Savage Script: How Chinese Writing Became Barbaric
I am currently working on a book-length graphic narrative tracing the origins and spread of the notion that Chinese characters were antithetical to modernity, an idea championed by early twentieth century Chinese intellectuals eager to strengthen their fledgling nation. These reformers demanded that Chinese characters be jettisoned and replaced with a more “efficient” and “democratic” script. However, underlying the practical reasons they cited lay centuries of European racial prejudices against “primitive, pictographic” scripts. Were the Chinese reformers even aware of the racist underpinnings of their own “progressive” proposals? Using a dialogical and visual format that showcases the many contending viewpoints in the debates over Chinese script reform and draws attention to the inherent visuality of Chinese characters, this book explores the script reform movement’s imbrication in the global history of race and renders the accessible to both scholars and general readers. One chapter related to this project is published in Global Anti-Asian Racism, edited by Jennifer Ho, (Columbia University Press, 2024).
