Tale of Two Textbooks

No country's history textbooks are ever perfect. Unfortunately, nationalistic perspectives frequently go unquestioned while international sentiments are ignored.

For example, in U.S. history we "Remember the Alamo" as a courageous battle, but we conveniently forget why it was fought: so that pro-slavery American immigrants to Mexico could expand the plantation system.

Needless to say, Mexico has a different perspective on the 1845 and 1848 wars, but my generation didn’t study other perspectives. Consequently, when our Miss Universe candidate gets booed like she did in Mexico City recently, our reaction is to stand there, mystified.

I find it interesting, then, when textbook changes make international news. For the first time, Israel has included a Palestinian perspective in a new textbook for Arab third-graders – acknowledging that the 1948 founding of the Israeli state was a "catastrophe" for Arabs (hence its Arabic name, "al-Naqba"). [Source]

It's important to note, however, that the same text won't be included in textbooks for Jewish students.

In Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party is moving textbooks to a more "independent" mindset. "National opera" is now called "Chinese opera." [Source] The "Ming dynasty" is now "the Chinese Ming dynasty," and so on. In support of the changes, one pro-DPP newspaper stated mockingly, "China is my country? and Taiwan is located off my country’s southeastern coast?"

It's the "one China" policy that is really under attack, and ironically it's the Nationlist party (Guomindang, 國民堂) that's defending it.

Ma Ying-jeou, the Nationalist party's presidential candidate, said the DPP "is seeking to impose thought control ... and distort the base of our national and cultural development."

Sarcastically speaking, he's right, of course. (And I'm not the only one who thinks so. I appreciate that the author specified the changes)

But Ma’s comment strikes me because – when you think about it – every country engages in "thought control" over its students. Of course, it’s called something different ("building patriotism") but the content is the same: why their country is great, and how they’ve been wronged by others, etc.

Historical accuracy is a difficult thing.