The Korean Kamikaze

I totally agree with Nobu. It’s simply incorrect and morally apprehensible to equate a kamikaze with a modern suicide bomber. These were soldiers who clearly marked their airplanes with insignias of their military.

Terrorists pose as citizens and blow themselves up to any target that will create maximum carnage. That’s not the same thing at all. NOT AT ALL.

Death by suicide is the only thing they share and I hope to hell you can tell the difference.

sorry to hog so much space by posting this, but I dont feel that writing off the email you describe as “nothing more than a long rant” is fair at all. It wouldnt help my argument to be as biased as you, would it? so, in the interest of this back and forth between you and i, here is the “rant” i sent you. if you dont delete it out of embarrassment, i think that anyone who bothers to read it might see that it wasnt as accusational or irrational as you make it out to be.

“To The Folks At Japan Probe, Particularly James:

First Id like to preface this email by introducing myself. My name is ———, and I am an animator living in Los Angeles. As you might have deduced from my last name, I am of Korean descent. Specifically, I’m second (if you consider my parents moving here the first) generation Korean American, born in Portland, Oregon to parents who immigrated here in the early seventies.
Having been born and raised here, I suppose im the epitome of what most would call ‘americanized,’ though from my perspective it means relatively nothing, since I was born here, and have known nothing other than being an American. That said, being not too far removed from my Korean heritage, I was raised with a pretty strong sense of Korean identity, with my parents trying to preserve awareness of the culture and history. This came through in a lifetime of going to a Korean church (well, forced really, until I was around 15), being spoken to in Korean at home, and listening to stories of my family’s past, among other things. My father’s perspective was from that of someone who grew up in relative poverty, who decided to emigrate from his homeland to somewhere completely foreign in his early twenties, seeking merely the opportunity to build a life where the reward is proportional to the amount you contribute. He found that oppotunity in the states, starting as a busboy, to owning a successful chain of video game retail stores. As you may or may not know, diligence, hard work, resourcefulness, and luck are many times not enough to get by in many countries in asia, considering the population and preservation of class systems. My mother’s perspective, on the other hand, was of someone who came from relative wealth in Korea, growing up in a more culture rich environment, as her lifestyle afforded her to do so, as opposed to my father. They met shortly before moving here, and wed unconventionally out of love, a rich girl and a poor guy who gave everything from the heart, as opposed to arrangement, as was more the tradition in those days.
I was finally sent to Korea when I was 18 for an extended visit, and was shepherded around by relatives on my mother’s side. I stayed mostly in Seoul, a bustling megalopolis that has more or less been completely rebuilt after decades of turmoil. I visited my family cemetery, high up a hill, and was humbled by the sight of the graves of my ancestors going back several hundred years, and was honored to be written into the most recent page in the volumes of books that contained my family tree and written history. I visited the ancient city of Kyongju, and toured through the tombs of the long dead kings of Korea. While there, I observed busloads of older Japanese tourists, of the same generation that tried so hard to destroy Korea. I watched them laughing, and disrespectfully snapping flash pictures inside the open royal tombs, right next to clear signs written in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese to please be respectful, and refrain from photography. It was as if these people were taking stock of the royal family that the leaders of their generation had murdered. So, from both sides, I have learned much about the broad spectrum of what it is to be Korean, from the deep sense of loss and resentment stemming from occupation and war, to the intricacies of its unique culture that somehow survived thirty years of Japan’s attempt to erase Korea from history, to modern Korea (the south part at least), a hub of art and technology with eyes set firmly on the future. If you are aware at all of the history between the two countries, I wouldnt think that you could be as callous as you sometimes seem to be on Japan Probe. From a historical perspective, both countries owe a lot to each other in defining their cultures, by way of mere proximity.
I am sympathetic with the feelings that many Koreans have toward the Japanese, because I understand the reasons why. Japan to this day maintains one of the greatest design legacies in the world, whereas for thirty years during the occupation, the Japanese tried to destroy it’s neighbor’s art and culture legacy. I was recounted stories by older relatives, only when I asked, of how no one was allowed to speak the Korean language during those years, and had to take Japanese names. Japan today still has a royal family, which in asian culture is somewhat crucial to maintaining cultural identity, whereas Korea’s royal family was murdered by the Japanese. While I understand that this is all history, it is still fairly recent history, and the wounds are still in the process of healing. The world, for the most part, has forgiven Japan for its wartime atrocities, as the only other axis power, or ally to Nazi Germany. The generation of victims however, are understandably forever affected.
All of this said, I am not part of that generation. I have many good friends of various asian nationalities, including Japanese. I make a choice to not allow history or the actions of previous generations to affect my friendships, as do my Japanese friends. We are all aware of the history, as any educated person should be, and realize that in this day and age, where the world keeps getting smaller and the global economy benefits from working together as opposed to preserving these old ideas, we realize just how retarded and small minded those who wish to hold on to these differences are. For those of us in the younger generations, a global attitude prevails, and we leave the old ways to the older generations. We are here to create. We are not here to destroy.
Which brings me to your blog. There are quite a few people who read it, and for the most part I think its great and fairly insightful. But what exactly are you trying to accomplish by showcasing what you may feel are “Rude Koreans?” Are you even asian for that matter? To a number of us who read Japan Probe, and really do admire Japan for its art and culture, seeing posts like that really takes us back a thousand steps. Additionally, it is one sided, and lacks any sense of understanding of the perspective on both sides.
I hope you understand what Im trying to say, and dont just shrug it off, because youre not only doing yourself and your site a major disservice, but youre also inexplicably preserving attitudes that keep asia divided and on unsteady footing as we enter an era in which we all HAVE TO work together.

Sincerely,

———–

Interesting question to debate: who is more qualified to talk about Asia: an Asian-American who doesn’t speak an Asian language, or an Anglo-American who speaks at least one fluently?