When My Name Was Keoko
by Linda Sue Park (New York: Clarion Books, 2002)Introduction
In 1910, Japan conquered Korea. The conquerors passed many laws intended to destroy Korean culture. If the Koreans no longer had a distinguishable culture and identity, the desire to be free of their captors might decrease. Laws were passed against a Korean being the head of any organization, business, school, etc. Koreans could be vice-presidents or vice-principals, but never the president or the principal. Only Japanese citizens could be in charge—the president or the principal. All school lessons were in Japanese. Students were required to attend school and learn Japanese culture, language, literature, and history. Japanese was to be spoken in public. And Koreans were even required to attend Japanese temples on the Emperor’s birthday. Eventually, a law was passed that required all Koreans to take a Japanese name and be addressed by this name in public.
Summary
Sun-hee is the daughter of a Korean family. Her father is the vice-principal of the local school. Her best friend is Tomo, a Japanese boy who is the son of the principal of the school. Sun-hee and Tomo remain friends despite the fact that the colonizing Japanese treat Koreans as second-class citizens. Sun-hee is able to distinguish between racist laws, colonizing military, and a simple, kind boy who happens to be Japanese. When Koreans are required to take Japanese names, Tomo disagrees with the law, but can do nothing to change it.
Excerpt from pages 5-6, 18-19
Abuji [father] reads out loud from the newspaper: “‘By order of the Emperor, all Koreans are to be graciously allowed to take Japanese names.’”
“‘Graciously allowed . . .’” Uncle says. His voice is shaking, he’s so mad. “How dare they twist the words! Why can’t they at least be honest—we are being forced to take Japanese names!”. . .
“[Y]ou know that the Kim clan is a large and important one,” Abuji says. “Long ago, all Kims lived in the same part of Korea, in the mountains. Choosing the word for gold as their name shows what a strong clan they were. Gold was only for kings.” . . .
“[O]ur Japanese name. . . will be Kaneyama. ‘Yama’ means ‘mountain’ in Japanese, and “ka-ne” means “gold.” So the name will honor our family history.”
He turns to Uncle, “They will not know this. But we will.”
(Likewise, Abuji hides the meaning of Sun-hee’s name in the new Japanese name. Sun-hee means girl of brightness, and part of Keoko, the chosen Japanese name, means ray of sunshine.)
The changing of my name made even Tomo cross. When we played together after school during those early days of the name change, he kept catching himself. “Sun-hee—I mean, Keoko,” he kept saying.
Once, after correcting himself for what seemed like the hundredth time, he stamped his foot in frustration. “Keoko-Keoko-Keoko,” he said, as if trying to pound the name into his brain.
“Keoko-Keoko-Keekeeko-Kekoko—” He was getting his tongue all twisted.
I giggled. “Kee-kee-ko? Ke-ko-ko?” . . .
Tomo was laughing at the silly sounds. I was laughing for the same reason, but I was also secretly pleased to be treating my Japanese name with such disrespect.
At last our laughter faded and we caught our breath. Tomo glanced at me quickly, then looked away again. “Maybe, when it’s just the two of us alone, I could still call you Sun-hee. What do you think?”
It wasn’t often that Tomo asked for my opinion. I wanted to answer carefully, so I thought for a moment. “Wouldn’t that just make it harder?” I said. “You’d have to switch to my Japanese name when we’re with other people. You might get mixed up—and forget.”
“You’re right,” he said. He flicked another glance at me. “It’s such a nuisance, isn’t it?”
And I knew this was his way of saying he was sorry I had to change my name.
Questions and Discussion
Why would it be so important for Sun-hee and her family to retain the meaning of their family name and even of their first names?
Through out time, colonizers have almost always devalued the culture and identity of the conquered people. Is it possible for a people to become an independent people if they have lost most of their value and identity? If a people has lost much of its value and identity, what can they do to reclaim it?
Often, individuals of the colonizing group (or of the majority group, or of the powerful group) do not agree with racist laws, but they do not know how to challenge them or change them. Why did Tomo tell Sun-hee that he disagreed with the name-changing law in the manner he employed?
Sun-hee (Keoko) and Tomo are examples of how two individuals can be friends even though the populations they are part of are enemies.