For my final assignment in East Asian Mythology, I had a wonderful time exploring an East Asian myth we studied through a creative project. Photo Credit: Cecilia Guan.
One of my favorite parts about Columbia has been the freedom to intertwine my academic interests with the exploration of my Asian American identity. The primary route I have chosen to do so is through the Global Core requirement. The Global Core requires students to explore cultures, traditions, and histories outside the scope of the Western canon featured in classes like Literature Humanities, Contemporary Civilizations, Art Humanities, and Music Humanities. I enjoy the Global Core requirement because it acknowledges the diversity of cultures not explicitly encapsulated in the aforementioned courses, but which are equally valid and also make up the world within which we all exist and interact.
Of course, you do not need to be of a certain cultural background in order to learn and appreciate a Global Core course. My academic interests are informed by my cultural background, so I was eager to explore East Asian cultures in a more formal, academic setting. I encourage you to follow your interests even if you have no prior exposure or knowledge in that area. The small seminar size of many Global Core courses enables students to learn directly from each other and share perspectives we may never have considered. And so, I hope to highlight the two Global Cores I elected to take and how they have enriched my Columbia journey.
East Asian Religions, Professor Daniel Tuzzeo
“What can be named is not the Way,” starts off the Dao De Jing, one of the foundational texts of classical Daoism that is also embedded into many other East Asian religions. East Asian Religions was the first classroom exposure I ever had to non-Abrahamic religions. We began the course by attempting the ever-elusive question of defining what makes something a religion. The course then took a historical approach to charting the origins and dissemination of religions prominent in the East Asia region. Through artifacts, we unpacked Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Syncretism, popular religion, smaller religious movements, and beyond.
Although we covered much material, East Asian Religions felt refreshing because I could contextualize bits of East Asian cultures and religion to which I was previously exposed. For example, the concept of ‘karma’ is often referenced in Western cultures. The course helped me understand the tenets and values of Buddhism that then explain ‘karma’ and fit it in the Buddhist worldview. Additionally, the philosophies of classical Daoism resonated deeply with me as I was first learning about it in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the defining practices of classical Daoism is the notion of ‘wuwei,’ or nonaction. In a similar way that the Dao [Way] cannot “be named” because it is constantly evolving, trying to resist what is happening around you is not the Way. ‘Wuwei’ is not doing nothing, but it advocates for us to go with the flow and be prepared to encounter anything. At a moment in time when I felt anxiety and despair, the principles of Daoism that I learned in class helped me to recenter.
East Asian Mythology, Professor David Lurie
Following East Asian Religions, I had the delight of joining Professor Lurie’s East Asian Mythology course. Growing up studying Classics (Latin & Ancient Greek), reading Homeric epics, and loving books like the Percy Jackson series, my understanding of mythology was limited to Greek and Roman mythology. Mythology embodies and transmits the beliefs, deities and figures, important motifs/symbols/themes, creative spirit, and much more that are valued by a culture. To learn about East Asian mythology is to better understand the major stories and patterns that are incorporated into East Asian culture today. I also loved being able to apply my basic knowledge of East Asian religions to contextualize the purpose and timing of myths we studied.
I particularly enjoyed learning about etiological myths, ones that explain the origins of the universe, because they were so vivid and pervasive. For example, Nu Kua is a goddess in Chinese mythology who was described unintentionally creating social hierarchies amongst humans. Learning this etiology and justification for social classes allowed us to have more conversations about why and how societies are organized. Our discussions were not based in judging cultures, but were rooted in acknowledging the context for these myths and respectfully disagreeing if we thought differently.
Conclusion
In summary, my Global Core courses deepened my understanding for less familiar cultural contexts. At the same time, I loved being able to connect the dots between the values and stories I had encountered thus far and the primary sources that informed them. I hope your Global Core classes can similarly expand your worldviews.
If you are interested in exploring East Asian culture and Asian American identity through Columbia courses, I also recommend the following classes.
- Asian American Literature, Professor Denise Cruz
- Comparative Constitutional Law, Professor Liz OuYang
- Post 9/11 Immigration Policy, Professor Liz OuYang
- Immigrants in American History and Life, Professor Mae Ngai
- Asian American and the Psychology of Race, Professor Shinhee Han
- Courses offered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Culture ● Courses offered by the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity