Modern Asian Studies Archives

Mahatma Gandhi receiving a donation in a train compartment, 1940

Politics & History

Mahatma Gandhi, Master Mediator

Gandhi's legacy helped shape independent India, if in sometimes indirect ways.

Politics & History

Membership in the Communist Party of China: Who is Being Admitted and How?

The composition of the Communist Party of China has evolved considerably since the party was founded in 1921.

Editors' Picks

Education & Society

Is Fan Fiction a Helpful Literacy Tool?

Some teachers are adapting to the internet age by trying to understand the "new literacies" of today's students.

Arts & Culture

How Mary Poppins Softened the Image of the Suffragette

We examine the portrayal of the British suffragettes in the iconic film, Mary Poppins.

Arts & Culture

The Same-Sex Household That Launched 3 Women Artists

The "Red Rose Girls"—Violet Oakley, Jessie Wilcox Smith, and Elizabeth Shippen Green—met at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the 1880s.

Politics & History

How Women’s Suffrage Has Been Represented in American Film

Women's suffrage was usually portrayed negatively in early films, but suffragists well recognized the importance of movies in getting their message out.

Politics & History

Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words

The writings of Martin Luther King, not so well known as his speeches and acts of civil disobedience, are a rich source for those researching his life.