Preparing for the Presentation - Book Report/Review Example

Preparing for the Presentation For the presentation, I took the role of managing the entire group as well as summarizing the article of our project. I tried my very best to contact all the group members and share the roles amongst ourselves. The project was divided into different parts; 1. Summarize reading [Phucs work] 2. Analyze reading[JaeYoungs work] 3. Primary Data 1 [Daniels work] 4. Primary Data2[Uyens work] 5. Questions [Gibsons work] 6. Summary paper [ Changs work] Having read and understood Um’s article on ‘Exiled memory: History, Identity, and Remembering in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian Diaspora’, I took an initiative of analyzing how memorizing the impacts of the atrocities of Khmer regime continually offer solace to the survivors. Um (2012) notes that the responsible governments have fallen short of instituting proper initiatives towards guiding the survivors through the path of complete reconciliation and reparation, resulting to a state of self-blame and pity. For the presentation, Daniel found a primary resource. The primary resource he found was on Saroan, who was a Cambodian during the time of the Khmer Rouge take over. He was only a child at the time and his family was killed. He was forced into work camps and continued to toil. During his stay in those camp, he met a few people, one of which was Jong who constantly cared for him and showed him love and care. They would constantly share food with one another and take care of each other’s needs. During the time in Cambodia, he was in constant search of his father, because the fact of his father dying was not real. In the end, he says, “The thought ‘I can’t believe I am here today’ often passes through my mind. I have been through so much but these experiences have made me strong. I don’t care how poor I am or how down I am, I know I can get by. Each time I go through bad times I know I have nothing to lose. I came here and saw that Cambodian needs its overseas Khmer to come back and help, especially those of us who have an education or degree. I want to tell my grandchildren that I was part of rebuilding Cambodia.” Like the reading, Saroan was in denial of his father’s death and kept searching until the emptiness of his heart had enough. He has lost many things but his experience through this also made him a stronger person. It gave him an identity and his life is now changing those around him, especially in Cambodia.  For the presentation, Jae Summarized the second part of the reading "Exiled Memory: History, Identity, and Remembering in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian Diaspora", by Khatharya Um. The second part of the reading mainly focuses about the memory and resistance that Southeast Asian people, especially the Southeast Buddhists who constructed their own way of remembering and commemorating the dead people by the exile and diaspora. Such as constructing the stupas (Buddhists monument) and the much-delayed funereal rites to still wandering souls. These transnational engagements are acts of resistance to the state and act of reclaiming of the social and political influences that they have been forced by history to vacate. Also these ceremonies and prayers provided the interstice between the state manipulated public and the unarticulated private realms to open a space for not only mourning but for reconciliation. Also the reading was focused on passing down the memories and remembering across generations. Which in many families, silence prevails, making both sides get hurt by mediated trauma, and contributing to the disconnected Father and son. The silence of history and the memories of 1st generations leads to hesitation of their own identity and exiled from the space of identity. Which makes new generation struggle to fill the void of not informative past memories. In order to demolish the gap between generations they must first admit pass down all the memories and stories of the past and move on from there. This reading examines not only the history of diaspora and exile, it provides a suggestions and solutions to the problems. To prepare for this discussion, Thaidan read the article, emailed the group and assigned parts, and found primary data related to the article - the Kompha Seth interview about the Cambodian Association of Illinois. In the article, Um discusses that exile fractures memories. Memories are located in different scattered places, spaces, and acts such as makeshift memorials. In 2004, Kompha Seth opened a living memorial in Chicago to establish a commemorative center for a dispersed community. However, Um argues memorial is inaccessible to the Cambodian American community and cannot effectively close the distance between homeland and the memory of it. On the other hand, in the interview, Kompha Seth talks about how controversial the memorial was because “most people suffered so much they want to forget.” This contrasts with Um who discusses that refugees struggle to reclaim history, to not forget. However, people are beginning to appreciate the memorial because it can overcome suffering and help to heal. Kompha Seth would agree with Um that people cannot forget and the memorial will acknowledge suffering to begin the healing process. Therefore, Kompha Seth thinks there is an important need for a memorial. In addition, Kompha Seth also discusses the issues Um raised of remembering across generations: people are silent or do not want to talk, contributing to the intergenerational disconnect. In preparation for this discussion, Tuyet Nhi Dang injected new evidence from a completely new source “Forty Years On, Salon Owner Has Vivid Memories of the Fall of Saigon” by Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, Valley New Staff Writer. He summarized the article as follows. Its been 40 years since Communist forces took Saigon in the South and ended the Vietnam War. For those who lived through it, the memories remain fresh. Hannah Hong, a hair salon owner. For Hong, Thursday, April 30th 2015, the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon wasn’t just an abstraction. It was a vivid memory. She was 14 years old when the event marked the end of the bloody Vietnam War. At the time, Hong was living in the city of Hue, capital of the Thua Thien Hue province in South Vietnam. She still remembers the onset of the assault rifle-bearing Viet Cong soldiers who swept through Hue two days before Saigon fell, terrifying many of the South Vietnamese families whose futures depended on a defeat of North Vietnam. In order to attain college, she said, she would have to pass a test, but it wasn’t one she could study for. “They test more for your background, and not your abilities,” she said. “My brother and father fought for South Vietnam, so I could never pass.”Her family wanted her to escape by fishing boat because if she stayed there would be no future. Thefall of Saigon not only marked by separation and loss but also ruined futures of many young South Vietnamese generations. Source http://www.vnews.com/news/16730814-95/forty-years-on-salon-owner-has-vivid-memories-of-fall-of-saigon In preparation for this discussion, Uyen sought to analyze the primary factors regarding our primary source as follows. The communism always wanted to revolutionize their language, culture, religion, and tradition. However, if they cannot transform or suppress anything ideas related to those aspects, they decided to destroy it. Moreover, any signs of suspicion of treachery is imprisoned and executed even they are communist own members. According to Peace Pledge Union Information website, it mentions that in 1975 Khmer Rouge (the followers of communist party in Cambodian) under control of Pol Pot reconstruct Cambodia, all political and civil rights were abolished. Children were taken from parents to labor camps. Factories, schools and hospitals were shut down. Any people who knew foreign language, wearing glasses or looked like “ intellectual person” (professors, engineers, scientists) were murdered as well as their extended families. Religion was banned; all leading Buddhist monks were killed. Even the minority groups were the victims of Khmer’s racism (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thailand, Cham Muslim, and Christians).The author has mentioned one Khmer slogan, it says, To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss. Therefore, exile people or those Cambodian have been keeping the physical and emotional pain that they suffered on April 17, 1975 as their inner fear, the ultimate silencer that they cannot speak up. In preparation for this discussion, Phuc provided a summary of the source in point form. The fall of 3 nations Phnom Penh, then Saigon, and finally Vientiane Cambodians survivor, their feeling and their memory The event happened on April 17, 1975 The fall of Phnom Penh describe for a person in Cambodia as "one body, two life", one before and one after pol pot. Since everything happen differently happen after the fall of Phnom Penh. April is the month of fresh start but now it bring bad memory, trauma for alot of people. Survivor memory always comes back to reeducation camp and killing field The loss was tremendous as the as survivors said "They are gone" and they just "Disappear" The feeling of emptiness last even after several years The change of government recreate of the new whole life, different from alot of thing that belong to a person before. The communist revolutionize the language, culture and tradition and destroy what is can not suppress or transform result in a fractured memory or a lack of memory Exile and remembering The memory of the refugee is like their body " fractured, dispersed, multiple, and diverse, foregrounded and invisible" culture is not practice fully but only here and there by some people. People want to have connection with their country by building the "little Phnom Penh" or the "Little Saigon" The Politics of Remembering The government is the totalism, which they scare off people from talking anything bad about them. The government build the museum for Tuol Sleng genocide museum, the Choeung Ek memorial, the Day of Anger, not for remembrance and healing, but for the regime legitimation. Justice, Reconciliation, and Healing For the survivors, their experience cannot be reconciled through justice course. Reference Um, K. (2012). Exiled memory: history, identity, and remembering in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian diaspora. East Asia Cultures Critique, 20(3). New York. Duke University Press. Read More