This week was a tad bit different because we did not have Tuesday morning or Wednesday class. I did get to have a check in conference with Chico and that was very encouraging.
Beautiful Country (2005) dir. Hans Petter Moland
We Should Never Meet by Aimee Phan
I feel like we haven’t gotten to talk about the sexual abuse that happens in the books that we read but seminar sometimes doesn’t feel like the place because it is such a heavy topic and sometimes all there is to say is what the #@$% that is so messed up. But not talking about it can feel like an erasure of that experience and reality of the situation.
While reading this book I was really astounded to not have learned about the Vietnam War before. During my years at public school I feel like I learned about World War 1 and 2 over and over for about 4 years which caused vast gaps in my understanding of history. I want to learn more about how the U.S. has responded in other wars and is responding now in taking in refugees. I know America is not a warm and welcoming place for refugees, and I have heard about refugees who are in the Northwest Detention Center currently.
I still don’t feel like I have a grasp on how complex the war was and the history of Vietnam is. I don’t fully understand why America got involved, what led to it happening, and what the aftermath of the country was especially people who were or supported the south Vietnam army.
- I want to watch The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick to gain more insight.
- Amerasian Homecoming Act – U.S. admitting to the presence of the war