Problem
Context
Freire asks us to resist the notion that we are empty receptacles devoid of knowledge and privileges knowledge construction that emerges through experiences and develops our identities and critical consciousness. Throughout the novel, Hongdari and Mr. Tay reflect deeply on their experiences in Korea and as immigrants in America. In "Hongdari's Blues," Hongdari weaves together his personal experiences with the historical and political forces that shaped his identity and consciousness. Hongdari notes:
"We were born in Korea during Japanese rule and spent our youth in hunger through the Pacific War. Then came liberation. The adults were so happy. But not for long. They got embroiled in ideological struggle, while we grew up chewing on sticks of gum American GIs gave us."
"Then came the war, and I survived my boyhood as a houseboy and a shoe-shine boy. I went to school. Well, it was just a tent, really. Couldn't keep out rain or snow. On sunny days, we hauled away pieces of broken bricks that used to be the wall of our school. Then came the April 19 Revolution, the protesting against corrupt elections, and then the military government that jailed us dissenters. Then the bloodshed from the massacre in Gwangju. All the while, we struggled to overcome poverty. Scouring the world to find jobs and money- South America, the Middle East. We strove to become an exporting nation. We exported coal miners and nurses to Germany. We sent soldiers to Vietnam and engineers to the Middle East. Our generation went through a lot."
"Koreans in America! We are the patriots, aren't we? We've helped Korea in so many ways, in commerce and trade. Remember what we did during the Asian financial crisis? We deposited our dollars in Korean banks to increase their reserves. We've worked ourselves to death all these years and now we are in better financial shape than before. death all these years and now we are in better financial shape than before."
"Wouldn't you say our generation has gone through the most crap and worked harder than any other generation? Ultimately, our strength has been in our patience and will to survive [...] "So, our generation deserves praise, not disdain! We need love and affection! If you'd gone golfing instead of coming here, I would have pulled the trigger for sure. I would have spilt the blood that symbolizes the frustrations we immigrants experience. It would have been an empty death. Our immigrant history has no heroes. Maybe that's the way it is in America. No real heroes. Instead, it's bank robbers and horse thieves who star in Hollywood movies. If our community can't produce a real hero, then we are done. No one will remember us. So why did I think about killing myself? You saved my life. You became my savior for the second time." (pp. 79-80)
Task
Answer the following question
Hongdari notes the intersection of personal experiences with historical and political events as part of his critical consciousness of what it means to be Korean and an immigrant in America. As a generation, you have lived through the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the pandemic as well as the effects of racism, capitalism, climate change, war, and social and political movements toward equity and equality. What social, cultural, and political events shaped your identities and your emerging critical consciousness?