Nicolas D. Kristof's Analysis

Nicolas D. Kristof’s account of history has an undertone of projection bias. He assumes that people will have the same outlook on Admiral Zheng He’s voyages under the Yongle Emperor as he. He makes a reference to China viewing Great Britain as being a “backwards region” and doesn’t explain why (as if the reader will incoherently agree). He disregards European goods of wood, beads and wine, as if they are worthless. He expresses that China could have easily bypassed Africa and explored further west. He states that China had architecturally advanced vessels; the naval ships were massive and the designs were very luxurious. Kristof believes that China, with its vast fleet, skillful navigation, and thousands of personnel should have made it to

He has first-hand experience of the nation and how things work on the north eastern hemisphere. My initial thought was Kristof is biased and favors the “Asian way” so I researched his personal and professional works. He is a well-travelled man. He is a graduate of Harvard, he has studied law and has several honorary degrees. However, these credentials do not validate his reliability as a secondary source. In October 2015, Kristof wrote a column asking "Why are Asian Americans so successful in America?”. The title of this passage alone amplifies my initial thought that Kristof’s stereotypical view nods toward the superiority of

Although the prequel discusses significant accounts that took place prior to 1492, Kristof negates that Columbus encountered the Americas by chance attempting to get to India. Should Columbus be celebrated as a national hero for striking gold? Perhaps not, but the fact is he did reach the untold world and Zheng He did not. It is difficult to accept that Christopher Columbus is celebrated for simply being a lucky character in history. The achievements of the Chinese are indeed remarkable. Nonetheless, Columbus’ made it to the right place at the right time. Kristoff proposes What if the Chinese made it to the New World first? Just as I am able propose what if the Mongols would have never been defeated? What if an asteroid never ended the dinosaur era? Simply put, Columbus initiated the establishment of the United States in turn creating a Global force out of an unsuspecting