Session 8 - Discussion

[Anonymous]

This was one of the sessions that inspired my curriculum plan, "Imperialism and Identity," as I learned more about the series of events that surrounded Japan's colonization of Korea and the mentally anguishing efforts they employed to erase one's Korean identity so that it could that it could be replanted with the perceived superiority of a Japanese-infused identity. The film clip from "Brotherhood of War" helped me see how these scenarios could be played out. I was also impressed with the clever ways in which people would craft their Japanese names by symbolically concealing their Korean identity within their "new" names. While the Bard might proclaim, "What's in a name [because] a rose by any other name would smell as sweet?" I can't help but being appalled by the beheading that occurs in one's psyche when your given name is sacrificed to allow a new more suitable name to emerge.
edited by niruparmar on 1/22/2016

[Anonymous]

One of the things that came to mind was the idea that when nations are thrust into violence and turmoil, people turn on each other and it is hard to know who to trust. This theme was present in the readings and was reminiscent to me of stories about Germans during World War II. I suspect that this theme holds true for any nation or people group throughout history. Loyalty is complicated. I'm not sure how I might broach the idea of loyalty with young students. Some of them have already had very complicated lives, and will have an experienced view of it. Others, luckily for them, are still very sweet and naive and believe that loyalty is a given. Some open-ended sentence frames would work for 8-9 year olds. "If I am loyal, that means_______________to me." It could also be one of a set of vocabulary words. Define loyalty or loyal. Define friendship. "In my opinion, a friend_____________." The third grade GATE theme is 'adaptation.' We can read portions of these stories, and then discuss or write about how these people adapted to new situations, or new information.

[Anonymous]

The lecture on Korea was surprising to learn that Japan was a colonizer! Especially to learn that Japan colonized Korea! I did not know that Japan was an aggressor to other Asian nations and not only to America. I did not know why Asian people would get offended if they are called Chinese, Japanese or Korean by us ignorant people in the United States. I learned why at lecture. Koreans resent all the atrocities that Japan did to the Korean people during colonization. I think I would resent it too if I was call anything other than my nationality. I learned early on when I started college not to say specific nationality when it came to Asian classmates. Growing up in a black and mostly Mexican community, I too was called Mexican because I am Hispanic, but I am not Mexican and did not like being called Mexican. In my classroom when my African American Students generalize or assumed that all the Latino classmates are Mexican, we have a discussion about not all Spanish speakers are of Mexican descent. We also discuss the fact that not all Asian people are Chinese!

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

This was a great lecture that took off well with the last Korean lecture we had about colonization. This helped answer some questions for me regarding the two Koreas and what their differences were that led the two countries to split. With no reconciliation to be seen in the near future it was great to hear more about the history of the two Koreas and to learn more about the Korean war. Government corruption is a theme that seems to echo over and over in the history of East Asia. I would like to have more resources on the cultural differences between the two Koreas. It seems to me that there is something going on in the minds of the people for them to be such great enemies. I would like to hear a case study from the N. Koreans and the S. Koreans about their feelings toward each other today, and trace this back, if possible to a real problem. What kept these two groups from finding reconciliation before the civil war?

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