Quiet Odyssey by Mary Paik Lee. free essay sample

America, sometimes even causing some of the initial Korean presence in the States. Lees story reveals some of the obscure aspects of Korean history that otherwise may be more difficult to excavate. It also depicts the racial discrimination severely rampant during this time, and how Asian Americans worked to better their position in American society despite this obstacle. Asian Americans in Mary Pack Lees Quiet Odyssey brutally experienced the effects of poverty, degradation, colonialism, and racial discrimination, as reflected In Lees accounts of personal experience and AslantAmerican Cultures 101 of the university of Washington. Asian Americans, including Lee and her family, were constantly harassed by poverty and degradation, which eventually led to health deterioration. Even when Asians came equipped with some level of educationsuch as Lees father, who had studied to be a ministerthey usually had to resort to farming and produce stands, the kinds of degrading jobs reserved specifically for Asian in America, which also included small groceries, tobacco shops, chop sues Joints, dry-cleaning and pressing shops, and laundries. We will write a custom essay sample on Quiet Odyssey by Mary Paik Lee. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These Jobs required long and difficult work days only amounting to minimal Income, which made Lees familys mall goal to earn enough money to buy food to feed all of [her family] (p. 46). Every member of the family needed to contribute to this goalto her parents embarrassment, even Lees one-dollar-a-week wages were needed to feed the family (p. Bib and her brother Menus dreams of going to high school are shattered by his obligation to support the family. Soda and ice cream are considered luxury items (p. 8), and Lees first experience with a toothbrush and toothpaste only comes after marriage. Health conditions due to malnutrition were common because of the lack of food with the exception of all things Unfit for human consumption (p. 16). She meets the end of [her] hopes for a high school diploma (p. 58) when she is told to stay out of school for two years as a result of severe malnutrition. She was not the only one to experience these kinds of poor health conditions.Many Asian Americans took on physically demanding Jobs that worked them much over their physical tolerance level because they had to feed their families, having no other choice in a society so Anti-Asian. However, Korean Americans had less of a choice than other Asian Americans due to domineering powers back home. Lee and other Korean Americans lives are further emotionally complicated by the effects of Japanese colonialism back in their homeland. The Pack familys initial 1 OFF Japanese soldiers. This meant the beginning of their tough life in America. Over the years, stories of ruthless persecution in Korea traveled by word of mouth and letters from escapees in China. Lee and her family experience great emotional pain when they hear about the March First Movement in 1919, or, the Manses Uprising, through which their relatives are accused of influencing their pupils to rebel and are persecuted. The Pack family back in Korea constantly writes to Lees father for financial assistance, which was needed as a result of economic hardship caused by Japanese oppression.Many Korean American families did their best to send financial aid to Korea, to assist their families in need and to help liberate their homeland. This meant extra financial burdens for Koreans in America, added on top of the already- present financial responsibilities. As for the emotional discontent they faced, they loud do nothing else but to carry on (p. 61). The mental discomfort Lee and her family lives with caused by their knowledge of the status quo is uncomfortable, but at the same time, portrays the events that otherwise would not be as widely known.Because Japan tried not to let the rest of the world grasp too much knowledge about Korean persecution by heavily censoring letters and torturing Koreans to the point of near death but not complete death to ease the callous picture, autobiographies such as Quiet Odyssey are good sources of what really went on. The obscure accounts of he persecuted are incorporated into Lees story, recounting the gruesome tragedy in Korea with no embellishments. However, as Korean Americans were battling colonialism overseas, they and other Asian Americans were battling a bigger opposition in America.The largest conflict Asian Americans suffered from in nineteenth and twentieth- century America was between racial discrimination and the desire for acceptance, which is also the most frequently encountered aspect in Lees story. Asian Americans were excluded solely because of prejudice; because of their physical appearance, not heir actions. They were forced to be cautious of even the most innocent activity, such as using the restrooms, solely because of the color of their skin.