Like No One They’d Ever Seen

Enlightening article. I find his works take on a new context in the light of the recent rise of Korean art in American pop culture.

The Anglo world condoned Japanese imperialism in Korea and later brought its own influences to Korean culture during the Korean War. This war is as often overlooked and relegated to obscurity as the article's subject himself, but the blood spilt must shine through the heart of America in an inevitable fashion.

The rise of Korean film and pop music in American consciousness is a reflection of the cultural imperialism of the West. This is illustrated in Bong Joon Ho's "The Host" (2006) moments before k-pop and Korean film became so massively popular in America.

Somewhat a reflection of these novels, the film's portrayal of Americans in Korea is not all black and white. The opening scene shows an Anglo American officer commanding a local Korean man to dump toxic formaldehyde into the Han River, leading to the rise of a monster and a mysterious infectious pandemic (sound familiar?). Although the pandemic is revealed to be an American imperial hoax to seize power and quarantine the population, a local Anglo American GI is featured as a hero who fights alongside the protagonist against the monster. A toxic gas bioweapon called Agent Yellow is released in a failed attempt to defeat the monster, even though the gas is harmful to the local population. This may be a commentary on the American use of bioweapons in Vietnam against the cultural threat to American world hegemony (communism).

To summarize this chaotic chain of themes, perhaps as chaotic as "East Goes West", the lasting struggle of asserting a personal and cultural identity in America is very relevant today. What does it take for a man or woman to rise above prejudice and establish themselves as a human being and valued member of society? Why should this struggle exist? Why should Americans be forced to engage with it? It is evidence of evil. The absurdity and irrationality of American racism is very prevalent in its strange and wavering treatment of Asian Americans. I can relate with Kang, not only in his love for America, but also in his frustrations with its politically motivated prejudice.