After teaching my Ethnic Studies 220 course, Asians in America at San Francisco State late this afternoon I rushed to my SF Board of Education meeting, the last one of the academic year, where we approved the budget, unfortunately laid off a number of employees and adopted a stronger small schools policy for our district.
I take off for Beijing along with our Superintendent Gwen Chan, and a handful of adminstrators, principals and other school board members in a few hours.
The lonely planet guidebooks and various podcasts have been very useful. But I have also relied on perspectives on US China relations from folks like my colleagues from Asian American Studies at SF State Marlon Hom and Lorraine Dong, global thinkers like Walden Bello, the late William Hinton, Dave Ewing of the US China People's Friendship Association, Chinese Progressive Association activists, Small Schools Project folks like Sue and Mike Klonsky, newly retired Prof. Ling-Chi Wang, Monica Ly who went through the Roots Program set up by Chinese American history scholar Him Mark Lai, head of Elementary Education at SF State Laureen Chew and, of course, my family.
I hope to learn much more from the people in Beijing, Jinan and Shanghai.