Remembering an inspiring March 1st Movement
By Alyssa Kang and Jung-Eun Son
The following viewpoint was written on behalf of Korean American
United Students for Education and Service (KAUSES).
Nearly eight decades ago today, March 1 became a significant day
in Korean history. On this day in 1919, hundreds of thousands of
people from all walks of life came together calling for national
independence from Japanese colonial rule. This movement occurred in
the aftermath of World War I, and was inspired by President Woodrow
Wilson’s famous Fourteen Points speech.
These points called for respect for the self-determination of
peoples and the principle of humanism. By promoting the concept of
national autonomy at a time when most third world countries were
under imperialist rule, Wilson’s statement lifted the spirits of
these colonized people. Although Wilson was referring to Europeans,
his speech encouraged Asians around the world, including Koreans.
They thought a world power like the U.S. would fight for their
rights and guarantee political self-determination for all
people.
But the world was not ready to recognize the sovereignty of
people outside of Europe. Only 13 years prior to the March 1st
Movement, an African pygmy man was caged at the New York Bronx Zoo.
Colonized people and their culture were objects to be controlled,
exploited and studied. In a way, it was naïve for Koreans to
think that a country that could treat a human being in such a
racist and dehumanizing manner would help Koreans gain sovereignty
from a foreign power.
But with the belief that the U.S. would respond with their
support, the Koreans organized the March 1st Movement, marking the
first Korean mass movement since Japanese occupation of the country
began in l910. The movement grew out of frustrations resulting from
harsh Japanese colonial rule. The Japanese government treated
Koreans like second-class citizens in their own country, imposing
strict censorship laws and confiscating land from the natives.
The March 1st Movement brought together people from different
class backgrounds, political orientations and religions. More than
one million people participated in the demonstrations with
disturbances reported in all but seven of Korea’s 218 counties.
On March 1, the declaration of independence, inspired by the
U.S. declaration, was read publicly at Pagoda Park in downtown
Seoul. The fervent demonstrators gathered and paraded peacefully,
celebrating Korean national will, and shouting, "Long live an
independent Korea!" (Taehan tongnip mansei). The peaceful
demonstrations on March 1 sparked a nationwide movement in the
following months.
The Japanese police force reacted to subsequent gatherings with
a series of arrests, beatings, killings and village burnings.
Korean nationalists estimated more than 7,500 deaths, 15,000
injuries and 45,000 arrests. The demonstrations failed to bring
independence from Japanese rule, and the Koreans’ appeal to world
powers like the U.S. was greeted with indifference. However, the
movement provided a catalyst for the expansion of the nationalist
movement for future decades.
The March 1st Movement may have occurred nearly 80 years ago,
but its message should be a source of inspiration for Koreans and
Korean Americans of today. Although the Los Angeles Korean
community strives for the same goal of political and social justice
as immigrants and people of color, religious, economic and social
class divisions impede its ability to work as a united front.
Granted, the community has come together in the wake of such
events as the 1992 L.A. uprisings and the escalating
anti-immigration trend, but we should not only come together in
reaction to events like these. We should strive to maintain unity
throughout the years. Even within UCLA’s Korean community, there is
a need for improved communication between the many student
organizations on campus.
On March 1, 1919, the people of Korea united under the common
title of Koreans for the common goal of liberation. But even today,
South Korea is not entirely free of foreign influences and some
argue it is now a colony of the U.S. We as Koreans and Koreans
Americans at UCLA may not face the same type of overt oppression as
our ancestors, and within the sheltered university setting, it is
easy to forget the subtle forces that oppress people of color,
immigrants, women, lesbians, gays and bisexuals and other
"minorities."
As students we should look at the March 1st Movement as a symbol
of Korean unity and strength. It should encourage us to learn about
our history and recognize the parallels between past and present
struggles. We have a duty to our courageous ancestors, and to
ourselves, to break away from complacency, and to fight for social
justice on campus and within the surrounding community.
Kang, a fifth-year senior in Asian American studies, and Son, a
third-year geography and East Asian studies student, are members of
KAUSES, a service and political advocacy group which strives to
empower the Korean American community and promote a more just and
equitable society for all people.