Korean Transnationalism

Yuasa Katusei, a prominent Japanese author, published two novels regarding colonial life in Korea during the mid-1930s: Kannani (1934) and Document of Flames (1935). Kannani tells the story about a Japanese boy called Ryuji and a Korean girl named Kannani. In Korea, Ryuji witnessed the poverty and misery of Koreans under the colonial rule of Japan. Document of Flames focuses on the life of a Japanese mother and daughter who escaped to Korea after the mother was divorced in Japan. The novel reveals gender inequality that existed in Japanese society during the 1900s and presents issues of gender, class, and power in Korea. In this essay, I will answer the following four questions: (1) What do these novels tell us about the identities of colonized

“I am Korean. South Korean to be exact.” These were the words I would always use to describe myself during new encounters. My race seemed to be what people noticed about me first. Whether I was at a leadership conference, church, or cross country event, there was always someone asking where I was from. For this reason, being an immigrant from Korea has been a big part of my identity as an individual and student.

When the Koreans are forced to change their family names to Japanese ones, their Korean identity is weakened. Going through this traumatizing experience is

“Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood”, is an extremely valuable novel. The novel, written by Richard E. Kim, focuses on a young Korean boy who lives during the Japanese colonization before World War II. Korea itself was under Japanese rule from 1910 until Japan surrendered in August of 1945. The way the Japanese colonized the Koreans was ruthless; not only did they drive fear into their hearts through physical threats, they also struck fear by manipulating their culture, their educational system, and using psychological threats to really put the Koreans under their thumb. The Japanese did not just colonize the Korean people; they began to turn them into another sect of the Japanese race. They took the Korean’s names, their religion, their language, they took their entire culture away and forced them to accept the Japanese way of life in hopes that they would not fight back, and that they would be completely under control in the Japanese rulers. They were successful too, as their reign lasted more than a few decades. “Lost Names: Scenes From a Korean Boyhood”, details that time in Korean history on a very personal and intimate level, and shows how terrifying colonization can be, in regards to the emotional and cultural condemnation by the Japanese people on the Koreans. The quote that is used in the third question prompt, “the real force of colonization comes not through physical coercion, but

The controversial act of firing MacArthur advances the argument that American values are reflected in the speech. The value of protecting peace is clearly put on display.

Under the Black Umbrella by Hildi Kang provides a collection of stories from Korean citizens recalling the Korean Independence time period along with information establishing an understanding to why these anecdotes were collected and the history behind what many of them are referencing. The Independence movement was consistently opposed by the authorities of Japan in colonial Korea, which is shown throughout these violent and insightful personal memories. As is a good practice for all history, we must ask questions about the source and the selection process of stories by the author. Since a large majority of the stories and anecdotes from Korean citizens focus on anti-Japanese recollections, questions about Hildi Kang’s motives or intentions

Resentment of the harsh treatment of Koreans eventually led to a revival of Korean nationalism, including in-depth research projects into the standardization

It is 1940 when the japanese have taken over korea and world war 2 was happening and the and the Author uses this situation to explain the hard times of a family. When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park the lesson do not forget who you are and come from. And to show this In the the Text on page 14 It states “Never forget Keep it in your minds always remember what the flag looks like and what it means” The theme ties with this because the Uncle is trying to remind Sue-Hee and Tae-yul that they are not Japanese but Korean. In the 1930s Japan began a program to erase the Korean national identity by banning the use of the Korean language in schools and requiring all Koreans to adopt Japanese.” this is not like the them because this

Different social ranks among Korean Americans are maintained through using different vocabulary and verb endings within the Hangeul language (Giger & Davidhizar, 2017). Koreans may have a hard time maintaining eye contact with those in higher social ranks. The nurse should know this behavior is a sign of respect.

“Angels on the Streets” is an enlightenment movie, from the Colonial Era, that gives the audience a glimpse on how the Korean film industry has been impacted due to Japanese colonization. Throughout the movie, Japanese influence can be seen through assimilation so that Koreans have to integrate to a Japanese way of thinking and living. Such assimilation can be seen through noticeable propaganda, introduction of Westernization, and the idea of being an imperial citizen in a new-nation state. Propaganda portrays ideas that are favorable towards Japanese living.

Under the Black Umbrella tells the many captivating stories about the 35 years of Japanese occupation in Korea through both world wars. The memories are all from the perspective of Korean men and women who lived through some or all of it. Many of their stories and the history during that time are influenced by several factors, some of which include their location in Korea or surrounding areas and the government’s involvement in recording history. The Japanese were not all awful to the Koreans, since they were humans all the same, but they committed enough atrocities to have a bad reputation with the Koreans. In attempts to unify, North Koreans employed nationalism and ethnocentrism to fuel their way to become a strong nation again. South Koreans did not rally around such extreme ways and did not utilize their northern brethren’s methods of fear for power. Back then and now, globalization is a part of life and it should not be stifled. Nationalistic thinking will bring about more pain and suffering rather than just trying to coexist. Korea faced many hardships with the Japanese occupation. In recovery to their rule, issues arose when it came to accuracy in history, nationalism, ethnocentrism, and the different roles they all took between the north and the south.

Between 2000 and 2010, Korean Americans (KAs) were the fifth largest immigrant group, amongst Asian immigrants, in the United States (U.S.), as well as, continue to be one of the fastest growing ethnic groups (Park & Park, 2014, p. 213). “The health of growing immigrant populations including KAs is an important concern since barriers such as linguistic and cultural differences make it difficult to cope with health problems. In particular, the language barrier affects their understanding of health information” (Park, & Park, 2014, p. 213). In addition, many KAs are not satisfied with modern health care, and still seek out traditional Korean care, which dates back 5000 years (as cited in Kim & Chan, 2004, p. 322). Furthermore, research has

It comes as no surprise that a manga personifying the world’s nations using stereotypes and history has been controversial since its creation in 2006. Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of this manga, Hetalia: Axis Powers by Himaruya Hidekaz, is the personification of the nation of Korea and the depiction of this character. Hetalia: Axis Powers’ depiction of Korea can be seen as problematic and racist in its characterization of Korea and the character 's relationships with other characters. Korea is depicted as an annoying, disliked, and sexually deviant character. This depiction is problematic because of the colonial history between the nations of Korea and Japan. Furthermore, Korea constantly copies Japan’s inventions and claims everything originated from Korea. This is a common stereotype of Koreans in Japanese media, implying that Korea, the nation, is not capable of creating anything original.

South Korea is one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, in which it has its own culture, language, and customs that are different from other Asian countries. In South Korea, the citizens greatly value hard work, filial piety, and humility in their daily lives. South Koreans are very proud people in which they pride themselves in their traditional culture and their financial success.

My return to Korea in the summer of 2001 was nothing short of a culture shock. I was in a country I thought I had learned by heart. It was the country I always rooted my identity and pride from. I wasn’t ready for the shock. I