
Like No One They’d Ever Seen - lermontov
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/04/23/younghill-kang-east-goes-west/
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LB232323
Enlightening article. I find his works take on a new context in the light of
the recent rise of Korean art in American pop culture.

The Anglo world condoned Japanese imperialism in Korea and later brought its
own influences to Korean culture during the Korean War. This war is as often
overlooked and relegated to obscurity as the article's subject himself, but
the blood spilt must shine through the heart of America in an inevitable
fashion.

The rise of Korean film and pop music in American consciousness is a
reflection of the cultural imperialism of the West. This is illustrated in
Bong Joon Ho's "The Host" (2006) moments before k-pop and Korean film became
so massively popular in America.

Somewhat a reflection of these novels, the film's portrayal of Americans in
Korea is not all black and white. The opening scene shows an Anglo American
officer commanding a local Korean man to dump toxic formaldehyde into the Han
River, leading to the rise of a monster and a mysterious infectious pandemic
(sound familiar?). Although the pandemic is revealed to be an American
imperial hoax to seize power and quarantine the population, a local Anglo
American GI is featured as a hero who fights alongside the protagonist against
the monster. A toxic gas bioweapon called Agent Yellow is released in a failed
attempt to defeat the monster, even though the gas is harmful to the local
population. This may be a commentary on the American use of bioweapons in
Vietnam against the cultural threat to American world hegemony (communism).

To summarize this chaotic chain of themes, perhaps as chaotic as "East Goes
West", the lasting struggle of asserting a personal and cultural identity in
America is very relevant today. What does it take for a man or woman to rise
above prejudice and establish themselves as a human being and valued member of
society? Why should this struggle exist? Why should Americans be forced to
engage with it? It is evidence of evil. The absurdity and irrationality of
American racism is very prevalent in its strange and wavering treatment of
Asian Americans. I can relate with Kang, not only in his love for America, but
also in his frustrations with its politically motivated prejudice.

