Tea As A Cultural Link
Originated in China, and spread to the world, tea is a very complex subject in the US. It represents oppression, taxation without representation, yet stands for courage, resistance, independence, and liberty simultaneously. The more we study about tea, the more paradox we found in this small leaf. But one thing is for sure: there are always two sides of everything, no matter how flattened the world has turned to be.
The first tea plant was brought into continent US in 1799, but tea has been the most popular social drink long before till King George III decided to impose heavy tea taxes on the American colonies with the Tea Act of 1773, which combined with subsequent events brewed the changes of tea drinking habits in the United States till the boiling point- Boston Tea Party, a pivotal moment in the American Tea history, and consequently sparked the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Despite the symbolic meanings of Tea made many Americans shun away from this unpatriotic beverage, many still crave for it.
In 1784, the first American trade ship to China, Empress of China, set sail from New York, and it brought back a cargo of tea in 1785, sold for a 25% profit, hence started the China-US tea trading and fostered the first American millionaires. The need for the speedy transportation of tea across the oceans promoted the design and construction of the “clipper” ships, which not only speeded up the transportation, but also the global trade.
Let’s fast-forward to 1972, the historical visit of a sitting US president to China, an event changed the political landscape of the world. From the documentary videos and photos, we see tea was everywhere, smoothing up the relationships.
Tea is a very important part in all social and family events, big or small, historical or daily.
As we learned about the composition of Chinese tea character: it is composed with three parts: the top radical is “grass”, the middle is “people”, and the bottom part is “wood”, together, tea means people among grass and woods, symbolizing the greatest harmony between human and nature. （“天人合一”）, that’s the foundation of eastern philosophy, and one of the ultimate function of tea: connecting people and promoting communications.
Human is human, it’s the center of tea. Without human, it’s only grass and woods. And there would be no tea, the most significant symbol of human civilization, culture and arts.
Despite the different views people held, there are many more common values shared in both countries and cultures by the majorities: family, friendship, peace, health, prosperity, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, patriotism, dedication, and democracy.
As Chinese-Americans, we believe the harmonious relationship between China and US will benefit both countries, and extend to the whole world. Conflicts are inevitable, but can be resolved or eased out through communications and mutual understandings.
Tea is a beverage, a cultural symbol, a media, a messenger, a lubricant, a divider, or a trigger. It is we human who define tea, the longest existing beverage that’s beneficial to almost everyone. The history of tea far exceeds the history of the United States. Let tea connect people and promote peaceful relationships.
Teagather, for better health, harmonious communities, and a brighter future.
