In the United States, we identify a lot with classical Greek and Roman culture and history. You can see this in building styles in Washington, D.C., in classical images on our currency, and in a lot of our discourse about government. Many 18th and early 19th century US political figures used the names of famous Roman authors and politicians as pen names when they published pamphlets and newspaper pieces. Our past and present use of Greek and Roman cultural references signals that we see ourselves as the inheritors of a set of political values and traditions. But we don’t think we’re Greek or Roman. In fact, many Americans may think the United States exemplifies classical ideals more authentically than modern Greece or Italy.
In the same way, elites in Joseon and Dai Viet identified with a Confucian culture, but this did not mean they saw themselves as trying to be Chinese. In fact, as you work with the documents, keep an eye out for instances when people from outside China claim that their own Confucian values and behaviors are more authentic than in China.