Finding Juni Kim

Description

■ Korean writer Ellen Oh opens a new K-narrative in children’s Isan literature

“Needless to say, this was the hardest and most personal book I have ever written.”

Korean-American writer Ellen Oh depicts Korean identity and Korean stories from the perspective of an Asian girl. 『Finding Kim Joo-ni』 does not simply treat Korea through traditional fairy tales or in an old-fashioned way, as was the case in past Isan literature, but deals with contemporary stories and the current state of Korea without distortion. This is because writer Ellen Oh, a third-generation immigrant, personally listened to the stories of her mother and aunt and her father's experiences and wrote the story based on those stories. As a writer, she visited Korea in person, visited Ewha Womans University, various places in Seoul, and met with war memorial curators and history professors who appear in her works, and she tried to support her story with historical facts. She addresses her concerns as an immigrant writer and as a parent raising a Korean child, along with the topic of racial discrimination. She is also a writer in real life and she is also the founder of a non-profit organization called ‘We Need Diverse Books.’ As the name of the organization suggests, Ellen Oh works to ensure that her children can read a variety of books that tell the stories of immigrants, not just books featuring white Americans. The author's awareness of these issues is clearly revealed in her books. The stories of Asian racism and minority human rights issues that appear in her book are factual and based on reality. Throughout the book, he does not forget to encourage children who face racial discrimination by talking about counseling, problem sharing, and public discussion that can be a turning point in the most common concerns and problems.
In this way, 『Finding Kim Juni』, written based on the author's critical awareness and actual experiences, was recognized as a work of art by winning the 'Asia Pacific American Literary Award' presented by YMA. YMA is well known as the organization that awards the Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award. In addition, it was selected as Book of the Year by public radio stations across the United States, won an award from the 'Nerdy Book Club', a group of educators such as teachers and librarians, and was included in the list of best children's books selected by Bank Street, an early childhood education institution. It was well received by the public.

■ Moments when silence becomes a weapon

“Juni, always remember that silence can be a gun or a knife. people don't speak up
“If we just leave evil alone without fighting against it, those people will also become corrupted.”

Junie, a quiet Asian girl, experiences racial discrimination every day. Discrimination starts from the school bus we ride every morning and takes over the entire school on the first day of the new semester. But Juni chooses to avoid it rather than fight it. Junie's timid and passive attitude alienates her from her group of closest friends. Junie's best friend, Patrice, is a black girl. She is a bold friend who says we should fight against racism rather than remain silent. Patrice holds out her hand for Junie to join her, but instead of taking it, Junie just repeats the words, as many Koreans do, 'Hold on, endure, get through this.' I believe it will pass someday.
To Juni, who now has to experience the discrimination alone, her grandfather tells her the story of the Korean War and the story of “The Sun and the Moon” from her childhood. The story of a grandfather who helped his friend in a situation where he could have died and searched the mountains where the North Korean People's Army was hiding, and who tried to resist power to inform his friend of his innocence, and the story of a brother and sister who asked heaven for help to avoid a chasing tiger. Yes. And it makes them think about how the situation would have changed if they had done nothing and just waited or turned away. It reminds us that some silences can empower perpetrators. Junie listens to her grandfather's story and finds her own identity, and thinks about the things that change when she speaks out.
There are definitely things that can only be seen when we face it together instead of alone, when we break the silence and speak out, and when we reach out to give or receive help. The step the protagonist takes to overcome racial discrimination will inspire courage and confidence in Korean children on the other side of the world.

■ Korean identity through unfamiliar yet familiar perspectives

“We Koreans have been taught since ancient times to endure too much pain.
But we are also a people with the ability to love deeply.”

The book weaves together the stories of her grandparents' generation who experienced the Korean War and Junie's concerns about living like an outsider while experiencing identity confusion throughout her life. Not only do you get to hear the stories of your grandparents who were children during the Korean War, but the elements that can only be seen in Korean families are portrayed in an interesting way from an immigrant's perspective. The way you breathe in air while thinking about something, the way you shrug your shoulders, the people who always ask you if you've eaten as a greeting... … . It may be an immediate picture to Korean readers, but the description of these elements as 'Korean characteristics' is a fun example of cultural differences. In addition, the interpretation of the identity of the Korean people as a 'well-tolerated' people amidst the pain of colonialism and the history of division appears throughout the work and clearly reveals its presence. It is thanks to his Korean father that the author was able to vividly depict the characteristics and habits of Koreans. The old stories his father used to tell and his father's habits became the basis for this work.
While dealing with Korean identity, the author also included deep concerns about immigrant identity and personal roots in the book. That is why this story is read as a family story, a country story, a historical story, and a personal story.

■ For us in the 21st century, ‘war’ means a humane life that we tried to protect even in the midst of a terrible war.

“Let’s go, sister! “I have to go faster to see my parents!”

Things that are hard to believe happened in the 21st century are still happening on the other side of the world. Watching the Ukraine-Russia war, people around the world felt that war was not a thing of the past. However, we already have a history of acutely feeling the horrors of war. It is the Korean War.
The book tells the story of the childhood of grandparents who served in the Korean War. What did war look like from a child’s perspective? Her friend, who had no choice but to cooperate with the People's Army to survive, and another friend who lost her father to the People's Army, become enemies overnight. Yesterday they were friends who played together, but the next day they become enemies of their parents. The friends next door who lived huddled together disappear overnight, and the North Korean People's Army sweeps through the village, but before you know it, the South Korean Army has taken over the village. But no matter who occupies it, people are struggling the same way and still experiencing separation from family and friends. In this way, the war depicted in the work is not a grand ideological conflict, but a story between friends, family, and neighbors.
By reading the Korean War as a story, readers learn the values ​​that we must uphold as human beings. The story of a grandmother who walked for days to meet her family and a grandfather who went to the grave with her friend to protect her friend shows the meaning of family, pure friendship, and the courage to fight back. Now that an invisible war is happening everywhere, where is what we need? The story of Junie and Grandpa embracing each other's wounds will guide you on that path.

[Overseas reader reviews]
“Please read this story. Especially if you are Korean.”_ Chandre claypo**

“I thought it would only focus on the immigration experience and the history of the Korean War.
It covers mental health, bullying, peer talk, racial discrimination, hate crimes, etc.”
_ Cherly**