Constructing a Southern-Centered Multiethnic Play: Teaching about the American South in China

In China, most universities with history majors typically provide elective courses in American history but rarely offer courses on the history of the American South.However, most students are interested in southern history.Outside the classroom, they also gain knowledge about the South through American history books and articles, literature, movies, news, and online resources.Literary and cinematic works such as Gone with the Wind (1936, 1939), Forrest Gump (1986, 1994), and Green Book (2018) are widely popular.The South possesses a unique music and cultural heritage.Its country music, blues, rock and roll, jazz, and gospel music have a wide influence in the United States and worldwide and are deeply loved by many young people.The origins and development of these genres are closely related to African American culture, which is an important way to understand southern society and culture.More important, many great works of history have been translated from English into Chinese, including monographs by Eric Foner,