WITHIN A LECTURE. OKAY? I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU HOW I TEACH DIVERSITY, BUT ALSO, HOW I DO ON DIVERSITY. THAT'S HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW. FOR THIS 15 MINUTE LECTURE WITHIN A LECTURE, I'D LIKE US TO BE INTERACTIVE. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL ASSEMBLE THE ANSWERS. OKAY. AS WE PROBLEM-SOLVE. HISTORY IS USUALLY HIS-STORY. RIGHT? PROFESSOR SCHUELLER, RIGHT? HIS-STORY. FOR A CHANGE, LET'S LOOK AT HER-STORY. I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT TWO MIGRATIONS. ONE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND ANOTHER ACROSS THE PACIFIC IN THE 19TH CENTURY, WHICH WAS A CREWSABLE FOR THE MAKING OF MODERN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY. OKAY SO TWO MIGRATIONS. WHAT GROUP CROSSED THE ATLANTIC IN LARGE NUMBERS IN THE 19TH CENTURY? SOME OF YOU ARE IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE OF THIS MIGRATION ACROSS THE ATLANTIC? WHAT GROUP? >> GERM MAN'S. >> GERMANS? THEY WERE A LARGE GROUP. WHAT OTHER GROUP CAME IN MASSIVE NUMBERS? >> THE IRISH. LET ME WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN HERE. I HAVE AN OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. SO THE IRISH. HOW MANY IRISH CAME HERE IN THE 19TH CENTURY? HEY. OKAY. GUESS. 2 MILLION? OKAY. >> 5 MILLION. >> 5 MILLION. >> YOU'RE PRETTY CLOSE. 4 MILLION. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT YOU DON'T KNOW THIS. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS UNTIL I STARTED RESEARCH. 4 MILLION IRISH CAME OVER HERE. WHAT GROUP CROSSED THE PACIFIC IN THE 19TH CENTURY? >> CHINESE. >> THE CHINESE. HOW MANY CHINESE CAME OVER HERE? I KNOW THIS IS FLORIDA. OKAY. BUT THIS IS STILL AMERICAN HISTORY. >> 80, 000. >> 80, 000? >> 20 MILLION. >> 20 MILLION. WOW. LOTS OF CHINESE. OKAY. I GOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT HALF A MILLION. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WOMEN, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE IRISH IMMIGRANTS WERE WOMEN? HUH? 50 PERCENT? YOU'RE CLOSE. 52 PERCENT. WHEN I LEARNED THAT, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED. THAT'S A LOT OF WOMEN THAT CAME OVER HERE. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WERE WOMEN? 1 PERCENT? >> ZERO PERCENT? >> 70 PERCENT >> 5 PERCENT. YOU GET AN A, WHOEVER YOU ARE. 5 PERCENT. THIS ALLOWS US TO FRAME AN ANALYTICAL QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS THIS. WHY IS IT THAT PROPORTION AY SO MANY OF THE IRISH IMMIGRANTS WERE WOMEN AND WHY IS THAT PROPORTION AY SO FEW OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WERE WOMEN? SO WE START WITH THE IRISH MIGRATION. THE IRISH CAME OVER HERE BECAUSE OF THE WHAT? I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS, IF YOU SAID POTATO FAMINE, YOU'RE LARGELY WRONG. THIS IS WHAT YOU LEARN EVERY ST. PATRICK'S DAY. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. ALSO, THINK ABOUT THE POTATO FAMINE. THAT'S THE HISTORY OF THE MASTER NARRATIVE OF BRITISH HISTORY, BLAME 0 A BLIGHT, DON'T BLAME BRITISH IMPERLISM. THE POTATO FAMINE LASTED FROM 1844 TO 54. WHAT IRE RISH WERE LED DURING THE EXTREME POTATO FAMINE. WE SAY 4 MILLION CAME HERE. 1 MILLION BEFORE 1844 AND ANOTHER MILLION AFTER 1854. IT WASN'T JUST THE POTATO FAMINE. WHAT WAS IT? WELL, EVEN THOUGH MY TRAINING IS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, I FOUND MYSELF READING DEEPLY INTO IRISH HISTORY. THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED. I LEARNED THAT AROUND 1800, BRITISH COLONIAL POLICYMAKERS CAME UP WITH THIS POLICY FOR IRELAND. THEY DECIDED IRELAND SHOULD BECOME THE SUPPLIER OF BEEF TO ENGLAND. SO THEY SENT OUT INSTRUCTIONS TO BRITISH PROTESTANT LANDLORDS IN IRELAND, LANDLORDS WHO OWNED 90 PERCENT OF IRELAND, BECAUSE BRITISH IMPERIALISM HAD BEEN UNDER WAY FOR CENTURIES AT THIS POINT. TO TRANSFORM AGRICULTURE IN IRELAND. FROM SMALL FARMS AND POTATOES, TO RANCH GOING A AGRICULTURE. , RANCHING AND CATTLE. THIS LED TO EVICTION OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IRISH CATHOLIC FARMING FAMILIES. NOW, IN A RANCHING ECONOMY, THE IRISH MEN WERE HIRED BUT THE IRISH WOMEN, WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE POTATO ECONOMY HAD BEEN RENDERED ECONOMICALLY SUPERFLUOUS. LET ME WRITE THAT TERM HERE. AREN'T THERE POPULATIONS TODAY THAT HAVE BEEN RENDERED ECONOMIC SUPERFLUOUS DUE TO INNER CITY DEINDUSTRIALIZATION. SO THIS COMMERCIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE PRESENTED A TREMENDOUS TRANSFORMATION IN IRELAND THAT CREATED SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF PUSH FOR WOMEN. SO THESE IRISH WOMEN WERE CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 50 PERCENT OF THEM BECAME MAIDS. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE STEREOTYPE OF THE IRISH MAID. WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT 30 PERCENT OF THEM BECAME FACTORY WORKERS. THEY LEFT THE FARMS AND THEY BECAME FACTORY WORKERS. WORKING IN THE TEXTILE MILLS OF LOWELL, BOSTON, PROVIDENCE, PAULTUCKET. HERE, I'M GOING TO DRAW A MAP. YOU HAVE TO BE GENEROUS, OKAY, USE YOUR IMAGINATION. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S GOING TO WORK, IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO DRAW THIS MAP THAT WELL. LET'S TRY IT. NOT BAD, HUH? [~APPLAUSE~] WHERE ARE WE? AROUND HERE. GAINESVILLE. I FOUND OUT IT'S NOT THAT EASY TO GET INTO GAINESVILLE FROM SAN FRANCISCO. THERE ARE NO DIRECT FLIGHTS INTO GAINESVILLE. GOT GO THROUGH ATLANTA. AND THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY FLIGHTS OUT OF ATLANTA TO GAINESVILLE. SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT. OKAY, SO THE WOMEN WERE COMING OVER. TO TEXTILE MILLS, BOSTON, PROVIDENCE. WHEN I SAID TEXTILE MILLS, WHAT RAW MATERIAL WERE THESE IMMIGRANT WOMEN PROCESSING? COTTON. OKAY REMEMBER, IN WATER GATE, DEEP THROAT SAID FOLLOW THE MONEY. FOR TONIGHT'S 15 MINUTE LECTURE, LET'S FOLLOW THE COTTON. OKAY? WHERE DID THIS COTTON COME FROM? >> THE SOUTH. IT CAME FROM THE SOUTH. YOU HAVE COTTON BEING SENT TO THESE NORTHERN FACTORIES. THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY WAS AT THE CENTER OF THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF AMERICA. THIS TEXTILE INDUSTRY CREATED HUGE DEMANDS FOR COTTON. SO COTTON CULTIVATION EXPANDED INTO UPCOUNTRY GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. THESE WERE LANDS THAT HAD BEEN INHABITED BY CHEROKEES CHOCKTAWK. ENTIRE LANDS HAD BEEN CLEARED AWAY AND HARVESTED BY SLAVE AFRICAN-AMERICANS. I SAID COTTON CULTIVATION ADVANCED INTO TEXAS. TEXAS AT THAT TIME WHAT PART OF WHAT NATION? IT WAS PART OF MEXICO. SO AMERICANS CROSSED THE BORDER, THE BOUNDARY INTO MEXICO, AND THEY TOOK WITH THEM COTTONSEEDS AND ENSLAVED AFRICAN-AMERICANS. MEXICO, IN 1830, DECLARED THAT IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR AMERICANS TO ENTER MEXICO. JUST THINK ABOUT IT. AMERICANS WERE UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS. THEY WERE ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MEXICO. MEXICO IN 1830 ALSO PROHIBITED SLAVERY ON MEXICAN TERRITORY. SO WHAT HAPPENED? REMEMBER THE ALAMO, 1836, THE CESSATION OF TEXAS FROM MEXICO AND ANNEXATION OF TEXAS, AND THAT LED TO THE WAR AGAINST MEXICO. NOW, THIS WAR AGAINST MEXICO WAS NOT OVER A BORDER DISPUTE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO, ALTHOUGH THAT'S WHAT THE READING-NEWSPAPER READING PUBLIC THOUGHT WAS THE REASON FOR THE WAR. THERE WAS A HIDDEN AGENDA. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND BUSINESS INTERESTS WANTED A WAR AGAINST MEXICO. WHY? BECAUSE THEY WANTED A NATURAL BAY. THE BAY OF SAN FRANCISCO. TO DEVELOP TRADE WITH ASIA. SO AT THE END OF THE WAR AGAINST MEXICO, THE UNITED STATES ANNEXED HALF OF ALL MEXICO. INCLUDING CALIFORNIA. AND THE BAY OF SAN FRANCISCO. THIS BRINGS US, THEN, TO THE SECOND QUESTION. THE FIRST QUESTION WAS WHY WERE THERE SO MANY IRISH IMMIGRANT. THE SECOND QUESTION IS WHY WERE THERE SO FEW CHINESE IMMIGRANTS? THE CHINESE CAME OVER HERE FIRST FOR THE GOLD MINE, FOR THE GOLD RUSH. BUT, THEN, THEIR LABOR WAS NEEDED. ESPECIALLY FOR TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD. THEY HAD A WORK FORCE 90 PERCENT CHINESE, BUILDING THE LINE EASTWARD. THE UNION PACIFIC HAD A WORK FORCE THAT WAS ALMOST ALL IRISH. SO THAT TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD WAS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS FROM IRELAND AND CHINA. WHY WERE SO FEW OF THESE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WOMEN? THERE ARE MANY REASONS. I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THEM. THE EMPLOYERS OF CHINESE LABORERS WANTED MEN ONLY. AND THEY WANTED THESE MEN TO COME OVER HERE AND WORK TEMPORARILY, THREE TO FIVE YEARS, AND THEN RETURN TO CHINA. THEY DID NOT WANT THESE CHINESE MEN BRINGING WITH THEM WIVES AND HAVING CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, THE MASTER NARRATIVE FROM AMERICAN HISTORY WAS BUSINESS POLICY TO KEEP THIS A WHITE SOCIETY. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD, CHARLES CROCKER, IN TESTIMONY BEFORE CONGRESS, SAID, WE WANT THESE CHINESE MEN TO COME HERE, WORK TEMPORARILY, AND THEN GO BACK TO CHINA. WE DON'T WANT THEM STAYING HERE WITH FAMILIES AND BECOMING, AND HE USED THIS TERM, BECOMING THICK. IN THE UNITED STATES. WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT CREATED THIS MULTICULTURAL AMERICA, WE REALIZE THE ECONOMY CREATED THIS DIVERSITY. BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS PAST, I ALSO REMEMBER THESE WERE MEN AND WOMEN WITH MINDS AND WILLS AND VOICES. I TRY, AS A HISTORIAN, TO LOOK AT THEM AS PEOPLE WITH AGENCY. THEY MAKE DECISIONS. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IS TO END MY LECTURE BY SHARING WITH YOU SOME OF THEIR VOICES. I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE IRISH IMMIGRANT WOMEN. AS THEY WORKED IN THE TEXTILE MILLS, THEY SANG WORK SONGS. HISTORIANS HAVE BEEN GATHERING THEIR SONGS. I'D LIKE TO SHARE ONE OF THEIR SONGS WITH YOU TONIGHT. I'M NOT GOING TO SING. OKAY? BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO LISTEN BETWEEN THE LINES BECAUSE THIS SONG GIVES YOU AN EYE-LEVEL VIEW OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO WORK IN THOSE DARK DUSTY AND NOISY MILLS. THE SONG GOES THIS WAY. WHEN I SET OUT FOR LOWELL, LOWELL WAS ONE OF THE CENTERS OF TEXTILE PRODUCTION. WHEN I SET OUT FOR LOWELL, A FACTORY, I LEFT MY NATIVE COUNTRY AND ALL MY FRIENDS BEHIND. BUT NOW I AM IN LOWELL, AND SUMMONED BY THE BELL, I THINK LESS OF THE FACTORY THAN OF MY NATIVE BELL. NOTICE WHAT IS HAPPENING. TIME HAS BEEN REDEFINED. IT'S NO LONGER THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN FOR THESE WOMEN FROM THE FARMS. THE TIME IS NOW THE CLOCK AND NOT JUST THE CLOCK, IT'S THE FACTORY BELL. AND SOME OF YOU CAN HEAR WHISPERING IN YOUR EARS MICHELLE FACOU, DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH, DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH, WHERE THE CLOCK AND FACTORY BELL BECOME INSTRUMENTS OF DISCIPLINING AND URBAN FACTORY WORK FORCE. THE SONG GOES, THE FACTORY BELL BEGINS TO RING AND WE MUST ALL OBEY. AND TO OUR URBAN CLIMATE GO OR ELSE BE TURN AID WAY PAY ATTENTION OR YOU'LL BE FIRED. BUT THESE WOMEN ALSO POSSESSED A SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE BECAUSE THE LAST STANZA GOES THIS WAY. COME ALL YOU WEARY FACTORY GIRLS, I'LL HAVE YOU UNDERSTAND I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE FACTORY AND RETURN TO MY NATIVE LAND. VERY FEW OF THEM RETURNED TO IRELAND. THEY STAYED AND THEY MADE AMERICA A MORE DIVERSE SOCIETY, IN TERMS OF OUR RELIGIONS. WHAT ABOUT THE CHINESE WOMEN? THE 5 PERCENT? WELL, I HAVE TROUBLE FINDING THEIR VOICES. BUT WHILE DOING RESEARCH, I CAME ACROSS A SLENDER STACK OF COPIES OF WESTERN UNION TELEGRAMS SENT IN CALIFORNIA BY THE CHINESE MEN. YOU HAVE TO THINK THIS WAS A POPULATION 95 PERCENT MALE. THESE WERE TELEGRAMS SENT FROM THE SMALL TOWNS AND FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRAS TO SAN FRANCISCO, IN THE 1870S. YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, WHAT DID THESE CHINESE MEN SAY TO EACH OTHER IN THESE TELEGRAMS? IT'S LIKE SOME HISTORIAN SOME DAY CHECKING OUR E-MAILS. YOU GET A CHANCE, YOU FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TO ONE ANOTHER. THEY SAID DIFFERENT THINGS. I CAN REMEMBER COMING ACROSS ONE TELEGRAM, DATED 1874, THAT HAD ONE LINE ONLY. THE LINE WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SEND THE OPU UP QUICK. AT BERKELEY, I TELL MY STUDENTS, HEY, THIS IS AN HISTORICAL DOCUMENT. LET'S ANALYZE IT, TEASE IT UP. WHAT DOES THIS TELEGRAM SAY? SOME OF THE STUDENTS RAISE THEIR HANDS AND THEY SAY, WELL, PROFESSOR TAKAKI, LIFE UP IN THE SIERRAS MUST HAVE BEEN LONELY AND WORK MUST HAVE BEEN PUNISHING SO THEY NEEDED OPIUM TO HELP THEM RELAX, TO ESCAPE. SOME OF THE OTHER STUDENTS WOULD ASK THEMSELVES THE QUESTION. WHY OPIUM? OKAY. THEN, YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER WOULD COME BURSTING, OPIUM, THE BRITISH OPIUM WARS. THE TREATY OF MAN KING, 1842. THE ANNEXATION OF HONG KONG BY THE BRITISH EMPIRE. ENGLAND AT THAT TIME, HAD A TRADE IMBALANCE PROBLEM. THEY WERE IMPORTING GOOD FROM CHINA, PORCELAIN, SILK, TEA. BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO EXPORT TO CHINA. THESE BRITISH COLONIAL POLICYMAKERS MAKING POLICIES FOR IRELAND ALSO MADE POLICIES FOR INDIA AND FOR CHINA, THEY DECIDED TO TAKE OPIUM FROM INDIA AND SHIP IT TO CHINA AND MAKE A PROFIT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAID YOU MAY NOT SHIP OPIUM TO THIS COUNTRY AND THAT OPENED THE WAY TO THE BRITISH OPIUM WAR. MANY OF THESE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS THAT CAME OVER HERE WERE ALREADY ADDICTED TO OPIUM BEFORE THEY CROSSED THE PACIFIC. NOW, AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE EXCELLENTER STACK OF TELEGRAMS, I'M DOING THIS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, I CAME ACROSS A NUMBER OF REFERENCES TO A MAN NAMED FU SENG. FU SENG WAS LIVING IN CALIFORNIA. WHICH IS IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRA. THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY. SACRAMENTO, THERE'S MARISVILLE, THERE'S THE STATE LINE. NEVADA IS ON THE OTHER SIDE. AND FU SENG HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT THIS CHINESE IMMIGRANT WOMAN NAMED MEN CRUSHINGU LIVING IN NEVADA, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE LINE. SO FU SENG GETS ALL EXCITED AND WANTS TO MEET AND MARRY THIS WOMAN. YOU'D GET EXCITED, TOO, IF 95 PERCENT OF YOU WERE MEN. THE FIRST TELEGRAPH, JULY 25TH , 1874. LISTEN BETWEEN THE LINES HERE. FU SENG SAYS IN A TELEGRAPH TO NEVADA, THE TELEGRAPH READS DON'T LET HER GO. I WILL COME TOMORROW AND SEE HER. I WANT TO BRING HER TO LIVE WITH ME. WHAT TIME DOES THE TRAIN START? ANSWER. QUICK. >> SEE, THIS GUY IS EAGER. THE NEXT DAY, HE SENDS ANOTHER MESSAGE. I WILL START TODAY AND MEET HER. TELL HER TO WAIT FOR ME TO COME. IF SHE WANTS TO GO -- THERE WAS ANOTHER MAN. IF SHE WANTS GO WITH THE OTHER MAN. I WILL LET HER. DON'T CARE. BUT HICHAM DOES CARE. SAYS ANSWER QUICK SHE WAS TAKEN OFF BY THE OTHER MAN. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE END OF THIS STORY. WELL, ON AUGUST 12TH , ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, FIND THIS TELEGRAM SENT BY AU TANG. IT READING FU SENG'S WOMAN HAS GONE TO MARY'SVILLE, WHICH IS ABOUT 70 MILES WEST OF DONNELLYVILLE. GUESS WHAT? HE HAS A FRIEND WHO LIVES IN MARY'SVILLE AND SENDS A TELEGRAM TO HIS FRIEND THERE. IT READS, BRING WOMAN UP. RIGHT AWAY. WILL PAY 300 DOLLARS. ANSWER. THEN HE THOUGHT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER GUY? HE ADDS THIS LINE. IS MAN WHO TOOK WOMAN THERE? ANSWER. WELL AT 11:05 A.M., THE SAME DAY, SING WIRES HIM, MEN QU IS HERE. WHAT YOU GOING TO DO? ANSWER, QUICK. SHE HAD DECIDED SHE WOULD LEAVE THIS GUY AND MARRY FU SENG. SO, AT 4:20 P.M., HE TELL GRAPHS FU SENG. SHE WANTS YOU TO COME RIGHT AWAY AND GET WARRANT WITH OFFICER. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM THE OTHER MAN. GET WARRANT WITH OFFICER. FRIENDS WILL HELP. YOU DON'T BE AFRAID. WE WILL GET HER SURE. SO FU SENG HUR RIS DOWN TO MARY'SVILLE THE NEXT DAY. AUGUST 15TH HE WIRES, STILL IN DONNIEVILLE. I SAW THE WOMAN BUT HAVE NOT YET TAKEN HER. SEND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. HIS FRIEND SENDS A WIRE. WILL SEND A CERTIFICATE NEXT DAY. WELL, I'M SORRY TO DISAPPOINT MANY OF YOU BUT THE TELEGRAMS END THERE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. BUT WE'RE JUST HISTORIANS, WE HAVE TO STICK WITH THE EVIDENCE. BUT IF YOU WERE LISTENING, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN THE LINES, YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD TWO THINGS. ONE, YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD THE SCIENCE OF MEN, SENDING TELEGRAMS TO EACH OTHER. EVEN WITHIN THIS SILENCE, YOU WOULD HAVE HERD MEN QU BREAK THIS SILENCE BECAUSE THEY HAD TO CONSULT WITH HER. SHE WAS NOT GOING TO LET THE MEN MAKE THE DECISION FOR HER. HAD SHE BEEN IN CHINA, HER PARENTS WOULD PROBABLY HAVE MADE THE DECISION FOR HER, IN TERMS OF WHOM SHE WOULD MARRY. WHO WAS MEN QU, I ASKED MY STUDENTS AT BERKELEY. HERE'S THE EPISTOMOLOGICAL QUESTION. THIS IS ALL THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE. HOW DO WE FIND OUT WHO SHE WAS? THIS IS 1874. THESE TELEGRAMS ARE SENT BACK AND FORTH. ONE WAY TO FIND OUT WHO SHE WAS WAS TO LOOK AT THE 1870 CENSUS. IN CALIFORNIA. THE 1870 CENSUS REVEALED THAT 70 PERCENT OF THE CHINESE WOMEN, THAT 5 PERCENT, LISTED AS THEIR OCCUPATION PROSTITUTION. 70 PERCENT OF THEM PROS PROSTITUTE. THEY HAD TO PAY OFF THE COST OF THEIR TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS 1874. IT'S HIGHLY POSSIBLE MEN QU HAD BEEN A SEXUAL INDENTURED SERVANT AND NOW IN 1874, SHE GOT HER RELEASE PAPERS AND NOW SHE HAD DECIDED TO STAY IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT WHAT ABOUT FU SENG. WHO WAS HE? WELL, THAT'S ALL WE KNOW ABOUT HIM. BUT THIS DATE, 1874, CAN BE REVEALING. WHEN WAS THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD COMPLETED? YOU MUST KNOW THAT FACT, HUH? GIVE ME THE DATE OF THE COMPLETION OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD. THAT'S AMERICAN HISTORY. COME ON. I WANT TO SEE A HAND. HEY. OKAY. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TELL YOU 1869. REMEMBER, CHARLES CROCKER SAID WE DON'T WANT THEM BRINGING WOMEN OVER HERE AND BECOMING THICK. IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1869. THERE WAS THIS MASSIVE LAYOFF OF CHINESE WORKERS. FU SENG, LIKE MANY OF THE WORKERS DIDN'T GO BACK TO CHINA. THEY STAYED. YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE FU SENG IN CALIFORNIA, TRYING HIMSELF, MAYBE I DON'T WANT GO BACK TO CHINA. MAYBE I WANT TO STAY HERE. MAYBE I'D LIKE TO GET MARRIED HERE. MAYBE I'D LIKE TO HAVE A FAMILY HERE. MAYBE I'D LIKE TO MAKE AMERICA MY HOME. MAYBE I'D LIKE TO BECOME CHINESE-AMERICAN. SO, HE WAS SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE, SAMUEL P. HUNTINGTONS OF AMERICA. YES. WAIT A MINUTE. THIS IS MY COUNTRY, TOO. I HELPED TO BUILD THIS ECONOMY. I'M ENTITLED TO STAY HERE AND TO BECOME AN AMERICAN. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FU SENG WOULD COME OTHERS, LIKE MY GRANDFATHER FROM JAPAN. OTHERS WOULD COME FROM KOREA, THE PHILIPPINES, INDIA. OTHERS WOULD COME FROM MEXICO. ITALY, HUNGARY, POLAND AND RUSSIA. OTHERS WOULD COME FROM VIETNAM. CAMBODIA, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, IRAN. YOU CAN JUST HEAR THEM SAYING TO THEMSELVES, MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE WE'D LIKE TO BECOME AMERICANS. BUT IN ORDER TO HEAR THEM, WE FIRST HAVE TO BECOME LISTENERS. THIS WHERE IS I'D LIKE END TO MY TALK TONIGHT. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN GOOD LISTENERS, INTERACTIVE LISTENERS, EVEN GIVING ME WRONG ANSWERS. BUT THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. IT'S THE MASTER NARRATIVE OF AMERICAN HISTORY. BUT THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE SILENCE OF MEN CHU AND THE SILENCE OF IRISH IMMIGRANT WOMEN AND WRITINGS OF FU SENG. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >> WE'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS NOW. THERE'S A MICROPHONE BACK THERE. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, GO AHEAD AND APPROACH THE MIKE. >> YOU CAN JUST ASK FROM THE FLOOR. GO AHEAD. RAISE YOUR HAND. RIGHT THERE? RIGHT THERE. >> DO YOU STILL SURF? >> DO I STILL SURF? I CAN STILL SURF BUT I BOOGIE BOARD. I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MY AGE. YEAH, BUT, YEAH, MY PASSION, WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER WAS TO BE ABLE TO HANG 10. OH, BOY. WHAT A LIFE, YEAH. JUST THINK, HAD I REMAINED IN HAWAII, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE DOCTOR I MIGHT HAVE BEEN A HAPPY SURFER. OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. >> HOW DO YOU SEE THE STATE OF ETHIC CITIES I MEAN STUDIES IN AMERICA >> HOW DO I SEE THE STATE OF ETHNIC STUDIES IN AMERICA? OKAY, I'M VERY HOPEFUL. WHY AIM HOPEFUL? FOR ONE THING, THERE'S A SCHOLARSHIP, MULTICULTURISM IS JUST BURSTING. THE REAL REASON IS TOPOGRAPHY. THE NUMBERS TELL THE US NUMBERS. THE 2000 CENSUS REVEAL WHITES HAVE BECOME A MINORITY IN CALIFORNIA. CALIFORNIA THIS IS TIPPING POINT FOR THE REST OF THE NATION. SOMETIME IN THE 21ST CENTURY, WHITES WILL BECOME A MINORITY IN THE TOTAL U.S. POPULATION. SO, THIS DIVERSITY WILL CHALLENGE THE MASTER NARRATIVE AND ALSO WILL DEMAND THE STUDY OF OUR DIVERSITY. SO, I SEE OUR MANIFEST DESTIN AS A DESTINY OF DIVERSITY. THAT ALSO MEANS YOUNGER PEOPLE TODAY WILL HAVE TO PURSUE THIS. OKAY. YEAH. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? YOU HAVE THE MIKE. GO AHEAD. >> I WANT TO BELIEVE THERE'S HOPE. I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HOPE YOU CAN OF INFORMATION A STATE LIKE FLORIDA, WHOSE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS AFRAID OF THE DIVERSITY. THIS STATE HAS A 10-YEAR-OLD STATE LAW OF REQUIRED INSTRUCTION. 19 POINTS INCLUDE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN, CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANICS, THE JEWISH HOLOCAUST, BIG PARAGRAPH ON BLACK HISTORY AND NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS. AFTER TEN YEARS, 62 OUT OF 67 COUNTIES STILL IGNORE IT AND REFUSE IT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT KIND OF FEAR OF THE TRUTH? >> THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA SHOULD TELL THE SCHOOLS, LOOK, THIS IS THE LAW. BUT ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS UNIVERSITY TRAIN TEACHERS TO TEACH DIVERSITY, OKAY? I TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE AT BERKELEY, IN TERMS OF TRAINING PEOPLE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. AFTER A TWO YEAR STUDENT STRUGGLE, IT WAS STRUGGLE WITH DEMONSTRATIONS, RALLIES, SIT-INS, THE BERKELEY FACULTY APPROVED A MULTICULTURAL REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION. EVERY STUDENT AT BERKELEY, IN ORDER TO GRADUATE, MUST TAKE A COURSE TO DEEPEN AND BROADEN UNDERSTANDING OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE COURSE MUST STUDY COMPARATIVELY FIVE GROUPS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FIVE GROUPS AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN, ASIAN-AMERICAN, LATINO, NATIVE-AMERICAN AND ALSO EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME FROM IRELAND, ITALY, POLAND AND RUSSIA. WE FEEL THAT THE TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM IS AN ANGLO CENTRIC CURRICULUM. TODAY, BERKELEY OFFERS 225 COURSES THAT FULFILL THIS REQUIREMENT. WE CALL IT THE AMERICAN CULTURES REQUIREMENT. IT IS NOT AN ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT. IN ORDER TO GRADUATE FROM BERKELEY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE -- EVERY STUDENT MUST TAKE TWO COURSES IN HUMANITIES AND TWO COURSES IN SOCIAL SCIENCE. ALL THE STUDENTS WERE SAYING ONE OF THESE FOUR COURSES MUST HAVE A MULTICULTURAL CONTENT. THAT'S AN IDEA FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. YOU HAVE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. YOU CAN FOLD AND STUDY DIVERSITY INTO THAT GENERAL EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT. AND THEN ESPECIALLY IN THE SCHOOL'S EDUCATION, TRAIN THOSE TEACHERS WHO WILL BE GOING ON TO THESE DIFFERENT COUNTIES. TO TEACH A MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSE CURRICULUM. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY CAN BE DONE. I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER STRUGGLES THAT NEED TO BE DONE, POLITICAL STRUGGLES AND SO FORTH. I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I THINK CAN BE DONE HERE AT THIS UNIVERSITY. QUESTION HERE. >> I'M WONDERING WHAT -- IN WHAT WAYS WE CAN -- THE NATION'S PAST, IN WHAT WAYS WE CAN HELP TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THIS -- THE NEW AMERICA? >> THE QUESTION IS, AS WE REVISION THE NATION'S PAST, WHICH IS IN THE TITLE OF MY LECTURE, HOW CAN WE DIRECT THE FUTURE OR SHAPE THE FUTURE >> RIGHT. >> SHAPE THE FUTURE. MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS THAT YOU SHAPE THE FUTURE BY UNDERSTANDING THE PAST. MORE IN K CONCLUSIVELY AND MORE ACCURATELY LET ME GIVE YOU WHAT I LIKE TO GIVE MY BERKELEY STUDENTS FAVORITE QUOTES, LET ME GIVE YOU ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM GEORGE ORWELL, 1984. YES. WE HAVE A LITERATURE EXPERT HERE. HE SAID, HE WROTE, THOSE WHO CONTROL THE PRESENT CONTROL THE PAST. THOSE WHO CONTROL THE PAST CONTROL THE FUTURE. WHAT WE CAN DO AS STUDENTS AND AS FACULTY, AT LEAST, IS TO SEIZE SOME CONTROL OF THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE. SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE ANSWER I WOULD GIVE YOU, AS AN HISTORIAN. OKAY. YEAH. >> I'M TEACHING A COURSE ON ETHNIC AMERICAN LITERATURE IN THE SPRING. I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU DO SUGGEST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I CAN CONVEY TO MY STUDENTS OR DO WITH THEM IN THE COURSE? >> ETHNIC AMERICAN LITERATURE. WELL, WITH THE LITERATURE, YOU'RE ALREADY GATHERING THEIR VOICES, OKAY, YOU HAVE THE VOICES. I WOULD ASSIGN A DIFFERENT MIRROR TO THEM, SO THAT THEY HAVE THE CONTEXT FOR THESE LITERARY VOICES, OKAY? YEAH. IF I THINK TO STUDY LITERATURE APART FROM HISTORY IS TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, RENDER THE STUDY OF LITERATURE APART FROM HISTORICAL REALITY. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO. I KNOW OTHER LITERATURE COURSES HAVE THEIR STUDENTS READ A DIFFERENT MIRROR SIDE BY SIDE, CEREMONY AND SO FORTH. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO. REQUIRE A DIFFERENT MIRROR. AND YOU FIND IN A DIFFERENT MIRROR A LOT OF LITERATURE IN IT, TOO. THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. WAY BACK THERE. HELLO >> HELLO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LECTURE THIS EVENING. MY QUESTION OR COMMENT ACTUALLY HAS TO DEAL WITH THE IDEA OF DIVERSITY AND IT BEING POSSIBLY CO-OPTED INTO THE MASTER NARRATIVE, THAT IS HOW DO WE GUARD AGAINST THE AMERICAN MYTH OF THE MELTING POT, AND THEN BY PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURISM, THEN SORT OF CONTINUING THE MYTH? HOW DO YOU GUARD AGAINST THAT >> YEAH, IT IS A CONTESTED TERRAIN. BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF DIVERSITY. THE PERNICIOUS APPROACH IS CALLED THE ADD JOHN APPROACH WHERE THE UNIVERSITY SAYS, YES, WE'RE FOR DIVERSITY THEY ADD A DAY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND ADD A DAY OF LATINOS. YEAH. BUT THEY KEEP IN TACT THE MASTER NARRATIVE. WHAT THE ADD-ON APPROACH DOES IS CONTINUE THE MARGINALIZATION OF MINE NORTH DAKOTA. I WOULD CONTINUE TO PLACE THE STUDY OF DIVERSITY AT THE CORE OF THE STUDY OF AMERICA, LIKE WHAT I DID TODAY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN HAPPENED TONIGHT IN THAT 15 MINUTE LECTURE WITHIN A LECTURE? AMERICAN HISTORY, RIGHT, BUT IT LOCATED DIVERSITY AS THE FOCUS. THAT'S THE WAY TO STUDY IT THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF AMERICA. >> GOOD EVENING, DR. TAKAKI. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, IN THE CONTEXT OF AMERICAN HISTORY? 0 >> AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN THE CONTEXT OF AMERICAN HISTORY >> REVISIONING AMERICAN HISTORY. >> REVISIONING AMERICAN HISTORY. I GUESS YOU CAN CALL REVISIONING AMERICAN HISTORY ELECTORAL AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. THE INCLUSION OF GROUPS LEFT OUT OF AMERICAN HISTORY. DID YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AS SUCH? >> YEAH. >> OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, IN CALIFORNIA, WE PASSED A LAW THAT OUTLAWED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. AT THE BERKELEY CAMPUS, AS A RESULT, WHAT WE FIND IS DISAPPEARANCE OF DIVERSITY, DWINDLING DIVERSITY. LIKE ENROLLMENTS FOR ESPECIALLY BLACKS AND LATINOS HAVE JUST DROPPED. WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT, NOW THAT IT'S THE LAW? YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO PUT ON THE BALLOT AN INITIATIVE THAT WOULD HAVE OVERTURNED PROP 209. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE KIND OF MONEY THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAD TO ACTUALLY HIRE PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND GATHER SIGNATURES. BUT WE GATHERED SOME 300,000 SIGNATURES TO OVERTURN PROP 209. WE NEEDED 750, 000. BUT WE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR PROP 209 THOUGHT THEY WERE VOTING FOR WHAT WAS CALLED BY THE ADVOCATES OF PROP 209, THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS INITIATIVE. IMAGINE THAT. HUH? CALLING THIS PROPOSITION THE CIVIL RIGHTS INITIATIVE. ACCORDING TO THE L.A. TIMES EXIT POLL, 25 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR PROP 209 SAID THAT THEY'RE ALSO FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. OKAY. SO THE VOTERS OF CALIFORNIA GOT HOOD-WINKED ON THAT ONE BUT NOW IT'S THE LAW. DO YOU HAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAW IN FLORIDA? >> OVERTURNED. OVERTURNED. >> IT'S BEEN OVERTURNED TOO? >> WE HAD WARD CONNIELY HERE. >> WARD CONNELLY BROUGHT HIS -- >> FROM ONE SHORE TO THE OTHER. SEA TO SHINING SEA. >> WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DON'T -- THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA CANNOT PRACTICE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, SPECIAL ADMISSION >> NO. >> NO. SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT? HOW DO YOU DIVERSIFY YOUR STUDENT BODY AND FACULTY? NOW THAT YOU CAN'T PRACTICE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION? >> WE DON'T. >> YOU DON'T. >> WE TRY LOOK AT ESSAYS. >> TRY TO LOOK AT ESSAYS? I LIKE THAT IDEA. YEAH. DO YOU REQUIRE THE SAT >> YES. >> YOU SHOULD ABOLISH THE SAT. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START. LEVEL THAT PLAYING FIELD. LET ME ASK YOU A SECOND QUESTION. THE STUDENTS WHO APPLY ALSO TAKE AP COURSES, RIGHT? DO YOU AWARD A BONUS POINT FOR AP COURSES. >> YES. >> THE PLAYING FIELD IS UNEQUAL. RIGHT AFTER PROP 209 BECAME THE LAW, BERKELEY REJECTED 800 BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS WITH 4 POINT 0-GPA. WHEN THE CHANCELLOR ANNOUNCED THIS AT A PRESS DOVES CONFERENCE, WE WERE ALL SHOCKED, HOW CAN BERKELEY REJECT 800 LATINO AND BLACK STUDENTS WITH PERFECT GRADES? HE SAID, THEY WERE NOT COMPETITIVE. WHY WERE THEY NOT COMPETITIVE? THEY WERE COMPETING AGAINST ASIAN AND WHITE STUDENTS WITH 4 POINT 2, 4 POINT 3, 4. 5-GPA. I WAS ASTONISHED, HOW DOES ONE GET MORE THAN A 4. 0-GPA? THERE WAS THIS HIDDEN DEVICE WHERE BERKELEY AWARDED A BONUS POINT FOR AP COURSES. THAT'S HOW YOU CAN GET A 4 POINT 2, 4 POINT 3, 4 POINT 5-GPA. WHERE ARE THE AP COWSHSES OFFERED IN ABUNDANCE, AT THE WEALTHY SUBURBAN SCHOOLS. A LOT OF THESE BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS WERE AT SCHOOLS WHERE IT WAS NOT OFFERED. IF I WOULD GET RID OF THE BONUS POINTS. WHAT ELSE WOULD I DO IF I WERE HERE? YOU SAID ESSAYS. YEAH. I THINK THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN A STUDENT'S SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION AND GOOD PERFORMANCE IN THE UNIVERSITY. SO, LET'S ASK STUDENTS TO WRITE ESSAYS. IT COULD BE A WRITING THAT -- A WRITING OF AN ESSAY THAT WOULD BE PROCTORED, BUT NEVERTHELESS, WRITE AN ESSAY ABOUT YOURSELF OR SOME ISSUE RELATED TO YOURSELF, AND THEN HAVE THE FACULTY LOOK AT THOSE ESSAYS. OKAY. AND ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD DO IS TAKE THE TOP ONE-THIRD, THEN HAVE YOUR ALUMNAE GO OUT AND INTERVIEW, CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND ALSO HAVE AN INTERVIEW REPORT, AND THEN CHOOSE THE CLASS. I ALSO MADE AND OUTRAGEOUS -- IT WAS VIEWED AS OUTRAGEOUS RECOMMENDATION TO THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA. IN AN OP-ED PIECE PUBLISHED IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES. I THINK WE SHOULD END RIGHT HERE, OKAY? YEAH. GOOD QUESTION ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. I SAID WE SHOULD TAKE THE TOP ONE-THIRD, YOU KNOW, PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, LIKE SAT, GPA, AND THEN GIVE EACH ONE OF THE ONE-THIRD A NUMBER. AND THEN LET A LOTTERY DO THE CHOOSING. OKAY. BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE WITH THE TOP ONE-THIRD, IT'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWIDLY DUMB AND TWIDLY DE. 4 POINT ZERO, 4 POINT 2-GPA. HOW CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE? JUST LET A LOTTERY DO THE CHOOSING THEN. I UNDERSTAND THAT STATISTICALLY, YOU KNOW, IF 10 PERCENT OF THE ONE-THIRD OF STUDENTS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THE LOTTERY WILL CHOOSE 10 PERCENT. LET A LOTTERY DO THE CHOOSING. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT IDEA? OKAY. GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >> I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THE KALEIDOSCOPE COMMITTEE WHO WORKED REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD. THIS PAST MONTH TO MAKE EVERYTHING GO SMOOTHLY WE DO HAVE A SHORT BOOK SIGNING WITH DR. TAKAKI FOLLOWING HIS LECTURE. THANKS A LOT. 8:22 P.M.