Blog Post Week 10 Prompt 3

     I admit that I did not have a lot of experience using various digital mediums for my English classes in the past. We pretty much used Google Docs for essays with an occasional Google Slides presentation to add some variety in all of my literature classes. This was fine with me as I would say my technological skills are middling at best. This course provided numerous resources that I have used to present various projects and assignments. Blogger is one such tool, as I had never written a blog before taking this class. I don't know if it is something I would want to continue after this class, it could definitely be a way to get thoughts down. Neatline was another digital tool I learned how to use this year, and I think I ended up using it 3 times in the first quarter. I really enjoyed all of the different features and could definitely see myself using it for future classes. While Neatline is really great at showing events or people scattered across the globe, Timeline JS proved very helpful for projects that dealt with a range of time. Together, I think these platforms give some awesome alternative options to essays moving forward. More important than these tools was the process of learning them. As I mentioned before, I'm not very adept or experienced with non-basic tech, so being able to learn how to use new digital tools was a great experience. There were some frustrating moments and I was tempted to throw my laptop across the room on multiple occasions, but I was able to figure it out. And the results may not have been very aesthetically pleasing, they got the job done and I felt proud of the work I did.

Blog Post Week 10 Prompt 2

    I think what most surprised me about this course was how much I enjoyed reading the various texts that we covered over the course of the past two quarters. While I had enjoyed a few of the novels I read in high school, they felt rather tedious and more like a "have to" than "get to." This year, however, I often found myself really caught up in the books and often ahead of the reading schedule. Pachinko and There There were some of my personal favorites. While I was reflecting on this, I was trying to think about why I enjoyed reading so much more over these past quarters. I believe the answer lies in my approach to reading. As I read throughout high school, I was always thinking about the essay that awaited at the end of each text. This made each book feel like an assignment, taking away from the reading experience. While I still read each of the texts this year with an academic lens and jotted down a few notes, I feel like I was able to read more on my own terms. I hope that I will be able to continue this as I continue at Santa Clara, as it should make my academic life significantly easier.

    Overall, I have enjoyed this course. There have undoubtedly been some late nights and stressful weekends but this class exposed me to a diverse range of texts I might not have heard about otherwise. The discussions in class were great and thoughtful and certainly some unforgettable moments (never had someone Rick Roll the class mid-presentation before). I wish we had been able to meet in person, but I hope to see some classmates next year!

Blog Post Week 9 Prompt 2

    I think this quote is really sad, as no one should have to feel ashamed of their culture or heritage due to prejudices and discrimination. However, I feel like I can empathize with Yumi's feelings. Based on experiences of other Korean characters, it's safe to say that Yumi was certainly treated poorly due to her heritage. I feel like this is an example of negative reinforcement, where a consequence (discrimination) is associated with an aspect or behavior (being Korean). People tend to avoid the behavior in order to avoid the consequence. I feel like this can be seen in Noa as well, as he was often teased in school and completely distances himself from Korean culture as a result. Additionally, I think Yumi's difficult relationship with her abusive mother may also contribute toward this disdain for her heritage.

    The confusing part for me is Yumi's seeming acceptance of both Japan and America. After all, Japan is where she faced this prejudice and it seems like the Japanese are often the perpetrators. In the US, racism was/is rampant and discrimination against Asian Americans is still a huge problem today. While I understand's Yumi's hesitance to embrace Korea and Korean culture, I find her glorification of Japan and America a little puzziling.

Blog Post Week 9 Prompt 1

    Is life like a game of pachinko, a game of chance rigged against the participants? I don't think this is a yes or no question, as there are certainly aspects of luck in life that can impact the results or overall quality of life. Just thinking about my own experiences, I feel like the odds are in favor or I was dealt a good hand in other words. I'm a white male in a system where that is inherently beneficial. My parents aren't rich, but certainly have enough money for me to have had a comfortable childhood. These are all things I have absolutely no control over, but I think it's important to acknowledge these advantages I have. 

    On the flip side of this argument is free will, or people having the ability to make their own choices. While the odds may be in my favor, I feel that I have worked hard to get to where I am today. I always challenged myself academically, and for the past 3 years I have worked a part time job with the goal of gaining management experience and make me more qualified for jobs down the road. In fact, I am writing this after an 8 hour shift and am exhausted, but I am hoping all of this work pays off later on in life. Bringing in faith, fate, or religion further complicates this question, depending on your beliefs. You could believe that an almighty power controls everything or that no such being exists, or anywhere in the middle. In the end, I would say that I would say that this is a complex and rather philosophical question, and I think any answer could be justified.

Blog Post Week 8 Prompt 2

    Throughout the novel, food takes a central role in the lives of the characters. Kyunghee and Sunja spend most of their days cooking or preparing to cook, and they eventually start making kimchi and selling it. While Lee mostly provides vivid descriptions of Korean dishes, she describes udon in the first part of the book and also provides some insight on how the two cultures clash over this particular area. After Sunja starts making large batches of kimchi in their house, Lee writes, "Like all the other Korean children at the local school, Noa was taunted and pushed around, but now that his clean-looking clothes smelled immutably of onions, chili, garlic, and shrimp paste, the teacher himself made Noa sit in the back of the classroom next to the group of Korean children who lived with pigs in their homes. Noa... was called garlic turd" (Lee 165).

    The first thing I want to note is that these smells are labeled as distinctly Korean, as Noa is grouped with all of the other Korean kids as a result of these odors. Secondly, it can be seen that Noa being sent to the back of the classroom is a punishment for the scent, suggesting that Korean cuisine and culture as a whole is seen as a bad thing. Furthermore, Noa is then grouped by ethnicity, which illustrates the divide between the two cultures. Overall, this quote shows the conflict between these two cultures as they struggle to coexist in Japan, as any public expression of Korean culture is looked down on by the Japanese. Reading this, I couldn't help but be reminded of similar intolerance here in the US. I think everyone has seen videos with a "Karen" asking someone of a different race or ethnicity to speak English, which demonstrates a similar demonization of outside cultures.

Blog Post Week 8 Prompt 1

    Coming into Thursday's symposium, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the event beyond it being about the general topic of printing. However, I thought both speakers were really interesting and expanded my understanding of printing. When I hear the word "printing," I think of the traditional printer or printing press, but Lillian-Yvonne Bertram's work proved that it can be more. She used coding to generate new versions of Riot by Gwendolyn Brooks, and it was really cool to see examples of these generations. It was fascinating to see that a lot of themes present in Riot were still present in these created versions and her work redefined what printing can be.

    The second speaker in the symposium was Dr. Senchyne from the University of Wisconsin, who talked about his family's printing legacy and his role at the university. I thought it was really great that he tried to have all of his students use a printing press, and it seemed like most of them really enjoyed that experience. This was an event I wish could have been in person just to get to see or possibly use a press. I also thought his discussion of The Wisconsin Idea was interesting and how that applied to his field. My favorite part may have been the conversation the two speakers at the end. I thought it was interesting to hear their similar experiences despite fairly different mediums. Overall, this was a really awesome experience and I'm glad I got to attend!

Blog Post Week 7 Prompt 3

I think the structure that Lee uses in Pachinko is really interesting. I think it reminds me the most of Home Fire just because it looks at many different perspectives. The first thing that jumps out is that despite certain chapters seem to focus on particular characters (like Sunja, Isak, and Hansu), the whole novel is written in third person. Unlike Home Fire, the book isn't split into sections based on characters, and because of this, it makes changes in perspective very subtle. A couple of times while reading the novel, I only realized that the chapter was from the vantage point of a new or different character halfway into section. After The Secret River, it felt nice to get many different perspectives as it seemed like that was a common criticism of Grenville's work. Pachinko is split into three separate books, the first of which is called Gohyang or Hometown. Additionally, the story seems to jump through time starting in 1883 and continuing well into the mid 1900s.

So far I am really enjoying the novel, which was kind of surprising as it didn't seem like my cup of tea. I think I've found the characters are interesting and I have really enjoyed the historical context given by Lee. While I know about some of the events taking place over the course of the book (namely the invasion of Manchuria), it's been interesting to read this from the perspective of not only someone from East Asia, but also from characters that are dealing with a colonizing power. It will be fascinating to see how the experience of the Koreans compares with that of other oppressed groups that we have read about and discussed these last couple of quarters.