Classroom Activities

1. After reading Madame Chiang’s speech, listen to the audio recording. When listening to her speech, did different elements stand out more to you than when you read it? Did Madame Chiang’s voice surprise you, if so, why do you think that is? Hanah Pakula describes her voice as “one that demanded both attention and respect.” Do you agree?
2. Reflecting on the speech and the context of Madame Chiang’s U.S. tour, what elements do you think made her rhetoric initially so successful? What seems to be the most compelling reasons to account for how public opinion shifted toward Madame Chiang?
3. Rhetors often work to find common ground with their audience so that the audience can identify with their cause. What are some of the strategies Madame Chiang used to identify with her audience? What are some of the techniques she used to establish her ethos?
4. Assumptions about gender both hurt and benefited Madame Chiang. What do you think were the most damaging assumptions and which seemed to benefit her? How do you think the historical context influenced these assumptions?
5. Madame Chiang’s speech is considered deliberative rhetoric as it asks the audience to consider new policies. What elements of her speech are the most clearly deliberative? Are there other elements of the speech that feel more ceremonial or forensic in nature?

Student Research

1. Compare Madame Chiang’s Congressional address with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s War Address delivered fourteen months earlier. What similarities do you see? What are the most striking differences?
2. Read British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress on December 26, 1941. How did Churchill appeal to democratic and shared ideals? What techniques did Churchill use to identify with his audience? Compare his speech to Madame Chiang’s. What vision does each speech suggest for U.S. internationalism?
3. Much of the press commented on Madame Chiang’s physical appearance. Conduct online research on images of Madame Chiang (and/or examine these from the American Art Collaborative and the Library of Congress) then watch this brief clip from her Congressional address. Were these images what you expected? How do these images and/or the short recording reflect gender norms?
4. Conduct research on the Chinese Exclusion Act. How did historical context affect its passing? What are some of the reasons people offered for its support and its repeal? How do you think Madame Chiang contributed to changing people’s opinions about the act?

Citizenship Activities

1. How did Madame Chiang portray the United States’ international role? Do you think it was an accurate portrayal? Do you think the United States still plays that role in world affairs?
2. Madame Chiang introduces a vision of foreign policy that places China and the U.S. as allies offering global leadership. After conducting some research on contemporary relations between these two countries, reflect on where you think the United States and/or China went wrong in making that vision possible. Consider submitting your reflections as an opinion piece in your school newspaper or your local paper.
3. Why do you think so many newspapers commented on Madame Chiang’s appearance? If she were a contemporary figure, do you think the media would have made similar observations? Find examples from more recent political leaders to support your claims.
4. The Chinese Exclusion Act lasted from 1882 to 1943 and was the first U.S. policy to restrict immigration. Why do you think it took nearly sixty years to repeal the act? How does the Chinese Exclusion Act compare to contemporary immigration policies? What immigration policies do you think can best serve the United States?