Session 4 - August 6, Jennifer Jung-Kim, UCLA

[Nelson Ta]

I was fascinated by the topic of the comfort women and the denial displayed by the Japanese government. Ever since my trip to Japan a few years back, I have been in love with the culture, people, and history of the country. I found the people of Japan to be one of the most respectful and interesting populations I have encountered, especially in Asia. Thus, it was disheartening to hear that there is so much denial that comes from the Japanese government. This would be a good lesson for students who study history. We could analyze how different countries handle past atrocities We could examine how Germany deals with the Holocaust, how US deal with slavery, and etc. From the lesson,  I could see why there is so much animosity between older Koreans and older Japanse. Actually, even my Chinese relatives still hold some resentment towards Japan. It is interesting to see how these long-lasting grudges transfer from generations. 

[Nelson Ta]

The article did a great job of introducing readers to these new ideas and people.  It has been shocking to see how many students have been absorbed by the Korean wave of music.  I went to the Coachella Valley Arts and Music festival this year and saw the last few minutes of Black Pink. I had no idea who they were, but I could grasp their popularity by looking at the crowd.  I would love to speak to my students about how music can pass cultural and even language barriers. When I was in Japan a few years back, I went to a night club that was playing American pop music. Most of the crowd was singing along to every word of One Direction. When I tried to engage them in a conversation after, I was shocked to find that they didn't speak English. They were able to sing the lyrics without any understanding of what they were saying. That was fascinating. 

[Kathrin Simmons]

Learning about the obsession with plastic surgery in Korea is shocking and sad. It does reflect gender expectations in other societies as well. I love the quote from one of the women from the movement: “ Dear sisters and friends, I wish we could become human as we are, and love and be loved as we are. You are you, I am me, we are us, without the makeup, without the corset. Just a human. I love you, always, as you are."

[Kathrin Simmons]

Interesting to read about both of your posts about young students being send to the United States by their chinese families. I was only aware of college students and can't  imaging, 10 year old children being send to a foreign country to improve socio-economic status. 

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