The Art of Activism Quotes, Chapter III/Intervention II

 

1.     Page 86, last paragraph

“We should not seek to replicate the examples of history but to learn from them.” 

This quote resonated with me because during the twenty-five years since relocating to New Jersey from Southern California, experience has become my best teacher. The marriage between my parents were parentally arranged through a neighbor priest in Japan and although my mother claims to never have loved my father, she chose to stay married to him until his death in 2008. I, on the other hand, when faced with infidelity that literally broke apart our family and had a devastating effect on my two children, I knew it was time to part ways with my now ex-husband. I often wonder to this day, had I left our dysfunctional marriage much sooner, could it have saved the heartache and pain for the three of us?!

 

2.     Page 90, last paragraph

“Don’t preach, teach.”

It is often said in Japanese that children often learn from their parents by imitating what they see as opposed to what they are told. I too am a firm believer that actions speaks louder than words and I like to lead by example. My father taught me this invaluable lesson early on because he was more of a doer as opposed to “flapping his lips.” 

 

3.     Page 109, upper paragraph

“Injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of natural opinion before it can be cured.”

The social injustices that are built into the Japanese culture and with the apparent brainwashing that we are taught during our formative years, thinking outside of the box might prove to be difficult for most. However, having been raised in three cultures simultaneously and being taught by my father, I have come to acknowledge that some of those beliefs are very toxic and exclusionary. For example, it is often expected that once a Japanese woman marries that she will resign her position if she is working to “playhouse.” The current Empress of Japan, the former Masako Owada, was a diplomatic when her husband, the current Emperor proposed to her. She had attended Harvard University due to her father taught at Harvard; however, upon returning to Japan, she passed exam to become a diplomat. She eventually had to give up her position as a diplomat as she was now a part of the royal family and would have her royal duties to carry out as then Princess Masako. 

 

For my second intervention, I am going to continue the thread of social injustice; however, this time concentrating on the injustices within the Japanese cultural and how that has affected my self-identity. I will be taking several pictures to illustrate my personal interpretation of this. As I have become older, I have come to feel comfortable in my own skin despite the expectations that my culture might impose on me. Although I consider myself a Japanese national, I do not necessarily subscribe to all of the beliefs that most of us believe and adhere to because I was taught at a very young age to always question authority and to think for myself.