~:[CH5 - Day 130]: ~ A Greater Message

~:[CH5 - Day 130]: ~ A Greater Message

I worked late into the night as I redid my Japanese Internment power point. While not perfected, I improved it drastically from what I had prior, incorporating items from when I visited Manzanar and also things I learned in talking to George Takei after two performances of Allegiance. I still remember how overwhelmed I was after watching Allegiance and while the Japanese internment was an important topic to me, Allegiance showed me more than I could have ever imagined and inspired me to make this message stronger and clearer, not to put Japanese-Americans in the limelight, but to remind the students that discrimination is not acceptable and to stay silent, you could aid in the allowance of something like this to happen again. In a time where the direction of our country is unpredictable, we all need to be ready to do our part to ensure the safety and security of all people who love this country and call it home. I am not sure how impactful the lecture ended up being, but I felt inspired to cover it and was glad to incorporate a few songs and clips from Allegiance that I found online to spread the message that George Takei was hoping to spread. While the future of Allegiance is still unknown, the message of it can be carried on through word of mouth. I still cannot put into words how grateful I am to the caste of Allegiance who made the wonderful experience possible for me, a friend, and also my students in two different performance and I only wish that many others could experience the amazingness that was Allegiance. For now, I will take this week to ensure that the students understand that discrimination comes in many forms and it is our job to stop it. Through the topics of internment, the Holocaust, and genocide, I'm sure that this message will be passed on, but it's not enough that I do it in my class, each of us has a responsible to ensure that we work together and unite to make this world a better place. I guess that's why I feel refreshed to work in an environment that while not perfect, has grown to embrace our differences and hopefully our student body can take the next step in promoting unity by denouncing discrimination. As a child, George Takei spent his boyhood behind barbed wire and wanted to share his experiences with more people and while for a brief time, I am glad that you got to send out your message, as I heard it loud and clear.