Ngugi’s article kept reminded me of Korean history.
Korea had been colonized by Japan from the late 19th century to the end of World War Ⅱ. For more than half century, Japan had exploited Koreans, tried to eliminate Korean tradition and culture, and assimilated Koreans to Japanese. The most effective way to do so was to annihilate the Korean language. Children had to speak Japanese at school, as Kenyan children must use English at school. Achievement in spoken or written Japanese was ‘a ticket to higher realms’ and people who studied in Japan were considered modernists and intelligentsia.
Since the independence, Korean got less influenced by Japanese, unlike Kenya still get influenced by English. Japanese hasn’t been in the official or dominant status in Korea although we could find Japanese trace left in some dialects. Korean government tried to clear out all about Japan. Japanese pop culture had been banned to import until 2000.
When Japanese were suppressing Korea with the sword and the bullet, European and American fascinated Korean with the religion which focused on love and equality, with new scientific and medical technology, and with humanism and the modern education. Westerners were helpers and martyrs. When Korean War broke out, they helped Korea again. They were friendly nations on the side of Korea. While Korean has appreciated for their salvation, Western culture took the lead in Korean society.
The Koreans are living in a neo-colonized society without awareness.
Great post.
답글삭제I'd have to agree, there is a degree of cultural and economical emulation of an idealized version of the West that is so heavily tied to English education in Korea. I say idealized, because I believe that it is not based on facts or current reality but rather historical and social constructions.
In the same way that Koreans did not have a choice about being forced to speak Japanese, the majority of present day Koreans do not have a choice, as they are following blind, without being critical of this idealized model they are basing their futures on.
I have seen so many Koreans thinking, challenging , fighting, rallying, demonstrating and absolutly being critical about this. We have had a long history of resistence against this from every domain , cultural, economic,political, ......etc perspective. In the book store, easily noticeble to find this. WE DO NOT THINK THIS AS AN EVEN IDEALLIZED MODEL . I Have grown up seeing,experiencing, participating and studying not through from english class but from other classes, Korean teachers,brothers, siters, friends,seniors,parents...... , and even from the President of Korea, 노무현. We are still pondering on this,challenging and looking for the answers.
삭제awesome, your insightful point of view...
답글삭제Over our history, we have been affected by other culture, which was each, at that time, regarded as the natural phenomenan.
for example, in corea society, the mongolian lifestyle was the rpime things to people at that time. in chosun dynasty, 'sungrihak' was the fundmental ploitical and cultural basis. of course, during japanese - colony age, japanese langugae was the one.
some awaken frontiers had tried to break these things by enlight people with written texts or demonstrations but they almost failed to do their tries. todays, we are facing the smiliar phenomena.
i also wanna be the awaken person like you so that i give the critical oportunities to my students.
thatnk you for your insightful thought and comments.