READING THE GLOBE FALL 2016 ESSAY Natalia M. Villarreal

Transcription

1 Throughout the book, Yeonmi Park explains what the songbun system is and how it dictates North Korean s lives. She explains how much each family member defends their family s songbun, no matter how low it is. Yeonmi speaks about how, even before you know what the word freedom means, your life is already planned out for you because of your family s songbun. As American citizen s, we know not of oppression as North Korea does. We live in the Land of the free and home of the brave. Those words resonate in our heads as we go about our lives saying, wearing, and watching whatever we want. To live in a place where you cannot engage with other s outside of your social status is unimaginable to us, yet we still separate from our brothers and sisters. Although it is not as radical, or imposed, as it is in North Korea, it is possible we follow a similar system to theirs yet we don t realize it. When I first read the phrase you have to match swallow with swallow, magpie with magpie. I did not quite understand it. It was until I continued reading that I finally understood. I could see what she meant because I could relate to it. We all think we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want here in the United States, but that is not completely true. As an immigrant who came from Mexico into the Unites States 9 years ago, I faced a lot of segregation from those who had lived here their whole lives. Even though I was a legal resident, had the same rights, and went to the same school as them, they still saw me as an outsider. The kids with the expensive uniforms and latest technology did not sit with me at lunch, did not ask how my 1

2 day was. They built an invisible shield that separated them from the girl who could barely ask where the bathroom was. It took many years, and help from kind people I met along the way, for me to realize my voice in society wouldn t be given to me, I had to fight for it show my worth. That was when I figured out that even though you might not look or sound the same as them, if you had something to bring to the table, then you could be a part of their society. This experience came back to me as I was reading this book, reading what Yeonmi had to live through because of the North Korean regime: referring to her classmates as comrades, living in imnibans, secretly dating a boy from a higher songbun in fears that she would ruin his life, endless list of tragedies. All these things seemed ridiculous to me, but they served the purpose of opening my eyes to how different her world is from mine. In the United States we have a Constitution, which expresses our legal rights as human beings. One of these rights is freedom of speech. Often times we take this for granted, I now know I do. I can have a conversation with a friend or family member about anything I want. I can express my concerns and doubts to the members of the government. I don t have to worry about the birds and mice hearing my whisper, because I do not have to whisper. This is something I will hopefully never have to worry about the way Yeonmi did since she was a young girl. I have had the opportunity to meet wonderful people, continue to educate myself and others, make relationships with others because of this right we are given. Yet, after reading this book, I still feel as if I have not taken full advantage of it. 2

3 Unfortunately, social systems are everywhere. They cannot be fought. It is human nature to surround yourself with others like you. This doesn t necessarily have to be a bad thing, yet it is. Ever since I was a little girl, my parents have made it clear they want what is best for me. They made sure I was in a good school, lived in a good neighborhood, had a roof over my head, food on the table, clean clothes to wear as I pleased. They encouraged me to put myself out there and make friends. Yet, the moment I told them how I had become friends with someone from the other side of town, someone who didn t care much for school, the strongly encouraged me to end said friendship. At first I did not understand, but now I do. As I grew older, I realized how you have to surround yourself with people who will help you grow as a person. I am not sure if it s the right thing to do yet, but I know that in this life, you have to fight to get yourself to where you want to be. After moving to the United States, I turned myself into a machine. I knew I wanted to become successful when I grew older, so I disciplined myself. I pushed myself to devour book after book, to study diligently. As Yeonmi said, I was so thirsty to learn, I couldn t tolerate any distractions. After many years of discipline and diligence, I got myself to where I wanted to be: I became part of several organizations, grew acquainted with teachers, doctors, members of government people of importance. When I take a step back and look at my accomplishments, I can see why social systems exist. If I had not surrounded myself with people who had the same goals as me, perhaps I never would have become who I am today. Even 3

4 though these social levels can sometimes go against our morals, they are inevitable. They exist, they have for a long time, and I don t think they are going anywhere. As Yeonmi said in her book, North Korea and South Korea were one country for a very long time: Chosun. All until it was decided that there would be a line drawn; an entire country was separated. People s human rights were ripped away because of this separation. This is not only a problem in North Korea, but all over the world. Masses across the globe are affected because of political, economic, and social issues which drive leaders to come to the decision of diving a nation. I have learned that we, as human beings, do not separate ourselves because we have to, but because we can. Someone, somewhere along the line of history, decided that it was okay to strip others of their rights and their self-worth, giving them no chance to fight back. It is definitely not okay, and a lot of us know it, yet we have made no change. Perhaps a change hasn t been made because a lot of these people do not know they can fight back, but I do. I, along with the rest of the people who have read Yeonmi s story, now know what is going on in this world and how we can help to change it. Just like Yeonmi, I could literally feel my brain come to life. as I continued to read about the tragic life of North Korean people, and I am sure I was not alone. This world is driven by opportunities. Said opportunities are not given, but earned. One of the most important ways to obtain them is through education. You have to push yourself to learn about everything the world is a big place, full of unexpected turns. As Yeonmi said, a lot 4

5 of people do not fight back because they do not know they are being oppressed. They do not know that there is a way to change things, and that there are people who care and want to help them. I, and the rest of the world, knew North Korea was a bad place, but I never knew it was so extreme. After reading this book and obtaining this knowledge, it is now up to me, and the rest of the readers, to stand up and make a change. We do not have a radical songbun system like North Korea does, we can come together and help. This book changed my life in the best way, and now it s my turn to return the favor. 5