Red Scarf Girl

by Ji-Li Jiang

  Communism: An economic system in which all means of production, such as land and natural resources, are owned by the entire community and used for the good of all its members.

  Communist Party: China’s ruling political party, led during his lifetime by Chairman Mao.

  conservative: One who resists political change. To Chinese Communists the term was usually negative, but during the Cultural Revolution the meaning could change. Sometimes the people called conservatives were more loyal to the Communist leadership than the so-called revolutionaries.

  counterrevolutionary: A person who actively fights against the Communist Party. A counterrevolutionary is seen as a public enemy.

  crematorium: The building where the bodies of the dead are cremated—that is, burned. Nonreligious memorial services were performed at the crematorium, since all religion was condemned as superstition during the Cultural Revolution. In China today bodies are usually cremated, because land is considered too valuable to use for graves.

  criticize: In China during the Cultural Revolution criticizing was punishment for political errors. “Criticism” was often carried out in “struggle meetings” and often included humiliation or physical punishment.

  Cultural Revolution (officially known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution): The social and political upheaval that overtook China from 1966 to 1976. During this time many innocent people were ruthlessly persecuted. The Cultural Revolution was launched by Chairman Mao, supposedly to rid the country of anti-Communist influences. Long afterward it was revealed that Chairman Mao unleashed this chaos in order to protect his own political position.

  da-dui-zhang: In a Chinese elementary school, the student chairman of the entire school, roughly equivalent to the Student Council president in an American school.

  da-zi-bao: A form of propaganda in the shape of a large handwritten poster presenting an important issue. During the Cultural Revolution, da-zi-bao were used to attack and humiliate people.

  detainment: Confinement without legal arrest. People who were under investigation were often put in solitary confinement within their work units as a way to make them confess, sometimes falsely, to political crimes.

  educable child: In Cultural Revolution jargon, a child from a “black” family who is loyal to the Communist Party and rejects his or her black family.

  establish revolutionary ties: In Cultural Revolution jargon, to meet with people from other regions to exchange the experience of the Cultural Revolution and discuss political issues.

  exploitation: The unethical use of someone else’s labor or resources for one’s own profit.

  fen: The Chinese “penny,” one hundredth of a yuan.

  feudalism: The economic system in which the majority of the land was held by relatively few landowners, who leased their vast properties to farmers in return for large shares of the crops.

  Five Black Categories: According to Chairman Mao and the Communist Party, the worst enemies of Communism and the common people. The five categories were: landlords, rich peasants, counterrevolutionaries, criminals, and rightists.

  Four Olds: “Old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.” According to the propaganda, these remnants of the old society interfered with the creation of a modern, socialist society. However, people in power arbitrarily decided whether or not something was “fourolds,” and used this as an excuse to attack people and destroy property.

  ideology: A system of beliefs. Communist theory held that in order to change social conditions, people needed to change their patterns of thought. Someone with “bad ideology” was dragging the society backward, so this was a serious matter. The Cultural Revolution’s emphasis on changing “old thinking” made ideology even more important.

  individualist: One who believes that each individual is more important than the group as a whole, and who favors freedom of action and belief. Individualism was in opposition to the Communist theory of the supremacy of the state, and therefore it was considered a moral weakness.

  Lao Jiang: “Lao” literally means “old.” It is a common way to address friends or acquaintances who are older than the speaker.

  Lei Feng (1940-1962): A soldier in the People’s Liberation Army who was noted for his good deeds. He was heid up as a model for ordinary people to emulate.

  Liberation: The establishment of the Chinese Communist government in 1949 by Chairman Mao; so called because the Communist Party claimed to be liberating the common people from feudalism and from Chiang Kai-shek’s oppression.

  Liu Shao-qi (1898-1974): The chairman of the nation (or head of state) and vice-chairman of the Communist Party when the Cultural Revolution started. He was second in command to Mao, who was the chairman of the Communist Party. In China the Communist Party always has the highest power over the nation, the military force, and so on. Mao was threatened by the power Liu and other leaders were gaining, and launched the Cultural Revolution to suppress them. Liu was overthrown at the end of 1966, and later was placed under house arrest for a few years before he died. Also spelled “Liu Shao-chi.”

  Mandarin: The official national language of China. The many regions of China have their own local languages; the Chinese are encouraged to speak Mandarin so that people from different areas can communicate with each other.

  Mao Ze-dong (1893-1976): The chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, and leader of China from 1949 to 1976. Formerly spelled Mao Tse-tung.

  Mao Ze-dong Thought Study Groups: Groups that gathered at schools, workplaces, or neighborhoods to study Chairman Mao’s works. The Communist Party encouraged these groups as a way to educate people and strengthen the power of the Party.

  Nanjing: A city on the Yangtze River about 200 miles from Shanghai. Formerly spelled “Nanking.”

  Nationalist Party: The party of Chiang Kai-shek, which ruled China from 1928 until the Communist victory in 1949. The Nationalist Party led a revolution against the emperor in 1911 and tried to establish a democracy. They were defeated by the Communist Party in 1949 and withdrew to Taiwan. The Nationalists continue to rule the island of Taiwan today.

  Neighborhood Dictatorship Groups: During the Cultural Revolution, volunteer groups that monitored the activities of neighbors. Since they were not official organizations, their duties and formats varied from city to city.

  Neighborhood Party Committee; The Communist Party officers in charge of a neighborhood.

  neutral: In Communist jargon, neither “red” nor “black.” Since anything neutral was not sufficiently “red,” to be neutral meant to be weak.

  office workers: The class that was neither “black” nor “red.” “Office workers” included intellectuals and professionals, salespeople, and people who worked in offices. They were not considered as admirable as farmers or factory workers.

  pedicab: A three-wheeled vehicle pedaled like a bicycle, with a seat for one or two passengers behind the driver. Sometimes called a bicycle rickshaw.

  People’s Liberation Army; The national army of Communist China.

  political study class: A gathering in a neighborhood, workplace, or school to study Mao’s writings or the Communist Party’s documents. For people who were said to have political mistakes, these classes were often used to pressure them into confessing their problems.

  Precious Red Book: The common name for a pocket-sized edition of Selected Quotations from the Writings of Chairman Mao. During the Cultural Revolution it was quoted frequently in schools, workplaces, and political meetings. Many people, especially Red Guards and enthusiastic revolutionaries, carried it everywhere.

  proletarian: A member of the working class, especially a farmer or factory worker.

  propaganda: Information intended to promote a particular belief. While sometimes the word implies that the information is false, or at least misleading, in Comunist China it was used as a positive term, something like “public relations.”

  reactionary: Against the Communist Revolution, or a person who is against the revolution. />
  Rebel: Someone fighting for political change. To Chinese Communists this was generally considered a positive term during the Cultural Revolution.

  red: The symbolic color of Communism. Therefore, any person who conforms to Communist Party ideology is considered “red,” as is anything that serves to further the cause of Communism.

  Red Guard: During the Cultural Revolution a very popular, semiformal organization of high school and college students who were from “red” family backgrounds or who, though not “red,” had proved themselves to be firm revolutionaries. They were Chairman Mao’s loyal supporters and the pioneers of the Cultural Revolution.

  Red Successors: A semiformal organization in elementary schools formed in imitation of the Red Guards.

  reeducation troop: A group of students from the city who were sent (or volunteered to go) to the remote countryside to work with the farmers as part of their education.

  reincarnation: The belief, held by China’s majority Buddhists among others, that after death a soul is reborn in another body.

  remold one’s ideology: In Communist jargon, improve or correct one’s beliefs. For people who had made important political mistakes, this meant they were expected to change or correct their beliefs to match those of the Central Committee.

  revisionist: A member of the Communist Party who attempts to alter Communist ideals. This was a very serious offense during the Cultural Revolution.

  Revolutionary Committee: A group in charge of any organization or company within China. This term was invented by the Central Committee during the Cultural Revolution to replace the former leadership. Revolutionary Committees were formed in every unit: schools, factories, farms, the armed services, etc.

  Revolutionary Performance Team: An informal student group that promoted Communist ideals. Formed by school revolutionary committees, or by the students themselves, these groups performed songs and skits in schools, and sometimes for the public.

  rightist: A member of a conservative party who disagreed with or opposed the Communist Party.

  sanitary belt: A washable and reusable cotton pad used during menstruation.

  school committee: A central group appointed by the Communist Party to be in charge of school administration.

  Shanghai: China’s largest city. During the Cultural Revolution it had a population of about 10 million people.

  socialism: An economic system in which government ownership of land, industries, transport, natural resources, and so on, is supposed to help distribute wealth more evenly between the rich and the poor.

  struggle meeting: A meeting within a work unit to publicly criticize someone. Often these meetings included humiliation or even physical assault. This format was not officially ordered by the Central Committee, but it was used as an effective revolutionary weapon.

  study group: A nonofficial small group that gathered regularly to study a particular subject, often a political issue, such as Chairman Mao’s works or Lei Feng’s Diary.

  study session: A small meeting intended to change someone’s behavior or thinking by studying Mao’s works and government documents. Held as needed, these sessions were used to improve revolutionaries and reeducate others.

  summer labor: Under the Communist government, a regular part of education, in which students take part in factory or farm work during school vacations in order to learn to appreciate the contribution of the laboring masses.

  telephone kiosk: Before private telephones were common, a small booth containing one or two phones served an entire community. Usually two people who worked in the kiosk would take and deliver messages.

  work unit: The term for any organization that employs a person.

  Uncle; Aunt: Polite titles used by children when addressing adults, especially family friends.

  xenophile: A person who loves anything foreign. Such behavior was considered disloyal.

  yin-yang hairdo: A punishment in which one side of the head is shaved and the hair is left long on the other.

  Young Pioneers: A primary-school group that included most children in every school. Approved by the school committee, membership in the Young Pioneers was intended as the first step toward eventual membership in the Communist Party.

  yuan: The Chinese “dollar.” During the Cultural Revolution the official value of a yuan was about one third of a U.S. dollar.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to thank my dear parents, who have given me their unconditional love wherever I go and whatever I do. I want to thank my brother and sister for being with me whether life is hard or easy. I also thank my friends who have believed in me and supported me, pulling and pushing me along in the process of writing this book. These include:

  Florence Chun and Annie & Rick Bernstein, who have helped me grow ever since I arrived in the United States; Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong, who gave me the inspiration to start this book; Deborah Rogin and Mary Tewksbury, who frankly critiqued my work; J. W. Ellsworth, who generously provided me his legal advice; Iris Wiley and Sharon Yamamoto, editors at University of Hawaii Press, who saw the potential in my manuscript and gave me the courage to continue.

  Many thanks to my agent, Kathleen Anderson, for her faith in my book, and to my editor, Ginee Seo, whose profound understanding and proficient editing brought out the essence of my story.

  A thousand thanks to Vivian Xue, whose wholehearted support helped me to complete this book.

  Finally, my thanks to Craig Shaw, whose constructive suggestions and meticulous refinement of the book greatly enhanced its focus and readability.

  About the Author

  JI-LI JIANG was born in Shanghai, China, in 1954. She graduated from Shanghai Teachers’ College and Shanghai University, and was a science teacher before she came to the United States in 1984.

  After her graduation from the University of Hawaii, Ms. Jiang worked as an operations analyst for a hotel chain in Hawaii, then as a budget director for a health care company in Chicago. In 1992, she started her own company, East West Exchange, to promote cultural exchange between Western countries and China.

  Ms. Jiang lives in the San Francisco area. She is also the author of The Magical Monkey King, a retelling of traditional Chinese tales about the trickster Monkey King.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  Copyright

  Harper Trophy® is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

  Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution Copyright © 1997 by Ji-li Jiang

  Foreword copyright © 1997 by HarperCollins Publishers

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition © JULY 2010 ISBN: 978-0-062-03534-9

  Library of Congress

  Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Jiang, ji-li.

  Red scarf girl: a memoir of the Cultural Revolution / Ji-li Jiang; foreword by David Henry Hwang.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 0-06-027585-5.

  ISBN 0-06-446208-0 (pbk.)

  1. Jiang, Ji-li. 2. China—History—Cultural Revolution, 1966-1969—Personal narratives-Juvenile literature. I. Title.

  DS778.7.J53 1997 97-5098

  951D5’6—dc21 C1P

  AC

  First Harper Trophy edition, 1998

  Revised Harper Trophy edition, 2004

  Visit us on the World Wide Web!

  www.harperchildrens.com

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperColli
ns Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

  25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)

  Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au

  Canada

  HarperCollins Canada

  2 Bloor Street East – 20th Floor

  Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8, Canada

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca

  New Zealand

  HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited

  P.O. Box 1 Auckland,

  New Zealand

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz