Significance+of+Imperialism+in+China

This was significant because it showed how adaptive the U.S. was with imperialism tactics. At first, the U.S. encountered a problem with the [|YMCA’s] efforts. The Chinese people were against the way in which the United States chose to imperialize. Catholic missionaries were insensitive towards the Chinese customs and were perceived as "eccentric, rather than inspired" (Rosenburg, 29). But the U.S. organized a new plan for spreading their religious beliefs. China had a high illiteracy rate in the beginning of the 19th century. The YMCA recognized this issue and aided China in decreasing the rate of illiteracy throughout China, in order to overshadow their efforts to spread Christianity. A man by the name of James Yen founded an abbreviated and simplified version of the Chinese language that consisted of 100 Chinese characters. This simplified version made it easier to teach the Chinese people efficiently. The Americans also used the Bible to teach the English language. This way, the Chinese people would have to read, understand, and memorize the Christian beliefs in order to learn the English language. The Chinese opinions of the Americans changed when the Americans decided to begin teaching Chinese and English to the Chinese people. They recognized the Americans for being kind, instead of invasive like the French, Russian, Italian, Japanese, and British. "Young Chinese intellectuals viewed Weternization les as a repudiation of national traditions than as the only way to combat Western Power and preserve their country's sovereignty" (Rosenburg 30). This was the main connection America kept with China that ensured the endurance of their influence. Religion, as the new tactic implied, was a beneficial side note to the lessons of English and simplified Chinese rather than the previous notion where it was to replace Buddhism and Daoism. Such was a case of cultural chauvinism, Christianity versus [|Daoism] and [|Buddhism].

By the time [|World War II] ended, all European [|spheres of influence] disappeared in China. Because of the roots that the United States implanted with the teachings of simplified Chinese and English languages, the United States did not have to rely on its economic ties, which in fact were few in comparison to the former European claims. In a similar instance in India, the same forces were being applied in similar fashions, including religious and economic claims, where the religious impressions lasted longer than the economic approaches made by the foreign nations.

Imperialism in India, with religious and economic conquests has proven to share a few connections with that of American influence in China. Both share instability in religion and with the economy, making it an easy target for outside forces to imply their ways upon them. In both cases, the religions spread included Christianity; China with America, India with Portugal and the Dutch. Both also share lasting impressions after the economic influences have left in the religious and social fields. Relevant? Perhaps…And by tracking the similarities and patterns of one case, they will aid us in assuming and predicting for the other (Levenson, 50). Wang, Q. Edward. "James L. Hevia. English Lessons: The Pedagogy of Imperialism in Nineteenth-Century China.(Book Review)." //Journal of British Studies// 44.4 (Oct 2005): 881(3). //Expanded Academic ASAP//. Thomson Gale. Greenwich High School. 2 May. 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/ips/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A138313463&source=gale&srcprod=EAIM&userGroupName=s0579&version=1.0. Dollar Diplomacy, 1909-1913." //DISCovering U.S. History//. Online Detroit : Gale, 2003. //Discovering Collection//. Thomson Gale. Greenwich High School . 2 May. 2007 .