bloodrayne
05-29-2005, 02:42 PM
Chinese-Americans Angered By Corpse Exhibit Using Beijing Bodies
San Francisco, California - An exhibit showing Chinese bodies and organs that has faced previous complaints from ethicists is being decried by Chinese-Americans who say the display of corpses is offensive to their culture.
Fiona Ma, a Chinese-American San Francisco supervisor who represents a heavily Chinese district, said Friday she's working with city attorneys to draft legislation that will keep exhibits like "The Universe Within" out of the city unless organizers can verify the consent of people who donated the bodies or their families. The collection of bodies and organs now in San Francisco was once used to instruct medical students in Beijing.
"Chinese culture has very strong beliefs about death," said Ma, the daughter of Chinese parents. "Chinese people are very private and wouldn't want to have their bodies displayed for commercial purposes."
Ma is also asking the district attorney's office to investigate the promoter, Gerhard Perner of Austria. Efforts to reach Perner Friday through e-mail and his publicist were unsuccessful.
The "Universe Within" is among a string of exhibits touring the country that have been wildly successful.
The corpses were preserved through "plastination," which replaces body fluids with liquid plastic. The plastic is hardened, leaving tissues intact. The bodies can then be displayed without formaldehyde or glass containers.
A recent visit showed bodies propped up like department store mannequins, and individual organs displayed with veins and capillaries intact.
Francisco Hsieh, a retired Chinese-American who visited the exhibit, is advising his friends and family to stay away.
"Chinese people want to keep their whole body when they pass away and no one would want their bodies displayed," he said. "I feel disgusted and terrible ... some parts look like cuts of meat."
The city's Department of Public Health also is investigating. Authorities are trying to determine if the bodies were adequately preserved, whether they create a chemical or biological hazard and how promoters obtained consent to use the bodies, said Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, director of occupational and environmental health.
Bhatia also confirmed that a "beading" of liquid found on a plastinated body was tested for pathogens or bacteria with negative results.
"There were concerns that the bodies were oozing and people wanted to know if there was any hazard," he said, adding there was a concern that chemicals may be released from the plastination process or that bacteria or pathogens could be growing inside exhibits.
Allan Casalou, executive director of the Masonic Center, which houses the exhibit, said Friday that "any time you do anything unusual you expect some reaction." He said he's working with promoters to provide documentation to city officials.
"Based on what I know, the questions that have been posed are important ones and deserve discussion," he said, declining further comment.
Gloria Tai, the executive director of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, said there may be legitimate concerns among Chinese-Americans about the exhibit but added that Chinese culture has changed with the times. She said many Chinese people now agree to be organ donors.
The "Universe Within" is on display through Sept. 4.
San Francisco, California - An exhibit showing Chinese bodies and organs that has faced previous complaints from ethicists is being decried by Chinese-Americans who say the display of corpses is offensive to their culture.
Fiona Ma, a Chinese-American San Francisco supervisor who represents a heavily Chinese district, said Friday she's working with city attorneys to draft legislation that will keep exhibits like "The Universe Within" out of the city unless organizers can verify the consent of people who donated the bodies or their families. The collection of bodies and organs now in San Francisco was once used to instruct medical students in Beijing.
"Chinese culture has very strong beliefs about death," said Ma, the daughter of Chinese parents. "Chinese people are very private and wouldn't want to have their bodies displayed for commercial purposes."
Ma is also asking the district attorney's office to investigate the promoter, Gerhard Perner of Austria. Efforts to reach Perner Friday through e-mail and his publicist were unsuccessful.
The "Universe Within" is among a string of exhibits touring the country that have been wildly successful.
The corpses were preserved through "plastination," which replaces body fluids with liquid plastic. The plastic is hardened, leaving tissues intact. The bodies can then be displayed without formaldehyde or glass containers.
A recent visit showed bodies propped up like department store mannequins, and individual organs displayed with veins and capillaries intact.
Francisco Hsieh, a retired Chinese-American who visited the exhibit, is advising his friends and family to stay away.
"Chinese people want to keep their whole body when they pass away and no one would want their bodies displayed," he said. "I feel disgusted and terrible ... some parts look like cuts of meat."
The city's Department of Public Health also is investigating. Authorities are trying to determine if the bodies were adequately preserved, whether they create a chemical or biological hazard and how promoters obtained consent to use the bodies, said Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, director of occupational and environmental health.
Bhatia also confirmed that a "beading" of liquid found on a plastinated body was tested for pathogens or bacteria with negative results.
"There were concerns that the bodies were oozing and people wanted to know if there was any hazard," he said, adding there was a concern that chemicals may be released from the plastination process or that bacteria or pathogens could be growing inside exhibits.
Allan Casalou, executive director of the Masonic Center, which houses the exhibit, said Friday that "any time you do anything unusual you expect some reaction." He said he's working with promoters to provide documentation to city officials.
"Based on what I know, the questions that have been posed are important ones and deserve discussion," he said, declining further comment.
Gloria Tai, the executive director of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, said there may be legitimate concerns among Chinese-Americans about the exhibit but added that Chinese culture has changed with the times. She said many Chinese people now agree to be organ donors.
The "Universe Within" is on display through Sept. 4.