Hello, my name is Sarah Shewaye. I am majoring in Political Science with a minor in Russian. I have traveled around the continental US along with Hawaii. Internationally, I have only been to Mexico and Cambodia. I do come from a very rich cultural background. My mother is half-Ukrainian, and half-Russian immigrating here when she was 21. My father is Ethiopian and immigrated here when he was 18. I am very interested in global studies and am excited to write about my East Asian country of choice, China. 

The country China, officially known as the People’s Republic of China, is the most populated country in the entire world. With a population 1.4 billion it is both racially and ethnically monogamous with 91%  of people being considered Han Chinese. Cosmopolitanism emphasizes an intercultural openness and a working together. However since China is so racially monogamous it can be difficult to fully practice cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism at root is a western idea, and western countries like the US also are extremely racially diverse. Inclusivity can be hard when 91% of your population is the same ethnic group and you simply aren’t used to other people. In our group discussion Danna also pointed out that Cosmopolitanism can sometimes be negative because it tries to force a one size fits all on other countries. Pushed by the western world it is an idea that might not always be the best for East Asian countries, even though it works for us. 

 That being said, however, historically China was a champion of cosmopolitanism. The Tang dynasty which ruled in China from 618-907 AD, also known as the golden age of China, promoted many cosmopolitan values. It was found that “during the Tang dynasty there was an ​​economic, social, and political stability, a flourishing artistic and literary culture, and increasing interaction with the outside world” (Barrett). This allowed for a huge boom of cosmopolitanism. There were new people, ideas, cultures, and opportunities. Over these 300 years China flourished in every aspect of society. There were many foreigners living in China during that time and “racial identity did not seem to limit the extent to which a person could ascend to great heights of power and status under Tang rule”(Barrett). In the past China had many cosmopolitan values. Now the middle class in cities like Shanghai are experiencing a renaissance of cosmopolitanism. Since Shanghai has so many different types of people, it has become a multicultural melting pot of China.There are aspects such as “the diffusion of the middle-class lifestyle, and the diffusion of consumerism and international norms” (Li) which are all strong cosmopolitan values. A small city like Shanghai is beginning to mirror the cosmopolitanism found in the great Tang Dynasty.

Sources:

Cheng Li – https://www.thecollector.com/tang-dynasty-golden-age-china/

Olivia Barrett – https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/07/30/the-shanghai-middle-class-embracing-cosmopolitanism-with-chinese-characteristics/