Author(s): Reel Eltayeb
Mentor(s): Peiyu Yang, Department of Modern & Classical Languages
https://youtu.be/
AbstractTitle: Mapping Sino-Arab Solidarity: Cultural Exchange and Decolonization, 1949–1969
Abstract:
This project explores the cultural and political dimensions of Sino-Arab solidarity from 1949 to
1969, a period marked by global decolonization and shifting alliances. While most existing
scholarship focuses on China’s contemporary role in the Middle East, this research highlights
earlier connections through literature, journalism, and cultural diplomacy. Drawing on
multilingual sources in Arabic, English, and Chinese, the project examines how state and popular
voices represented solidarity across political, literary, and visual media.
Using a digital humanities approach, I am building an interactive ARCGIS story map that
visualizes key exchanges between Arab and Chinese intellectuals, writers, and leaders. The
methodology includes archival research at the Library of Congress, OCR text recognition, and
text mining (RegEX) to identify recurring themes such as nationalism, gender, and postcolonial
identity. Each archival entry is annotated and linked with historical metadata to show how
narratives of solidarity evolved across regions.
This project not only reconsiders Cold War history from a South–South perspective but also
combines technology and humanities to make these narratives accessible to a wider audience. It
reflects my broader interest in connecting cybersecurity, digital tools, and global history to better
understand how technology shapes the way we preserve and share transnational memory.
Audio TranscriptAbstract:
This project explores the cultural and political dimensions of Sino-Arab solidarity from 1949 to
1969, a period marked by global decolonization and shifting alliances. While most existing
scholarship focuses on China’s contemporary role in the Middle East, this research highlights
earlier connections through literature, journalism, and cultural diplomacy. Drawing on
multilingual sources in Arabic, English, and Chinese, the project examines how state and popular
voices represented solidarity across political, literary, and visual media.
Using a digital humanities approach, I am building an interactive ARCGIS story map that
visualizes key exchanges between Arab and Chinese intellectuals, writers, and leaders. The
methodology includes archival research at the Library of Congress, OCR text recognition, and
text mining (RegEX) to identify recurring themes such as nationalism, gender, and postcolonial
identity. Each archival entry is annotated and linked with historical metadata to show how
narratives of solidarity evolved across regions.
This project not only reconsiders Cold War history from a South–South perspective but also
combines technology and humanities to make these narratives accessible to a wider audience. It
reflects my broader interest in connecting cybersecurity, digital tools, and global history to better
understand how technology shapes the way we preserve and share transnational memory.
.