more reflections... [post-reportback styles]

KEEP was an amazing experience for me and I'm grateful that I had the ability to go with the support of my community - friends, allies, family.

It felt like my circle was coming back together on itself and my ends were meeting and connections were being made. Synapses firing and all that.

Last summer I had gone to the first ever US Social Forum (USSF) in Atlanta. Remember? If another world is possible, another US is necessary. While I was there I had the opportunity to meet Go Yookyung from the Eradicators (aka National Campaign for Eradication of Crime by U.S. Troops in Korea) along with other anti-US base activists from the Philippines (Bayan), Okinawa (Okinawa Peace Fighters), Guam (Famoksaiyan), and Hawai'i (DMZ Hawai'i). It was one of those a-ha moments for me. The presence of all these amazing activists from around the Pacific Rim made one thing very clear to me. It's no use fighting the occupying forces in isolation. Your success at pushing US troops out just means that someone else is seeing an increase in troop numbers and if they push some out you know you'll soon be seeing those troops in turn. And so on and so forth...

I have to also shout out Susie Woo who taught a course called "US Imperialism in the Asia Pacific" for greatly expanding my thinking about the forms imperialism takes in these days of economic, cultural and military imperialism. I feel lucky to have had people help me gather these building blocks, who have helped me learn about the impact of US forces in the Pacific Rim.

This summer on KEEP was yet another opportunity to bring these things together. I got to connect with Go Yookyung again and learn more about how the Eradicators' struggle in Korea has shaped up over the past 17 years. We had the chance to hear a bit more about the long and sustained struggle they've committed their lives to. They've been fighting and fighting HARD to change public perception about the bases and US military occupation particularly around sexual violence, environmental damage and national sovereignty.

We also trekked out to Uijongbu to visit Duraebang (My Sister's Place). They're working with the camptown women and it was clear to me the continuing legacies of war and colonization in a place like Uijongbu. We also went to one of the weekly Comfort Women rallies and it was difficult being there knowing that they've fought so hard and so long for recognition and justice. Knowing that their struggle and what is happening in camptowns around bases are related in a very real way also felt really difficult. Thinking about how the occupation hasn't ended and that neoliberalism is presenting the same beast in different clothing...

The other thing I have been thinking a lot about is symbolized by the changing faces of the camptown women in Korea. We learned that many of the women in the camptowns are now coming from the Philippines on "Entertainer" visas and it was hard to internalize the fact that Korea is in a place where there are forces acting on it (through institutional, personal, environmental and economic violence) but it's also now in a position to replicate some of the same oppressive behaviors on these women coming in from the Philippines. Then there's the migrant workers, the mail-order brides, the biracial war orphans, etc. This is not about airing dirty laundry. This is about acknowledging the real layers of oppression, privilege, power and control in place.

It's been really interesting to push myself around thinking about Korea and Korean identity as deeply rooted in experiencing colonization and building national resistance histories yet also being seated in a position of relative privilege on a global scale. It's also been really challenging thinking about how our, the participants of KEEP, position in North America puts us in a similar position. As East Asians within the label of of Asian Pacific Islander and as East Asians within the larger racial justice movement we are not facing the deportation like our Kimay comrades nor are we the usual targets of violent profiling.

And personally I've also been thinking a lot about the privilege that I have as a Yale graduate, as a US citizen and as an English speaker within a lot of these contexts. These are conversations that I've been having with myself and with others in my community but going to Korea has helped me to further contextualize my position in a larger struggle for social justice in the world.

Locally, in Seattle, I've also been thinking a lot about the opportunities we have to connect with many different communities and combine our work. We've been collaborating with NAPAWF Seattle (National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum) and with Pinay sa Seattle (formerly of Gabriela Network) with further plans to work together around reproductive justice issues and around militarism, militarized prostitution and trafficking.

KEEP was, for me, an opportunity to learn and grow in my analysis and in my commitment to a global movement. It has helped me understand some of my reluctance to work solely on Korea related issues and helped me identify the way I want to plug in to that movement. It was also an amazing way to make contact with folks that I hope to deepen in the coming years. In my relative youth, I feel excited about the future and deeply respectful of the work that's come before me.

Reflections

Now that KEEP is officially over, though unofficially we're still going to be visiting some organizations again, I'm going to take a moment to reflect.

The first thing that I was struck by in meeting all of these progressive, anti-imperial, and anti-US organizations was the intensity of their movement. These are people who will patiently and diligently hold a rally once a week outside of the US base for 17 years knowing that change does not come quickly. The Eradicators started their rallies with little support from the general Korean public while facing a society that supported the American troops in Korea. At this point, they've built awareness, fought battles and created connections to anti-US occupation movements in many parts of the Pacific Rim including Okinawa, the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii.

The other thing that struck me is how easy it was for me to miss all of this 투쟁, all of this struggle, on my other visits to my mother's land. Contrasting a tourists' visit to Korea, or even a typical Korean American's visit, to the collective experience that I've just had is more than just night and day. It's startling and yet somehow to be expected. During the weeks that I've been here I've seen more protests, sit-ins, demonstrations and rallies that I would have in months in the US. But the control of media, the insidious neoliberal goverment policies and the general apathy that I've also seen here makes clear to me how difficult it is for movements to gain ground and grow.

The final thing I'll mention before grabbing dinner: Lee Myung Bak tried to institute an "English Only" policy in the public school system. How twisted is it that 63 years after Japanese occupation ends the head of this "democratic" nation replicates that model with it's new colonial master? It makes me more than a little sick just thinking about it because it's harder to fight something like that than it is to fight a very clearcut imperial presence.

The real final thought that I'll expand more on later: Nationalism and it's role in Korean movement culture.

Thanks for tuning in folks. I'll have better posts with more pictures as the days go on. I thought it would be important to get some thoughts out first though. Also, most of this will be coming from memory since I lost my notebook with all my notes in it. Bear with me if it seems like I'm not sure of some of the details.

And she left her day job

Soju, $1.

Norebang, $15.
Sunny's titanic moment . . . priceless.

Police state

35,000 police in the streets. Every major intersection is lined on all sides for several blocks with paddy wagons. Police in full riot gear, many wearing tear gas backpacks, march down the sidewalk 2 or 3 across in large formations. Police use water canons to spray people with blue dye mixed with water. Police are given incentives (gift certificates and a rewards-style point system) to arrest people. The police arrest anyone with blue dye on them. The subway is restricted and many stops are completely blocked off. The area around city hall is surrounded by police and anyone who comes near it is arrested.

This is Seoul. On August 15, Liberation Day. On a revered national holiday that celebrates Korea's liberation from Japanese colonialism in 1945 at the end of World War II. Korea is now fighting for liberation from its own government.

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Under siege

The general secretary of Korean Association of Progressive Movements (KAPM) was arrested last night.

We had just met with him and another leader just 3 days earlier. They had both anticipated that warrants might soon be out for their arrest because one of their members was already in jail, and two others had warrants out for their arrest and were seeking refuge at Chogyesa 족에사, a Buddhist temple in Seoul (along with 6 other activist leaders).

Rallies are illegal in Korea and so leaders of progressive organizations in Korea are being targeted and accused of organizing the vigils. Americans take freedom of speech and freedom of association for granted. In Korea, you're literally risking your life for democracy.

Non-update update!

Hey y'all! this is sunny at last!!

i just want to say that i've been having a really intense and fun time here in corea and the program is almost over. there's only one more visit to an organization and then a two day eval left. but here's the sitch.. i've been learning so much and trying to understand so much that i haven't had the time to post. that all having been said, i will be processing the trip probably for the next month or so so please check back for updates. detailed updates. including my (ever) developing analysis and tons of pictures. maybe even video of our trip to noraebang (karaoke room) if you're lucky!

lots of love and in solidarity,
sunny

A tiger will be born today

We met with 8 movement leaders who have warrants out for their arrest because of their supposed involvement organizing the candelight vigils.  Buddhist monks are providing refuge at one of the temples in Seoul, where they've been living under one tent since July 6.  During our meeting,  a torrential downpour abruptly interrupted our discussion while we rushed to get everything under cover.  The rain was accompanied by long rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds, and it's said that when that happens, a tiger will be born.  It must have been the same weather for the birth of each one of those leaders.