MUSCATINE, Iowa–As a language student, traveling to other countries to practice speaking and cultural skills often represents a highlight of high school. However, with international travel still recovering from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, students studying Chinese at Muscatine High School have not had the opportunity to travel to China since 2018. This month, Muscatine High School Chinese teacher Heidi Kuo took junior and senior students in Chinese three and four classes who may not have the opportunity to study abroad before they graduate to Washington D. C. to visit their Chinatown, the Chinese Embassy, and other important cultural sites related to China.
Previously, Chinese students visited Chinatown in Chicago to learn about its history and to experience various aspects of Chinese culture firsthand. By visiting Chinatown in Washington D. C., students got to compare it with Chinatown in Chicago, seeing the similarities and differences in its history. Through touring the area and getting to sample authentic cuisine, students also experienced additional aspects of Chinese culture.
Along with visiting Chinatown, students go to visit the Chinese Embassy, meeting with some of the leading diplomats there, including a group of young diplomats who shared with students how they got interested in diplomatic work, what kind of education they needed to enter the profession, and what they do as part of their work. They even practiced speaking Chinese with the students, giving them real world experience using the language. To honor the students for their visit, the embassy hosted them for dinner one night. In turn, the students presented the embassy with a banner featuring their calligraphy, made with assistance from Muscatine High School art teacher Jame Hayes.
As additional cultural experiences, all of the students on the trip visited the National Museum of Asian Art, getting to view many Chinese artifacts as well as those from neighboring countries, allowing them to compare and contrast them. Senior students attended a musical performance at the Kennedy Center which incorporated a variety of traditional Chinese instruments.
Students in Muscatine High School’s Chinese three and four classes visiting Washington D. C. Photo courtesy Heidi Kuo.
Though far from home, the students on the trip also met a fellow Muskie, Colonel Candice Frost who graduated from Muscatine High School in 1994. The students attended a special ceremony at the Arlington Cemetery Women’s Memorial to honor Frost’s retirement from the military.
The first trip Kuo has led to Washington D. C., she found it very successful and believes students learned a lot in their four days in the city. “It was a really great opportunity for the kids,” she said. She also appreciated the Sarah and Roger Lande Scholars Program for their financial support, which made the trip highly affordable for students.
In future years, Kuo hopes to continue taking students to visit other locations around the country related to China to help expand their view of the world outside their own city. “For me, I want to find more chances to take them to see different states from Iowa,” she explained. Possibly as soon as summer 2024, she looks forward to possibly having students study abroad in China once more.
