An opinion about the “1491” article, coming from someone who is a minority, could be seen as a bias opinion. Despite of how it might look, I couldn’t help but agree with many of Charles Mann’s statements. His dramatic use of words offers readers vivid images. One of those images is a time during Hernando de Soto’s barbaric arrival to North America. Before describing the cruel events after Soto’ arrival, Mann warns “From today's perspective, it is difficult to imagine the ethical system that would justify Soto's actions.” Having ancestors who went through similar purgatories, I appreciate the concern that Mann voices. Later in the article Mann continues, “Languages, prayers, hopes, habits, and dreams—entire ways of life hissed away like steam.” It’s hard to grasp the harsh reality of massive cities vanishing. The reality of actually breathing once people suddenly dead.
While looking through several website, one way that helped me to initiate my research process, was looking through readers’ reviews of “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” book. My focus was on different arguments that readers fixated on. Online book store reviews such as Amazon and Barnes&Noble, we briefly skimmed through.
Now with several ideas in mind, I then moved on to Metrostate Library Database, where I began my references research. My goals was to share my reasoning for agreeing with Charles Mann’s views. One way of articulating my thought is through exposing my ancestry background. After several database and “no result” tries of using different keywords such as “Koreans in Kazakstan” and “Koreans in Russia”, I decided to test the “One Search” option and used “Deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union” keyword. At last, few results showed and my scanning through summaries has began. I can across one essay, which captured my attention. In order to share a common bond, an author that I was searching for would share a similar background. Besides the familiarity in the summary, the indicating of his name, instantly spoke to me. Having a Russian first name and a Korean last name, is one element that we “korean russian hybrids” all share.
While searching for reviews, I stumbled across a YouTube video called “Charles C. Mann: 1492 Before and After” . Posted by Chicago Humanities Festival. This one hour video showed Mann explaining thoroughly many of the items, which were mentioned in the “1491” article, thus confirming my opinion.
Kim, A. (2013). On the preparation and conduct of the repression of Koreans in the 1930s Soviet Union. The Historian, 75(2), 262-282. Stalin's repressions in the Soviet Union
