War often defines a nation. The Revolutionary War did for America. It is what our Independence Day is about, and represents our break away from England and our fight against tyranny. However, not all wars end in freedom. For Korea, the fact that their war is known as the “Forgotten War” speaks volumes for how they acknowledge it as a part of their cultural identity—they don’t.
The “If Not Now, When” art and music festival for peace and justice was held on Saturday, June 26th, 2010 at the Bishop Museum. The festival also marked day two of the traveling “Still Present Pasts” exhibit in Hawaii. This interdisciplinary, multimedia exhibit, which serves to bring attention to Korean Americans and the “Forgotten War,” will continue to run through September 26th.
In an oral history, which can be listened to through headphones on the wall of the exhibit, Korean American Eungie Joo explains, “There’s a lot of what we don’t know which was never passed down to us. They never want to talk about that shameful part of history. If Americans don’t think it was a big deal, and if our parents don’t want to talk about it, where are we going to find this information?”
The Korean War completely altered Korean American Min Young Lee’s sense of freedom, in that she felt she needed to hide her own identity due to her family’s association with the north. More of her words and experiences are on display in both English and Korean at the exhibit.
“Still Present Pasts” gives Korean Americans a voice, a multimedia platform where they can have the freedom and confidence to reclaim their identities and acknowledge the war by recognizing that it cannot be “forgotten” since is very much a part of who they are.
An interactive piece at the exhibit, “Our Puzzle,” brought together these concepts of identity and opening the lines of communication. It invites people to use the pens provided to add their own words or drawings to a puzzle piece and share their own thoughts of peace, love, experiences, memories, or how the past is present in their own lives, resulting in a collection of large puzzle pieces, pieced together on the floor.
This exhibit helps Korean Americans reclaim their freedom to a voice and an identity without fear. It is a real eye-opening experience, so be sure to check it out.
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