Mason 1

Karen Mason

Del Castillo

Research Seminar: Dumbledore’s Fandom

8 December 2017

Oral Presentation

My current event issue focuses largely on the youth response and action in the fight for

democracy and national suffrage in Hong Kong. The main focus for this topic was derived from the

Umbrella Revolution, a four-month long series of sit-in protests that spread throughout Hong Kong and

involved more than 100,000 students at one given time. This incredible movement was the peak of the

pro-democracy fight, and its end left a void in the streets of Hong Kong, as nothing like it may ever

happen again. What began with a small and quickly growing organization of student activists evolved into

a movement attracting the interest of the Hong Kong and Beijing Governments. This movement left an

impression on the youth in Hong Kong, and fostered a new generation unlike any before.

There is such a large difference in the way China and Hong Kong value youth. It is important to

recognize the impact the separate forms of government and the one country, two systems plan has made

on the mentality of Chinese and Hong Kong youth. The fight for democracy being upheld by the students

has cultivated a new since of integrity that stands alone amidst the previous generations of Hong Kong.

This new generation encourages radical behavior, independent from the desires of the legislature. If action

and a solution is what the youth seek, they are encouraged to make a scene, rally and protest to make their

opinions and voices heard. There is no doubt that the Government of Beijing’s influence is weakening

judicial solicitations with Hong Kong. While the new generation of youth activists fight to maintain

democracy and national suffrage within their fundamentally challenged government, the Government of

Beijing is fighting to submerge the Hong Kong with the rest of the country.
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What is the weakest part of your argument? What are some opposing viewpoints to your

thesis, and how did you use them to develop a strong argument?

It was difficult to find an article on my topic that condemned the youth in Hong Kong or the pro-

democracy organizations to the extent that I could make an accurate and through comparison between the

two. If there was any shift in bias or tone between the articles, it was slight, as many of the reporters

maintained the same thoughts and ideas on the Umbrella revolution and youth activists in Hong Kong. I

would also include that it much harder for me to make an accurate assessment of this issue as an outsider

looking in on the problem. I’ve never been to China or Hong Kong, nor do I have any personal experience

with this issue. All of my facts are based on the findings in my research, which makes it difficult for me

to recognize bias within my own work and others, or to accurately assess my facts and statements.

Discuss your sources. What is your most useful source? Have some been more useful than

others?

The reported coverage of pro-democracy in Hong Kong is extensive, and my topic branches into

many specific areas of the movement. Many of the western-based news platforms had something to say

about nearly every aspect of the Umbrella Movement and more. However, with my particular topic, it was

much easier to find articles on the history of the pro-democracy organizations and the umbrella movement

than it was to find articles that outstood each other either by tone or accusation. The one source I used

from the Southern China Morning Post focused very narrowly on one aspect of the Umbrella Movement,

and shyed away from anything other than factual evidence. The majority of the articles either did not

involve enough bias within them to make a comparison or involved bias, but of the same view point and

opinion. I found that the broader the topic is, surprisingly, the harder it became to find compelling

evidence about it.

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Initially, you must have chosen this topic because you found it compelling. Now that you’ve

written it, how has your opinion changed?

An issue of this gravity I think will always be compelling. The idea of the younger generation,

kids as young as twelve years old stopping their lives to go out the streets to protest so that their future

generation may be able to dictate their own laws is an inspiration. I know I cannot speak for every youth

in Hong Kong, but the impact some of them have made by simply having the integrity to lead the masses

in protest is astounding. Before I really delved into this topic, I didn’t realize how many students and

younger kids were involved in this. They were the backbone of this movement. What astounded me the

most was the fact that the majority of their parents and those of the older generation were either against

the idea, or against involvement. There are kids protesting on the street, doing something their parents are

afraid to do, which makes this entire topic that much more valiant. I also didn’t realize how much of a risk

the students are taking each time they go out to protest. As police became increasingly violent and

government became involved at the peak of the Umbrella Movement, it was much more dangerous to

continue to protest, yet the organizations and the movement in fact, got stronger.

If you had more time, what other questions would you pursue about this topic?

There were a lot of question I had initially going into my research. I want really anxious to see

how it all connected, and I wanted to know the past, present and future of the Umbrella movement. But, I

think now that I’ve had time to reflect on my topic, I think my biggest remaining question is what China’s

attitude towards the matter is. I would really like to view this event from China’s perspective. Every

article and story I read was in sympathy for Hong Kong, which made me feel really uneasy about not

being able to include every side to this story. My biggest question in answering all this was, is this a one

side argument, and is it really an argument if I don’t have the ability to assess both parts of this issue? I

would like to know, first of all how the people in China are reacting to this movement, and what they

agree or disagree about what Hong Kong has been doing in reference to the fight for democracy. I think

these are all really important questions to ask ourselves, especially when analyzing a story about

something you are not directly involved in.