JIANI TIAN

What drove you to write this piece about Adultery in China?

Since I’m a pre-law student, I've always been interested in studying how the law influences the population in terms of culture and robustly how the culture can actually have an explicit impact on the law, which I hope I showed throughout my piece. 

Can you share any challenges or breakthrough moments you experienced while researching and writing this piece? 

One of the challenges that I had while researching and writing this piece was honestly finding the appropriate primary source documents that would support my point. Many primary source documents from this time in Chinese history are not as well documented digitally as some American sources. So it was a little difficult finding that. But the pen libraries were a very great resource. So I'm very grateful. Another challenge and breakthrough was how to connect the new culture movement to the feminist movements, which were two groups that we analyzed in my article. I distinctly remember when I found a way to connect these two groups. I'm going to release the side. I was like, oh, finally, my paper and thesis made sense.

What kind of audience did you envision for your article, and what impact do you hope it will have on them?

The audience envisioned for my article was just honestly other scholars interested in Chinese history, Chinese legal history, and law in general. Like I said earlier, I think my piece was able to show how law has an influence, of course, on people in the population and the way we act. But I really, really want to emphasize and underscore the idea that people can also have a distinct impact on the law. We're not just subjects. We're not passive citizens; our actions can influence how laws are written, enacted and carried out. I really wanted to show that through my piece and hopefully have other historians and legal historians realize that as well.

How has your perspective on the U.S.-China relationship evolved over time, and did it influence the content of your article? 

My perspective on U.S.-Chinese relations is that China has definitely been involved a lot over time. I am an immigrant. I'm a first-generation immigrant. My parents. I moved here when I was nine years old. I've definitely seen how the evolution of US-China relations has impacted not only Asian Americans but immigrants as well. I was hoping to foster more empathy and understanding and close the gap between the, you know, east-west dichotomy and way of thinking that is very prevalent. 

I think the U.S.-China relationship is also heavily influenced by other socio-economic factors. The trade war is going on. The geopolitical conflicts in other regions, such as the Middle East, can also influence that. So, it's a very complex relationship that will continue evolving. I cannot even predict where it will go, and it really influenced the content of my article because I wanted to show and foster more empathy between the American and Chinese populations. By highlighting something as significant as the feminist movements and, you know, the youth movements and the youth activism in China, I believe these are values American people also hold in high regard. I think social activism is something that is very valued in America as well. I think by highlighting that these things happen in China as well.

What sets IUCJ apart from other platforms or journals, and why did you choose to submit your work here?

I think what sets ICJ apart from other platforms and journals is that it's very, very focused on helping the writers better their work. The ICJ team was so, you know, proactive in helping me better my piece writing, and I remember in my initial discussions with the editor, she was very clear about the idea that we want to help you become a better writer as well. We don't just want to claim your writing for the journal. And that's one of the huge reasons why I chose this amendment work here, because I know they greatly value undergraduate writing. 

That’s also another thing that separates the ICJ apart from other platforms is that they really seek to highlight high-quality undergraduate work, which I don't think a lot of other journals do, and it really grants undergraduate writers like myself and others a chance to showcase our work and interests.

Can you describe your experience with the submission and review process at IUCJ? Were there any aspects that stood out to you?

The experience with the submission and review process was so wonderful, streamlined, and clear. As I mentioned a little before, the aspect that really stood out to me was how much the editors emphasized that it's a collaborative process. They weren't just going to take my work and change it and edit it how much however they wanted to. They were very clear that they needed my approval to approve any changes so that my work's integrity and originality were as preserved as possible.

As an author, what kind of support or resources do you value most from a journal or publication platform?

As an author, the kind of support and resources that I value most from a journal or publication platform like the ICJ is really how much they want to help writers improve, as well as help preserve the originality of the work. I think these are both things that the ICJ did exceptionally well. I cannot have enough good things to say about the team.