As an American growing up in California in the 1980s, my initial perception of modern China was primarily shaped by the classic narrative of history of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China (PRC) in 1949 and the first decades of communist rule that followed. However, my perspective changed dramatically during the summer of 1989, when dramatic media images of the student-led protest movement in Tiananmen Square dominated the evening news. For the first time, I realized that many Chinese people wanted the same basic human rights and civil liberties that Americans enjoyed. A makeshift statue created by protesters, the 10-meter-tall Goddess of Democracy, became a powerful political symbol and a call for freedom and democracy that deeply resonated with many people in the West (Deneen , xv). Then, just as the peaceful student revolution appeared to be gaining momentum, the Chinese government deployed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to Tiananmen Square and the protest movement was quickly and brutally crushed. The incident affected me deeply and made me very suspicious of the PRC government and its future ambitions. My suspicions were only strengthened in the 1990s, when members of Congress began speaking out against China's unfair trade practices. In 1996, a bill to renew China's "most favored nation" status sparked an acrimonious debate in the U.S. House of Representatives. “These people don't think like we do,” said Joe Scarborough, a representative from Florida. “They don’t share our values. They only understand that the United States continues to bow down to them.” (quoted in Schmitt par. 18). Yet despite the harsh rhetoric from many members of Congress, the Clinton administration continues...... middle of paper ... and choked on people, bikes, buses and cars. It was overwhelming. Yet, I never felt threatened or unsafe during my trip to China. Everywhere I went, there were always people who offered to help me and were genuinely interested in learning more about me and my life in the United States. What surprised me most was how informed young Chinese people were about American history, culture, and politics. The internet cafes were buzzing with you. Works Cited Deneen, Patrick J. Democratic Faith. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2005. PrintSchmitt, Eric. “House defeats an initiative to end China's privileged trading status.” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 28, 1996. Web. November 28, 2013. Gittings, John. The changing face of China: from Mao to the market. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print. Schuman, Michael. “Why do we fear a rising China? » Time Magazine, June 7, 2011. Web. October 1. 2013.