Shuping Yang commencement speech controversy: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{POV|date=November 2017}} |
|||
{{cleanup-reorganize|date=May 2017}} |
{{cleanup-reorganize|date=May 2017}} |
||
'''Shuping Yang commencement speech controversy''' happened on May 21, 2017, following a [[commencement speech]] made by Shuping Yang, a [[China|Chinese]] overseas undergraduate student graduating from the [[University of Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shanghaiist.com/2017/05/22/maryland-speech.php|title=Chinese student slammed by netizens over Maryland commencement speech about fresh air, freedom|first=Alex|last=Linder|website=[[Shanghaiist]]|accessdate=23 May 2017}}</ref> |
'''Shuping Yang commencement speech controversy''' happened on May 21, 2017, following a [[commencement speech]] made by Shuping Yang, a [[China|Chinese]] overseas undergraduate student graduating from the [[University of Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shanghaiist.com/2017/05/22/maryland-speech.php|title=Chinese student slammed by netizens over Maryland commencement speech about fresh air, freedom|first=Alex|last=Linder|website=[[Shanghaiist]]|accessdate=23 May 2017}}</ref> |
||
Revision as of 02:50, 25 November 2017
 |
 | This article may be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia's layout guidelines. (May 2017) |
Shuping Yang commencement speech controversy happened on May 21, 2017, following a commencement speech made by Shuping Yang, a Chinese overseas undergraduate student graduating from the University of Maryland.[1]
Speech
During the speech she contrasted air quality in China with that in the US,[2] and made a similar comparison with freedom of speech. She described her surprise at seeing a performance of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, a one-woman play in which topics of racism, sexism, and politics were openly discussed; she had previously been convinced that this was not possible, as "only authorities owned the narrative".[3] She further mentioned student protests, the election in 2016, and the voting system of the United States.
Reactions
Yang's speech has met with radical reaction and uproar in the Chinese students community, since others promptly found out that she grew up in Kunming, where the air quality in 2014 was, according to the Chinese state authority, excellent for 354 days,[4] the Kunming city government itself posting that the city's air was "more than likely to be 'sweet and fresh' ", using 35 AQI which is worse quality than the 25 AQI international standard for clean air.[3] The speech stirred a sharp reaction among students in the Chinese student community of the University of Maryland, notably from CSSA members approved by the Chinese government, who were questioning the school's academic neutrality. Chinese state-controlled media Global Times described the speech as "Anti-Chinese", and her Weibo account has been filled with hate speech. [5][6]
The University of Maryland issued a statement supporting Yang's "right to share her views and her unique perspectives",[7] adding that "respectfully engaging with those whom we disagree are essential skills, both within university walls and beyond".[8] However, the school has never directly responded to whether the school reviewed and approved Yang's speech, which is accused by the CSSA Chinese students as "a distortion of fact."
After the initial emotional reaction to her speech incited by an overly patriotic rendition of the story, the Chinese community in Zhihu has begun to question the emotional reaction with more thorough and rational analysis. However, this sharp and vigorous reaction has drawn attention from the foreign media.[9]
References
- ^ Linder, Alex. "Chinese student slammed by netizens over Maryland commencement speech about fresh air, freedom". Shanghaiist. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "University of Maryland commencement features fanfare, emphasis on societal responsibilities". Baltimore Sun. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ a b "A Chinese student praised the 'fresh air of free speech' at a U.S. college. Then came the backlash". Washington Post. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "2014年昆明市环境状况公报发布 空气质量354天优良 - 云南首页 -中国天气网 (Kunming Environmental Status Bulletin 2014 released: 354 days of good air quality! )". www.weather.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
- ^ "她说美国的空气"又甜又鲜"，台下美国人起立鼓掌，中国留学生气炸了！(She said the United States air "sweet and fresh", the audience got a standing ovation, the Chinese students were very angry!)". 环球网（Global Times）. 2017-05-22. Archived from the original on 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "马里兰大学中国留学生毕业演讲涉嫌辱华：我在美国吸到的空气都是甜的 (The graduation speech of a Chinese student at University of Maryland was suspected of degrading China: The air in the US was "sweet and fresh")". 搜狐网( Sohu ). 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Chinese student abused for praising 'fresh air of free speech' in US". The Guardian. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "University Statement Regarding 2017 Student Commencement Speaker". umdrightnow.umd.edu. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ The New York Times https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/world/asia/chinese-student-fresh-air-yang-shuping.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)