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Salzburg Global Fellow Wenise Kim reflects on American Studies in the next 75 years in a context of political polarization and extremism
This op-ed piece is part of a series, written by Fellows of the Salzburg Global Seminar program "Democracy on the Front Lines: Polarization, Culture and Resilience in America and the World."
The future of American Studies, and America for that matter, demands a reckoning with the excesses and limitations of the US as a force of influence, as noted in A New Era for American Studies.
On November 2, 2022, President Joe Biden in his "Standing Up for Democracy" speech at Columbus Club reminded Americans that history and common sense tell us liberty, opportunity, and justice thrive in a democracy, not in an autocracy. Indeed, these are not only "common sense" ideas that need to be protected, but also the essence of America as a nation-state and values that need to be better realized for the next 75 years. Is it time for American Studies to reclaim its heritage as a defender of democracy and ensure that the American pendulum of critique does not swing too far to one side.
Despite some glaring policy failures and criticisms of America that tend to dominate conversations, the fact that America has played a key role in promoting global peace and prosperity through global democracy seems to have been lost. This “fixation” on critiques and criticisms diminishes the positive impact that the US has provided in strengthening the foundations of and expanding democracy around the world. To young American voters, this can breed a sense of apathy and cynicism that undermine the strength of democracy in America.
Appreciating the positives and drawing lessons from them is helpful as we acknowledge the role of American Studies as a witness of history in today’s political climate of polarization and extremism. To me, the case of the two Koreas, and the stark difference in the quality of life between them, is one of the most compelling reminders of America’s historic influence in laying a foundation for a new country to thrive, by defending and securing democracy.
As a millennial South Korean, my appreciation for the US does not come from the media, nor the time I spent in the country. Instead, my school days in South Korea involved learning about the US’ role in the Korean War and the rebuilding process from the ashes of this war against communism. My father was a veteran with an injury sustained during his 3-year mandatory military service, like many other young Korean men on the border. This “border” is a creation of the Armistice agreement signed under the leadership of the American Lieutenant General William Kelly Harrison Jr., on July 27, 1953, which will commemorate its 70th anniversary this year. Inaugural President Rhee Syngman, an Americanophile with an Austrian wife, refused to participate as this was only a half-win of freedom and democracy on the peninsula.
The rest is history. Now, generations of “northern” Koreans living less than an hour’s drive from the thriving metropolitan city of Seoul continue to live, largely unknowingly, as hostages of a regime akin to George Orwell’s Animal Farm. This is a fact documented by the UN’s 2014 Commission of Inquiry paper on North Korea, for which Salzburg Global held a special session the following year. In her book, While Time Remains, a 29-year-old defector and a “new” American, Yeonmi Park pleads with America, urging young Americans to value the fundamentals of freedom with responsibility, by recounting her life in North Korea, South Korea, and the USA. It is ironic that we must see or experience not having something to truly appreciate when we do have it.
America belongs to Americans- but the old news is that American Studies does not. To whom is American Studies answerable then, ultimately? Humanity. To be on the right side of history is no easy job, and America may be fatigued for a reason. But it is no time to look elsewhere or destroy it. Governments, policies, and generations will change but the fundamentals of democracy that provide humanity with dignity like no other institution does is worth the American legacy that must be close to everyone’s heart- especially at the American Studies. This is not politics. Let this be the strength and signature of American Studies as a community of diverse yet unified defenders of democracy.
Wenise Kim is currently working on a small-scale, independent living history project featuring a documentary and photo exhibition on the ANZAC legacy, tracing stories around streets and bridges across Australia named after the lesser-known battlefield of Kapyeong. It aims to highlight the democratic values the two countries of Australia and Korea share, and friendship(s) forged through the war against communism 75 years ago. Previously, she has served as a political and economic officer and public diplomacy officer at Korean Embassy in former conflict zones such as Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Eritrea. She has a BA in heritage and museum studies, and studied, under an EU scholarship, master's in human rights and democratisation at the University of Sydney, Australia. Wenise is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar.