World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.

After years of discussion and over half a century of waiting, the United States has finally honored the Americans who helped fight World War II with a memorial. The World War II Memorial, which opened to the public on April 29, 2004, is located at what was once the Rainbow Pool, centered between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The Idea The idea of a WWII Memorial in Washington DC was first brought to Congress in 1987 by ​Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) at the suggestion of World War II veteran Roger Dubin. After several years of discussion and additional legislation, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 on May 25, 1993, authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish a WWII Memorial. In 1995, seven sites were discussed for the Memorial. Though the Constitution Gardens site was initially selected, it was later decided that it was not a prominent enough location for a memorial commemorating such an important event in history. After more research and discussion, the Rainbow Pool site was agreed upon. The Design In 1996, a two-stage design competition was opened. Out of 400 preliminary designs entered, six were chosen to compete in the second stage which required review by a design jury. After careful review, the design by architect Friedrich St. Florian was chosen. St. Florians design consisted of the Rainbow Pool (lowered and reduced in size by 15 percent) in a sunken plaza, surrounded in a circular pattern with 56 pillars (each 17-feet-high) which represent the unity of the U.S. states and territories during the war. Visitors would enter the sunken plaza on ramps which will pass by two giant arches (each 41-feet tall) that represent the two fronts of the war. Inside, there would be a Freedom Wall covered with 4,000 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans that died during World War II. A sculpture by Ray Kasky would be placed in the middle of the Rainbow Pool and two fountains would send water more than 30-feet into the air. The Funds Needed The 7.4 acre WWII Memorial was estimated to cost a total of $175 million to build, which includes future estimated maintenance fees. World War II veteran and Senator Bob Dole and Fed-Ex founder Frederick W. Smith were the national co-chairmen of the fund-raising campaign. Amazingly, approximately $195 million was collected, almost all from private contributions. Controversy Unfortunately, there has been some criticism over the Memorial. Though the critics were in favor of a WWII Memorial, they strongly opposed its location. The critics formed the National Coalition to Save Our Mall in order to stop the construction of the Memorial at the Rainbow Pool. They argued that placing the Memorial at that location destroys the historic view between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Construction On November 11, 2000, Veterans Day, there was a ground-breaking ceremony held on the National Mall. Senator Bob Dole, actor Tom Hanks, President Bill Clinton, a 101-year-old mother of a fallen soldier, and 7,000 others attended the ceremony. War-era songs were played by the U.S. Army Band, clips of war-time footage were shown on large screens, and a computerized 3-D walkthrough of the Memorial was available. Actual construction of the Memorial began in September 2001. Constructed of mostly bronze and granite, the construction took three years to complete. On Thursday, April 29, 2004, the site first opened to the public. The formal dedication of the Memorial was held on May 29, 2004. The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. armed services, the 400,000 who died in the war, and the millions of Americans who supported the war on the home front.

Essay on The Power of Media in the Digital Age - 1762 Words

The Power of Media in the Digital Age Across from my old high school, where once a pool hall seduced us away from classes, there is now a trendy bar and grill frequented by the recently-graduated. I visited this establishment to reflect upon the nature of media, culture and what it means to be literate in the 21st century. The implications for teachers, libraries and society in general may be daunting, but they hint at excitement, too. There I was, an English major, a man of the book as it were, all ready to cast aspersions left, right and center at these clearly illiterate, shallow young hipsters. Within sight of my old high school library, I was ready to join the crowd of experts and†¦show more content†¦They were more aware of what was going on than I was and could clearly tell the scores in the games and the events in the news, as they spoke in clusters of conversation about what the media imparted. Whats more to the point is that they were not dealing with text on a superficial level (though much of the content they were dealing with was trivial) but in cognitive terms they did so with far better acuity and retention than I could. So the question was, what had media added and what was lost? This one admittedly unscientific observation serves, I think, as a good allegory for those of us directly involved in sorting through ideas about culture and media literacy in the digital communications age. If one looks upon the scene with the glasses of an older, print-based paradigm, it is easy to see a sad portrait of lost reading skills. On the other hand, if one only for a moment considers the possibility that what one is seeing is in fact new literacies, then there is a whole new series of questions which need to be addressed. If we take as our definition of culture the good old Oxford Canadian Dictionary definition, that is,Show MoreRelatedNetworking Systems1077 Words   |  5 Pagespotential influences of the rapidly expanding networking systems at our lives, cultures, beliefs, politics, and even at our identity formations. Thirteen years ago, at her various researches, she underlined probable risks as well as facilities. This new age media, or mean of communication, brought the necessity of reconstruction, negotiation and redefinition of some concepts within the context of socio-cultural structures such as community, liberation, nationalism and identity. Unsurprisingly, extensiveRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On Journalism On A Global Scale1677 Words   |  7 PagesPower and democracy play an extremely large role in media industries as well as spatial, economic and political inequalities. To understand this concept cultural labour, indigenous media practises as well as impacts of neoliberalism will need to be addressed to establish the impact of intensifies market forces on journalism on a global scale. (Lechner, 2002) Neoliberalism is the political monetary standard of our time- it alludes to the approaches and techniques whereby a relative handful of privateRead MoreAdapting to the Digital Culture: Rethinking Rights and Compensation within the Music Industry802 Words   |  4 PagesMusic can possess a lasting power to influence the lives of listeners and inspire future works of art. Copyrights give artists and their production teams a monopoly over their intellectual creations insuring their compensation is relative to their au dience’s appreciation of the work for a set period. The U.S. Copyright Law in it’s inception saw the value of limiting this monopoly in order to encourage innovation of creative works. Over the years, a complex system of royalty compensation developedRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography of Articles Related to Media Literacy902 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstanding of the role of media literacy for Latino/a high school students. High School Journal 94(4), pp. 167-186. In a qualitative study of a small group of Latino/a high school students, the researchers found that students perceived negative cultural messages in media they were asked to watch. The messages were not obvious to the teachers who selected the media and who were not part of this ethnic group. The study serves as a cautionary tale for teachers when selecting media for their classroomsRead MoreWhat Would The World Be Without Books, Magazines, And Newspapers848 Words   |  4 Pagesforms? How would this impact readers of various ages? How would this impact populations in our culture without access to computers or the Internet? In my opinion, these are great discussion questions. I would like to take few minutes to take you on a journey back through time before I answer the question. I am in my mid-40s. In a month, my grandfather will celebrate his 100th birthday. I remember playing with his mother as a child who passed away at the age of 108. My mother, who is his daughter, is 72Read MoreNew Medi New Digital Age1254 Words   |  6 Pages Living in a new digital age, we are seeing more computerized devices like smartphone and computers replacing old media technologies like newspaper, radio and television. Characteristics of new media as being digital, computerized, interactive and hypersexual have shaped new forms of communication. Meanwhile, the ability of new media to merge different forms of media technologies, industries and services so called convergence has also created unprecedented transformations in the society. InRead MoreResearch Proposal Phd Digital Arts And Humanities Oxford Cork Michael Kurzmeier1172 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Proposal PhD Digital Arts and Humanities UCC Cork Michael Kurzmeier The information age is also the age of massive data collection, of databases, records, data mining and big data in all it’s empowering and destructive potential. Not only since the Snowden leaks of 2012 has the question of, who records and who is being recorded become of interest to a wide audience. Access to such data collection, the knowledge about it and the subjects’ relation to all-encompassing technology have beenRead MoreTechnological Convergence1577 Words   |  7 PagesConvergence is defined as the interlinking of computing and other information technologies, media content, and communication networks that have arisen as a result of the evolution and popularization of the internet as well as the activities, products and services that have emerged in the digital media space. Convergence is loosely defined as the occurrence of two or more things coming together to eventually meet and or in which old and new intersects or builds upon. Although for the consumer con vergenceRead MoreMarshall Mcluhan s Theory Of Hot And Cold902 Words   |  4 Pagesof â€Å"hot† vs. â€Å"cool† classified media into two groups and took into consideration extensive understandings of how the media interacts with audience and catoragized them based of an extensive list. Although McLuhan gives an excellent theory of hot vs cold media, time has shown how a hot media has the power of transforming into a cold media and vise verse. In his essay, â€Å"Media Hot and Cold,† McLuhan identified film as a very hot media and the internet as a very cool media, yet these media’s have transcendedRead MoreEmergence of Globalization Phenomenon1521 Words   |  6 Pagescomputers, satellite TV, print media and telegraphy have fused together to form the global communication network. The proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the possibility of wire and wireless almost everywhere, no spot on earth is apparently left untouch ed by global communication. The internet is the most remarkable development which grew from a few hundred website in the 90s to several millions at the end of last decade. Easy access to media and cyberspace has eliminated

Kennedy Persuasive Essay Example For Students

Kennedy Persuasive Essay John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States in1961. At the age of forty-three, he was the youngest man ever elected president. He was also the first Roman Catholic ever elected to the oval office. Rich,handsome, charming, elegant, articulate, and from a well known family, Kennedybecame a natural recipiant of admiration both in the United States and abroad. His assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 23, 1963 resulted in publicoutrage and widespread mourning throughout the nation and the World. Kennedysterm in office was too short to allow history to pass fair and acurate judgementon his accomplishments as president. Their is little doubt, however, that theimage and philosphy, he brought to the oval office not only influenced thegeneration he governed, but also continues to influence todays generation andpolitics in general. Indeed, Camelot, the name given to the idyllictime during Kennedys presidency, is not a dead mythology but a living idealogythat continues in American society today. John Fitzgerald Kennedy (he latestgained the nick name Jack) was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline,Massachusetts. He was Joseph ; Rose Kennedys second son. His father was amultimillionaire businessman, who had became a bank president at the age of 25,and made his fortune through investments in stocks, importing, shipbuilding, andmoviemaking. Joe Ken nedys political experince was limited to being appointedthe first chairman of the newly created Securities and Exchange Commission(1934-1935) by president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and having served as the head ofthe U.S. Maritime Commission (1937), as well as being the U.S. ambassador toGreat Britain (1937-1940). Even though Joseph Kennedy never ran for an electedoffice himself, he and his wife had large ambitions for their nine children. John Kennedy was groomed for a career in politics from an early age. Growing upKennedy was small for his age and suffered through several childhood diseases. As a child he was quite and shy, a far cry from his personality traits in hislater years. During his childhood his older brother Joe helped and protectedhim, and served as a role model for young Jack. From an early age the Kennedychildren were taught by their parents that the United States had been good tothe Kennedys and that whatever the U.S. did for them must be returned by someservice to the country. Jack took this idea to heart. Later it became the basisfor a famous line from his inaguration speach in which Kennedy said: Asknot what your country can do for you ask what you can do for yourcountry. In school Kennedy excelled in history and english, but was a poorspeller and struggled in math and science. Kennedys sixth grade teacher notedhis humor and competitive spirit. Kennedy graduated from Choate High School inWallingford Connecticut and briefly attended Princeton University beforeenrolling in Harvard in 1936. While attending Harvard Kennedy wrote a brillianthonors thesis on British Foreign policies in the 1930s called Why EnglandSlept, which was later published. He graduated in 1940 and was voted mostlikely to suceed by his classmates. In 1941 Kennedy entered the the U.S. Navyshortly before the United States entered World War II. Following Pearl Harbor heapplied for sea duty and became the commander of PT 109, a Navy torpedo boat. In1943, while on active duty of the Pacific, the boat he commanded was rammed andsunk by the Japanese. In an act of heroism, Kennedy rescued and lead his crewashore, but in doing so aggravated an old back injury and contracted malaria. Hewas discharged from the Navy in 1945. Kennedy returned home to Boston from thewar with a citation for valor to began persuit of the political career hisparents had envisioned for him. In 1946, the rich and ambitious young veteranjoined the Democratic party and successfully ran for a Boston-based seat in theU.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected to the seat in 1948 and 1950. Asa congr essman Kennedy supported social legislation that benefited hisworking-class constituents. It was during his tenure in congress that he beganto advocate a strong anti-communist foreign policy, which he continued topromote for the remainer of his life. During this time Kennedy was especiallycritical of what he considered a weak policy against communism, especiallycommunist China, by president Truman. Kennedy become restless in the House andin 1952 ran for the U.S. Senate. He faced a strong opponent in the form ofrepublican incumbent senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.. Although the republicanpresidental candidate, Dwight Eisenhower, won in Massachusetts as well as thecountry as a whole, Kennedy demonstrated his remarkable voter appeal bydefeating Lodge. One year later, on September 12, 1953, Kennedy marriedJacqueline Bouvier. The couple had three children: Caroline Bouvier, JohnFitzgerald Jr., and a second son who died in infancy. Kennedy proved to be arelatively ineffectual senator. Durin g parts of 1954 and 1955 he was seriouslyill with back ailments and for that reason was unable to play an important rolein government. Kennedys critics observed that he made no effort to ooppos theanti-civil-libertarian excesses of Sen. Joesph McCarthy. His friends and stafflater argued that he would have voted to censure McCarthy if he had not beenhospitalized at the time. During his sickness Kennedy wrote a book ofbiographical studies of American political heroes. It was published in 1956under the title Profiles in Courage and won a Pulitzer Prize forbiography in 1957. Like his earlier book on British foreign policy, the bookrevealed Kennedys admiration and respect for forceful politcal figures. In 1956Kennedy, with his familys input, once again decided it was time to further hispolitical ambitions. He bid unsuccessfully for the Democratic vice-presidentialnomination. Following the setback, he set his sights on the presidency,especially following his reelection to the senate in 19 58. He continued duringthese years to support a strong anti-communist foreign policy. Regardingdomestic issues Kennedy was a cautious liberal, backing a compromised civilrights bill in 1957. He also devoted special efforts to labor legislation. Bythe time of the 1960 presidential election Kennedy was only one of manyDemocrats with aspiriations for the partys presidential nomination. During thedemocratic race Kennedy once again showed his political shrewdness by puttingtogether a well-financed, highly organized campaign and won the nomination onthe first ballot. In another politically clever move, as a Roman Catholic fromthe North, he selected Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas as his running mate in orderto stregthen his weak support in the South. Kennedy faced a strong challengefrom republican nominee and sitting vice-president Richard Nixon but was able topreform well in a series of television debates against Nixon, using poised andvigorous performances to win over voters. He promised tou gher defense policiesand progressive health, housing, and civil rights programs. He also promised tolead the nation out of economic stagnation through his New Frontierplan. Kennedy won the election by a narrow margin of 113,000 votes out of68,800,000 cast, but had to accept reduced Democratic majorities in Congress. In1961, his first year in office, Kennedy experienced a series of politicalsetbacks due to a series of adverse international developments. He inherited asecret plan to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba from the previous administrationof Dwight Eisenhower. Kennedy approved an invasion of Cuba in April by refugeesacting with the help of the U.S. agencies. The quick and decisive failure of theBay of Pigs invasion resulted in personal embarrassment for Kennedy. Later inthe spring Kennedy pondered sending U.S. troops into Laos, which was beingthreatened by Communist insurgents. He flew to Vienna in June to meet withSoviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. They agreed on a neutralized L aos, but Kennedywas threathen by Khrushchevs statement that West Berlin was a bone in mythroat. When the Soviet Union built a wall between the eastern and westernparts of Berlin in August, Kennedy responded by sending 1,500 U.S. troops toBerlin. Cold war tensions increased when the Soviet Union sent the first maninto space in April and resumed atmospheric nuclear tests in September. In thefall of 1962 rumors began to circulate that nuclear-armed Soviet missiles werebeing set up in Cuba. In October, U.S. intelligence confirmed that middle-rangemissiles were being installed. After a week of secret meetings with hisadvisers, the president announced his plan to place a naval blockade around Cubato prevent the arrival of more missiles. He demanded that the Soviet Uniondismantle and remove the missiles that had been detected. On October 28Khrushchev gave in to Kennedys demands and the president removed the blockadeand reassured the Soviet Union that U.S. would not invade Cuba. The Sovietr etreat was considered a personal and political victory for Kennedy. Kennedyfurther improved his foreign affairs record in 1963, which would turn out to behis final year in office. In June he gave an innovative foreign policy speechcalling for an end to the cold war. The U.S. and Soviet Union agreed toestablish a hot line to allow communication in times of crisis. InJuly Kennedy worked out a nuclear test-ban treaty with the Soviet Union andGreat Britain. Another Kennedy project, The Alliance for Progress, a program ofaid for Latin America, was also a popular success. These accomplishments,however, were overshadowsed by the worsening situation in South Vietnam, whereKennedy had placed 17,000 U.S. military advisers to help an unstable regimefight a growing Communist movement. Kennedys wit and charm made him verypopular in the U.S. as well as abroad, but it did not help him greatly with arepublican majority congress. Due to the lack of democratic support in congressmost of his domestic policies stalled on Capital Hill. Every presidentmust endure a gap between what he would like and what is possible, Kennedyonce remarked at a press conference. When the civil rights movement began tostregthen in 1962-63 he began to actively promote civil rights legislation. Healso proposed a tax cut to stimulate the economy. However, at the time of hisassassination these and other programs including federal aid to education andMedicare remained tied up in congress. Kennedys successor, Lyndon Johnson,would go on to succussfully push the legislation through a more democratfriendly congress in 1964-65. He had better luck with executive actions as hewas able to successfully force steel companies into lowering prices in April1962 and to encourage the race to send an astronaut to the moon. Kennedyresponded strongly against efforts to prevent school integration in the South. Patriarchal Subordination of Women EssayIn September 1962, he appealed for compliance with the law when U.S. SupremeCourt ordered the University of Mississippi to accept a black student. Kennedyordered 3,000 federal troops to the campus to control riots and ensure that theorder was followed. In 1963 Kennedy threatened federal force to help win partialdesegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham, Alabama, and of classroomsin Alabama public schools. Kennedy also asked Congress for legislation todesegregate public facilities and give the Justice Department the authority tobring school integration suits. Most of his proposals ultimately enacted,following his death, in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the fall of 1963Kennedy began to plan his strategy for reelection. He flew around the countrycampaigning, using the improvements in relations between the U.S. and SovietUnion as his strongest selling point, to generally favorable public responses. On November 22, at 12:30 PM CST, Kennedy was shot in the head and spin by asniper while riding in an open limousine through Dallas, Texas. Following theincided he was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where efforts to revive himfailed. A commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren concluded in September1964 that the lone assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was captured shortlyfollowing the assassination and killed two days later by Jack Ruby. The statefuneral of President Kennedy was watched on television by millions around theworld. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery where his grave is next toan internal flame in his memory. Despite the conclusion of the commission manyquestions and conspiracy theories still surround Kennedys death. In the historyof our country no other president has captured the imaginations and hearts ofAmericans more so than John F. Kennedy. His charisma and flare for life in thelime light were able to far outshine his shortcomings and failure s as both aperson and a president. Kennedys impact on U.S. history is still felt today. Many politicans are still trying to recreate Camelot, the mysticalphilosphy that made John Kennedy one of the most liked and popular presidents inhistory. The pursuit to recreate Camelot and later the fear of a second comingof Camelot overcame one of Kennedys cheif rivals, Richard Nixon. Nixon, likeeveryone else in American society at the time, was fooled into buying into theidea of John Kennedy, handsome man of morals and principle, ideal family man,the personifcation of the American dream. While much of this may be true, todayhistory shows us that Kennedy too had his shortcomings. Regardless of what theturth may be, the legacy of John Kennedy and Camelot live on todayand have solidified J.F.K. as one of the most storied figures in U.S. History.

Starbucks Strategy free essay sample

What are some of the decision factors that Starbucks assess? Starbucks strategy for expanding its retail business is to increase its market share in existing markets and to open stores in new markets where the opportunity exists to become the leading specialty coffee retailer. In support of this strategy, the Company opened 647 new stores during the fiscal year end in September of 2001. At fiscal year end, Starbucks had 2,971 Company-operated stores in 38 states, the District of Columbia and five Canadian provinces (which comprise the Company-operated North American retail operations), as well as 252 stores in the United Kingdom, 25 stores in Thailand and 18 stores in Australia (which comprise the Company-operated international retail operations). Company-operated retail stores accounted for approximately 84% of net revenues during fiscal 2001. Starbucks Specialty Operations strive to develop the Starbucks brand outside the Company-operated retail store environment through a number of channels. Starbucks strategy is to reach customers where they work, travel, shop, and dine, by establishing relationships with prominent third parties that share Starbucks values and commitment to quality. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These relationships take various forms, including arrangements with foodservice companies and retail store licensing agreements for North American locations such as grocery channel licensing agreements, warehouse club accounts, international retail store licensing agreements, direct-to-consumer market channels, joint ventures, and other initiatives related to the Companys core businesses. The Company sells whole bean and ground coffees to warehouse club chains. As part of its agreement with Starbucks to market and distribute to the grocery channel, Kraft also distributes Starbucks products to warehouse club stores. Revenues from warehouse club accounts accounted for approximately 13% of specialty revenues in fiscal 2001. The Company makes fresh Starbucks coffee and coffee-related products conveniently available via mail order and on-line. Starbucks publishes and distributes a mail order catalog and a catalog of business gifts that offer coffees, certain food items and select coffee-making equipment and accessories, and the Company maintains a Website at www. starbucks. com with an on-line store that allows customers to purchase coffee, gifts, and other items via the Internet. The Company has several other initiatives related to its core businesses that are intended to enhance the customers experience at Starbucks retail stores. For example, Starbucks has wireless Internet access in its retail stores, as well as marketed a selection of premium tea products. The Company has two non-retail domestic 50-50 joint ventures. The North American Coffee Partnership, a joint venture with the Pepsi-Cola Company, a division of PepsiCo, Inc. , develops and distributes ready-to-drink coffee-based products. By the end of fiscal year, the â€Å"joint venture† was distributing bottled Frappuccino coffee drink to approximately 200,000 grocery food chains, convenience and drug stores and other locations throughout the United States and Canada. The Company has a joint venture with Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, Inc. to develop and distribute Starbucks premium coffee ice creams. By the end of fiscal 2001, the joint venture was distributing a variety of ice cream and novelty products to over 20,000 grocery food chains throughout the United States. What role does the Chinese government play in Starbucks operations in China? Since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), Starbucks’ strategy has not changed. However, the entrance into the Asian market did have a large indirect impact on Starbucks. This allowed the entry of other companies and other investors, which brought in more foreigners into China, and more consumers of Starbucks’ coffee. Studies show that most of its customers are foreigners and businesspersons, who come the most frequently of all its customers. Starbucks entered China with two specific strikes against them: first, consultants told Starbucks that smoking was rampant throughout Asia, and the no-smoking policy would be detrimental. Second, consultants said that no Chinese would ever lose face by drinking from a cup in the street since the Chinese preferred not to eat or drink in public. Starbucks’ no-smoking policy came out of its desire for nothing – cologne, perfume, nor tobacco smoke – to interfere with the smell of their dark-roasted beans. Upon entering Asia, Starbucks stuck with its no-smoking policy, which according to interviews turns out to be a welcomed policy. Even the smokers claimed not to have a problem with smoking outside. Although the Chinese dislike drinking in public, the high awareness of the brand and the Chinese market being so brand-driven outweighs this habit. The Chinese consumers perceived the high prices as conveying quality and sophistication. Retailers keep this in mind as they charge more for public consumption, as customers go to Starbucks if not for the coffee, but to present themselves as modern Chinese in a public setting. Chinas tightly regulated business environment still throws up lots of hurdles for Starbucks. Its fragmented government and currency-conversion limits make banking difficult. If I want to move money out of China, its a hellish process, says Charles Jemley, Starbucks vice president of finance in China. Book bags and coffee mugs barely made it out of customs in time for Starbucks to pass them out at a rural teacher-training session it sponsored. Poor water quality in some cities means Starbucks has to install elaborate filtering systems. Mr. Jiang Hongbin, a lawmaker representing the Heilingjiang province, submitted a motion to the National Peoples Congress to close the outlet immediately. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace during the mid-Ming and the Qing Dynasties. The palace was forbidden in the sense that, apart from members of the imperial household, no one could enter it without the Emperors permission. Today it has transformed into a museum and a popular tourist spot, attracting 7 million local Chinese and overseas visitors each year. The discontent of the Chinese is a cultural issue; it is about invasion of Chinese culture by western culture, and about how Starbucks does not fit into the environment of the Forbidden City. Starbucks obviously understands the importance of respecting local culture when doing business in China. In 2006, it has appointed Dr. Eden Woon as Vice President of Government Affairs, Public Relations Corporate Social Responsibility for Greater China. Dr. Woon was previously CEO of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, which has played a key role in working on the closer integration of Hong Kongs economy with that of China. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of the Washington State China Relations Council and has spent 22 years with the U. S. Government. I found his appointment to be a very good move for Starbucks, as it is important to pick someone who can lobby the Chinese government and at the same time get the Chinese message back to corporate America. What are some of their entry strategies? Starbucks utilized a three-step strategy for entering in to the Asian market. I general the phases are to prevent competitors from getting a head start, to build upon the growing desire for Western brands, and to take advantage of higher coffee consumption rates in different countries. In opening coffeehouses abroad, Starbucks established joint ventures, selecting local business partners to help recruit talented individuals, set up supplier relationships, and understand market conditions. Attributes of each partner include shared values and corporate culture, strong retail experience, dedicated human resources, commitment to customer service, creativity, local knowledge, brand building skills, and strong financial resources. The chosen partner is granted the right to develop and operate coffeehouses throughout a defined region. First, by choosing, a region in which there was not a strong base of coffee drinkers, Starbucks had a first-mover advantage and the opportunity to create a new perception of coffee, as it had in the United States. Schultz explained, â€Å"The maturity of the coffee market in Europe was very strong and was not going to change much over the years. The Asian market was in its developmental stage and we had an opportunity to position Starbucks as a leader in a new industry, and in a sense, educate a market about the quality of coffee, the experience, and the idea of Starbucks becoming the third place between home and work in those countries. BY injecting itself into the Asian market first, all other competitors were forced to take the back seat. In Hong Kong, Starbucks created a company with Maxim’s Caterer, a food, and beverage business with 46 years of experience in Hong Kong. Maxim’s Caterer provided Starbucks with valuable insight about Chinese preferences, and proved to be knowledgeable business partners who were well informed about establishing and running businesses in China. Maxim’s Caterer advised Starbucks to add traditional Chinese items, such as festival mooncakes, curry puffs, and sausage rolls, to its Western menu. An additional advantage, discovered through relationship mapping, was that Maxim’s Caterer was also business partners with the lucrative Hong Kong Land Company, a group of businessmen who had cornered much of Hong Kong’s real-estate market. Second, by carefully choosing its â€Å"joint venture† partners through extensive relationship mapping, a process used by a company’s network of adversaries, friends, and government may be revealed Starbucks was able to successfully penetration of the Hong Kong market. In 1994, to first establish its presence in China during Entry, Starbucks’ then- executive Lawrence Maltz distributed free cups of Starbucks coffee to Beijing hotel guests. Seeing there was significant interest from both foreigners familiar with the Starbucks brand and Chinese eager to participate in this element of Western culture, Starbucks began to research the Chinese environment. Finding it responsive to the coffee business, Starbucks pursued the China market. Thirdly, the â€Å"Global Integration Phase† requires a balance between the parent company’s jurisdiction and the foreign company’s knowledge of its market abroad without disrupting the success of the brand in either location. † â€Å"Starbucks has become a part of popular culture in America, which is being transferred throughout the world and in a significant way in Asia. † Since the Asian market has become increasingly important to the global financial success and reputation of this company, Starbucks has been more and more willing to commit to its joint ventures in the region. China is Starbucks’ biggest overseas growth opportunity. Although Starbucks currently has more than 500 stores in Japan and less than 200 in China, its success and presence in China is escalating. In 2003, Starbucks increased its stakes in Taiwan and Shanghai from 5% to 50%, indicating a deepening commitment to the Chinese market. Starbucks paid its Taiwanese joint venture partner $21. 3 million to become an equal partner in its Taiwan-based company. By increasing its equity positions in these markets, Starbucks not only indicating that it has successfully penetrated the Chinese market, but also that it is committed to remaining in China for the long term. What strategic choices do they seem to make? By tailoring Starbucks’ global development strategy to the Chinese consumer market, Starbucks has successfully presented ‘One Face to China. ’ By establishing a presence in China before China’s WTO entrance, Starbucks was able to establish a loyal Customer base through first-mover advantage. Now dedicated to committing greater financial resources due to its favorable reception, Starbucks can further develop and expand into the Chinese market while in its Global Integration phase. Continuing with its plans to open one new store every month, Starbucks’ successful permeation into the Chinese market exemplifies both the escalating global interest in investing in China as well as the potential for Western brands to effectively integrate their products into Chinese culture. Though it is not yet close to overtaking the centuries-long tradition of tea, Starbucks has at least successfully established a new coffee culture in the Orient.