Author: rediehs.1

Text Review: Hyeonseo Lee

by

North Korea is a nation that to the rest of the world seems like a sick dystopian society. A place where economic freedom is restricted, 40% of households live in poverty, 84% of households do not get enough food, travel is not allowed and to which punishment ranges from concentration camps of high physical and psychological damage to execution (North Korean Challenges, n.d.). The government maintains a strict following on the citizens to ensure they all follow the countries guidelines, set by leader Kim Jong-un.  Media is constricted to maintain a certain set of ideals, self expression is restricted through few options of hairstyles and clothing, travel is certainly not allowed, religion is not to be practiced, and basically all types of information outside the happenings of North Korea are unobtainable. The worst part of it all is that North Koreans are taught that this place is the best place in the world.

Hyeonseo Lee, a North Korean native, shares her experiences and stories about how she managed to escape the country at the age of 13. Lee felt like an outsider as a child as she was one of the lucky few to grow up in North Korea with money and food. When she discovered the ugly truths of the nation’s battle with starvation, she realized that the perfect place she grew up in was all a facade. In the depths of the 1995 North Korean famine, Lee decided to escape to her distant relatives in China, but this was only the start of her journey to freedom. Lee faces run ins with the government countless times and fears that her only source of identity, being North Korean,  will cost her her life. Since the product of North Korean citizens are carefully crafted by the government, Lee only knew what she was taught and never imagined how different her life could be. With no home country and no place that would easily allow her in, Lee shares her story in hopes of spreading awareness for the injustices that North Koreans face.

North Korea is the definition of an oppressed nation. Human rights are stripped and civil liberties are discounted. North Korea is considered “the Other” as the citizens have no idea how restricted they are, and “the One” is represented through the freedom of knowledge and identity that the rest of the world experiences. Lee explains that she used to sing songs about her amazing country, particularly the song “Nothing to Envy”, and think to herself how lucky she is. Like most North Koreans, she was completely in the dark about how the rest of the world functions, which is why there has been no rebellion from the citizens. These people are being forced against their will to be molded into what Kim Jong-un wants them to become through lack of information, starvation, rape, and torture. Throughout her story I could only imagine her pain and the abandonment she felt as other countries did not welcome her with open arms, but rather attempted to catch her in the act of escaping, punishable by torture or even death in North Korea. My biggest question after watching Hyeonseo Lee’s story was: Why is the rest of the world not more proactive in helping free these innocent people? How has this been allowed for so long? And finally, how does one adjust from being in such an isolated environment to having freedom? How has her identity evolved?

 

References

“Help North Korean Refugees – Crossing Borders.” Crossing Borders – Helping North Korean Refugees and Orphans, www.crossingbordersnk.org/north-korean-refugees?gclid=CjwKCAiA8Jf-BRB-EiwAWDtEGjPiEIup6EEZCGU-8bjiCWXeUh8dlBzqHjwfd-10zexRuXf1tZXl6BoCr4gQAvD_BwE.

The North Korean People’s Challenges, www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/learn-nk-challenges?utm_medium=ad.

 

Yo, Is this Racist?

by

Yo, Is This Racist?

Madison Rediehs

A general rule of thumb in regards to questioning racism is: if you have to question it, it probably is. Hi, My name is Madison Rediehs, I’m a junior here at Ohio State and today I will be looking into some injustices I have noticed in my day to day life that reveals something larger about society in regards to racism. Whether racism is underlying or blatant, it is evident that America needs a wake up call in what people consider to be “not racist” when there is clear underlying prejudice. 

To start, I think it is vital to point out that as a white female, I have personally never experienced racism, so my observations are simply that: observations. I define racism as targeting one group, most of the time one of historically marginalized cultures and ethnicities, and allowing your prejudice to rule over equality. 

I am going to start with a situation that my roommate Julianna and I recently discussed. Julianna attended a private school in Cleveland and told me how wearing your hair in braids was not allowed at her school. For people of color, wearing braids has so much significant cultural meaning and has been an indicator of social status, wealth, age, and religious belief. Braids are a big part of expression in African women and men, and have been encouraged to maintain natural hair free of chemicals and harm. In this situation, black people have been singled out to maintain a certain image in the school due to prejudice around braids. This definitely represents racism as the black community and people of color have been discriminated against for the state of their hair, which can be very hard to maintain. Hair has no impact on the education one receives and poses zero threat to any other student or faculty member. This situation is not isolated, but has been seen throughout many schools and workplaces. In more recent years, we see more people standing up to this discrimination and demanding respect for their natural hair, however the country has not yet outlawed this discriminatory act, only some states. Considering this marginalized community of people have rules that could suspend them from their education by simply wearing their hair in braids shows to be offensive, and racist.

 

The next topic I want to discuss is a bit heavier of a topic. Five months ago a woman named Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her own home by the police in the midst of a search for drugs.  Breonna was shot six times and was left to die. Within this past week, the court ruled that officer Brett Hankison only be charged as “first degree wonton endangerment” for the three bullets that missed Breonna and went in the direction of her white neighbor’s unit, where a pregnant woman with her husband and child were present. To me, this is completely outrageous. To charge a police officer for the shots he missed that could have hit a white family, but not for the six shots that killed an unarmed innocent woman? If Hankison was proven to be handling the gun in an uncontrolled manner that should further prove that Breonna was wrongfully killed, however the officer was not charged with anything related to killing Breonna Taylor. This shows how our system is still putting the lives of white people over the lives of black people. This ruling blatantly showed that the potential of killing a white person was more important than actually killing a black person. This situation targets one black woman and gives her no justice, offending not only Breonna, but the whole black community and minorities in general showing clear racism that was not only accepted, but legal. 

What To Know About Breonna Taylor's Death - The New York TimesBreonna Taylor protests in Louisville: Unlawful assembly declared on 2nd night of demonstrations - ABC News

 

The final topic I want to discuss is one that is more ambiguous depending on how you look at it. The House of Representatives is a group of people that are each elected to a two year term and focus on a certain district by introducing laws and serving on committees. Each representative is supposed to come together to portray American citizens the best way possible. During this semester I found one article entitled, Faces of Power: 80% Are White, Even as US Becomes More Diverse by Denise Lu, John Huang, Ashwin Seshagiri, Haeyoun Park, and Troy Griggs which discussed the current state of the House of Representatives. One statistic I found extremely interesting was how out of 431 people who currently write laws in the House, 112 are Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, or otherwise identify as a person of color. This means that about 74% of those creating laws are white, not to mention that this current class is the most diverse it has ever been. This is problematic because our country has such a mix of cultures and ethnicities that must be accounted for to ensure that all American people are heard. This long rooted injustice has been enforced due to the connotation of an American being white, which we all know to be false, as well as men being more competent in politics due to being “less emotional”, another false statement. What this does is leave out important issues and laws that need to be discussed and made to protect people of color and Americans as a whole. For example, a white person in the House may not see police as much of a threat but someone who is black may see the need for more regulation of the police to be vital. Having diversity would allow more people to feel safe and supported by the government rather than seeing the government as the enemy. White males have run our country since 1789 and are seen as the most competent in regards to politics, which is why I bring up this scenario as a form of racism. Between 46 presidents only one has been black, Barack Obama, and only one woman has been the vice president, Kamala Harris, elected in 2020. Being white and being male has put these people on a pedestal that they do not deserve. The reason I say that this situation can be looked at as non-racist is because the House is actually more diverse than it has ever been and is heading in a better direction. “We are currently in our 116th Congress and since 2001-2003, the 107th Congress, we have had an 84% increase in minorities in the House, from 63 to 112″(Lu). While some minorities are seen to be represented proportionally, like Native Americans, who make up 1% of the US population and 1% of the Congress, some races are not, including hispanics and asians (Lu). As our country starts to accept more minorities in office, I can only hope that each and every ethnicity becomes equally represented proportionally to the population of the United States. This situation brings me to realize that oftentimes some research must be completed to accurately interpret these statistics. If I did not realize the proportion aspect of these statistics, then I would feel that these numbers are very racist and that most minorities are underrepresented, but this is not exactly the case. 

 

Growing racial and ethnic diversity in Congress

Democratic Reps. Terri Sewell of Alabama, Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, Carolyn Maloney of New York and other members of the 116th Congress pose for a selfie with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 4. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Racism in America is obviously an issue that has been ongoing and imbedded into not only the minds of Americans, but also the justice systems. Having America be founded on the principles of white men over one hundred years ago is bringing more and more issues revolving around racism as our country becomes more diverse. Above I gave three examples, one of underlying racism: the braids. When I say “underlying racism” this means that there is discrimination but it does not come out and say what it means. For example, banning braids does not limit itself to just black people, however clearly that was who the school was targeting. Next, I talked about Breonna Taylor. Her situation looks into how racism is shown and accepted in government run systems in America. This outward portrayal of discrimination has been backed by the law and is seen as just. However, as aforementioned, this does not mean that this situation is not racist. Our country has been built on ideals that protect white men, and while our laws change and evolve, it is clear that many police and governmental figures carry little regard for people of color. In order to try to bridge the gap and keep equality for all, I think we need to start thinking about: if the roles were reversed, would the outcome be the same? And sadly, in Breonna’s case, I do not think the verdict would have been the same if Breonna was white. The final discussion showed how America is working towards becoming more diverse in our government, however has had an obvious racist past. Our country may be working towards equality, but are we doing enough? To finally reach equality we must keep setting the bar higher and higher and challenging each other to be better by educating one another. We are all responsible.

 

 

References

Bialik, Kristen. “For the Fifth Time in a Row, the New Congress Is the Most Racially and Ethnically Diverse Ever.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 18 Aug. 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/08/for-the-fifth-time-in-a-row-the-new-congress-is-the-most-racially-and-ethnically-diverse-ever/.

Costello, Darcy, et al. “Kentucky Grand Jury Indicts 1 of 3 Police Officers in Fatal Breonna Taylor Shooting – but Not for Her Death.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 24 Sept. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/09/23/kentucky-grand-jury-breonna-taylor-brett-hankison-charged/3467413001/.

Lu, Denise, et al. “Faces of Power: 80% Are White, Even as U.S. Becomes More Diverse.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/09/us/powerful-people-race-us.html.

Muhammad, Tia. “6 POPULAR BRAIDING STYLES & THEIR TRUE ORIGIN.” ONCHEK, www.onchek.com/theinsight/6-popular-braiding-styles-their-true-origin/.

Shapiro, Emily, and Ivan Pereira. “Breonna Taylor Protests in Louisville: Unlawful Assembly Declared on 2nd Night of Demonstrations.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 24 Sept. 2020, abcnews.go.com/US/public-outraged-breonna-taylor-case-officer-indicted-endangering/story?id=73193800.

Diary of Systematic injustice: Breonna Taylor

by

What To Know About Breonna Taylor's Death - The New York Times

The woman presented above is names Breonna Taylor. Taylor, 26,  was a happy, caring EMT who was shot and killed while unarmed during a police raid in her apartment in Kentucky. Officers initially came to the apartment on a search warrant for drugs (which were never found after the incident) intended for her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, but quickly took a dark turn when Kenneth shot one officer in the leg because he heard no police identification and assumed their home was being broken into. Right away, the officers shot over ten times blindly into the apartment, and the neighboring apartment, killing Breonna with 6 shots. Breonna was unarmed and had no reason to be shot at. Since this shooting, millions of people have signed petitions in hopes of getting justice for the wrongful killing of Breonna Taylor, however the policemen on duty that night received little to no repercussions. Two officers were not charged and the last officer, Detective Brett Hankison, was charged with wanton endangerment for shooting 10 rounds with no clear line of sight, however these charges were not in defense of Breonna Taylor, but for the shots that went into the neighboring apartment. The shots that killed unarmed Breonna Taylor were justified, but Hankison was charged for what could have happened to unarmed white neighbors. This shows that endangering a white family is looked at is worse than killing an innocent black woman in the American legal system today.

This semester we looked at a piece called “Can the Subaltern Speak?” by Gayatri Spivak. This piece investigated the premise on how minorities and those of lesser power may speak, but will never be heard because those in power choose not to listen. In Breonna’s case, there are two clear portrayals of this: Black vs. White Americans, and common American citizens vs. the government. The court blatantly put the “endangerment” of White Americans over the actual death of a Black American. While her boyfriend did shoot in attempt of protection, Breonna never did and was not even the one in question for the warrant to begin with, so how is her death rightfully justified? With millions of signatures and an incredible outreach through social media and protests, the American citizens are demanding equality and justice, however the legal system is choosing to overlook what the people of America desire in order to maintain their power over us. America is supposed to be a democratic nation but when the citizens no longer have a say, it is hard to remember that we are supposed to.

 

References

Source: AP, Reuters. “Breonna Taylor Protesters March in Louisville as State Representative among Dozens Arrested – Video.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 Sept. 2020. Web.

“No Charges in Death of Breonna Taylor; Officer Indicted for Endangering Neighbors.” CBS News. CBS Interactive. Web. 24 Oct. 2020.

 

 

Context Presentation Week 6

by

This weeks reading includes Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis is a graphic novel that uncovers themes such as power, gender inequality, and political uproar in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. One important thing to remember while reading this book is the climate in which this book was written. In many countries today, including Iran, this book is banned. Satrapi was an outlier in using her voice to expose the Iranian government and its many flaws which explains why the government would not want to be represented this way in their own country.

The gender inequality that is portrayed in this novel only scratches the surface as to what women deal with in Iran on a day to day basis. Before the Islamic Revolution, Iran was a completely different place. Women accounted for more than 60% of students, held business and political positions, and wore trendy clothing, clothing that would be considered extremely inappropriate there now. After 1979, the new Islamic standards were completely changed and women began to be severely oppressed. For example in the novel, women in Iran were, and still are, forced to wear veils to cover their face and hair because hair excites men and distracts them, women were told to “beat their breasts” everyday as a ritual, and are often raped before execution due to the rule that a virgin is not to be executed. These rules are not just a part of history, they are happening today in order to make women feel that they are incompetent and lesser. Today some rules restricting women include females being banned from watching men play sports in stadiums, restrictions against birth control due to the government wanting Iran to be more populous, women having to get approval from their husbands in order to travel outside of the country, along with strict speaking rules that could result in jail time for talking negatively on the Iranian government. Women in Iran attempted to stand up for themselves by creating a petition of One Million Signatures in 2006 to attempt to reform discriminatory laws, however their external efforts were shut down and many women got punished by prison, getting their passports revoked, and many have been barred from the education system. There is currently a paradox in Iran between the government fighting for more control over Iranian women, stating that gender equality is unacceptable to the Islamic Revolution,  and those fighting for equality and change. Below I have attached a video from Time that highlights the struggles of women in Iran over time.

Sources:

“Challenging Iran’s Women’s Rights Narrative (Opinion).” CNN, Cable News Network, 24 Mar. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/middleeast/sanei-iran-treatment-of-women/.

Pfister, Camille. “Persepolis: The Role of Women.” Bulb, 23 Apr. 2018, www.bulbapp.com/u/persepolis-the-role-of-women.

“The Struggle for Women’s Rights in Iran.” Www.youtube.com, TIME, 10 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIv3dLiB0h8.

Tavaana. “One Million Signatures: The Battle for Gender Equality in Iran.” Tavaana, 23 Sept. 2019, tavaana.org/en/en/content/one-million-signatures-battle-gender-equality-iran.