Jul 12, 2016

The entire democratic system in the U.S. has been set up with the goal of defending minority rights. But in China, most people don’t see minority and majority interests as inherently in conflict, nor a need for minorities to separate themselves from the larger group.

Mar 03, 2016

Roma Eisenstark compares experiences of Chinese living in America to Americans living in China, while considering questions of “immigrant” versus “expat” experiences, and conditions that can create cultural barriers—or engender social acceptance.

Sep 02, 2015

The importance of “boundaries” and the necessity of drawing firm lines between people are intrinsically American attitudes regarding how individuals should interact and be treated – attitudes that Roma Eisenstark sees thrown into great relief when living in China and navigating a more frank and physically demonstrative culture.

Jun 19, 2015

In the U.S., the LGBT movement is framed as a civil rights issue, which helps catalyze political action. Beijing’s LGBT community surprisingly enjoys a great deal of freedom and expression—as long as it is not acting politically—which can be in part explained by the Confucian mores of not interfering with others' affairs.