A topic I have been wanting to study on, concerning the events of National Socialism, is the topic on Resistance. The Resistance workshop; held by our teamers Jan, Beata, and Stefan; tackled information concerning individuals and organizations from around the globe who resisted against a corrupt power.
"Bella Ciao"
One of the topics that struck me most was the topic on the partisan version of the song "Bella Ciao" in which we discussed its use in the modern-day and its true context. The song originated from the 19th century; it was sung by workers who suffered terrible working conditions in the rice fields in Po Valley. The melody was revived sometime in the early 1940's by the anti-fascist resistance (or partisans) in Italy. At first, Jan made us listen to the song without context or the lyrics, and then asked us what we thought of the song. My first thought was that its melody sounds depressingly upbeat; it mimicked the tick-tocking of a clock soon to run out of time. I've never heard the song before, however, some of the participants in our group happened to have heard the remix version of the song played in clubs or in rave parties. Jan made us listen to the remix versions --I think we listened to Steve Aoki's remix of the song-- and most of us didn't quite like it; I thought it was very upbeat, that it's now fitted and shaped into a party song. Finally, Jan played the Partisan version again, but this time we knew the context of the song and the English translation of the lyrics.
English translation:
One morning I awakened, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao! (Goodbye beautiful) One morning I awakened And I found the invader.
Oh partisan carry me away, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao oh partisan carry me away Because I feel death approaching.
And if I die as a partisan, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao and if I die as a partisan then you must bury me.
Bury me up in the mountain, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao bury me up in the mountain under the shade of a beautiful flower.
And all those who shall pass, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao and all those who shall pass will tell me "what a beautiful flower."
This is the flower of the partisan, oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao this is the flower of the partisan who died for freedom
We were appalled by its depressing lyrics. Understanding its core, I came to dislike the idea that "Bella Ciao" is sold as a product; similarly to how some people from the West ignorantly get Chinese tattoos without knowing that they translate to "Chicken Noodle Soup." Although some would argue that it "helps" introduce people to history, I doubt most people would even consider looking into the history after listening to Aoki's or anyone's remix of the song (yes, there's more than one out there). Although some fans of the remix may have discovered its true meaning and found an interest in its history, most people will have an altered understanding of this branded version of the song.
Acts of Resistance
Another interesting topic we had introduced us to the methods and acts of resistance. I was moved by how people from different countries fought (or “fought”) against the Axis powers during National Socialism. We were tasked to observe and review the movie “Flame and Citron,” in which we saw the dangerous lives of Danish resistance fighters who fight against Nazi collaborators while struggling against moral dilemmas and betrayal. Here, we saw the extremes that the resistance fighters went through and the harsh realities of the war. One notable act of resistance that impressed me in our workshop was through the minor sabotage by the Polish people who were forced to work for the Germans during the war. These forced people inscribed drawings of turtles that encouraged the people to “...work for the enemy slowly.” I think this was a simple yet brilliant way to resist. It contrasts to the extremities we saw in the movie, and we learned that resistance is not limited to the use of weapons and that there are always some way or another to combat evil.
The World War in Asia
Finally, we looked into the acts of resistance against the Axis powers in Asia. Most people rarely look at the events that occurred in the Pacific, however, I’m thrilled to see that Jan included Asian resistances. For those that are unaware, the Empire of Japan at that time was a member of the Axis powers and were classified as “Honorary Aryans” by Hitler. Notable resistances who fought against the Imperial Army that were discussed in the workshop included organizations from China, Korea, and the Philippines. Although, little was discussed, I was overjoyed to know that these brave nations resisted, but saddened that the horrors from the West seemed to stretch far to the East.
Unfortunately, history surrounding the grim events in World War II in Asia is fading. Memories of the Second World War in Asia are withered down to minor events and the censorship of atrocities is nothing more than a means to dumb-down history. Certain monuments across Asia remembering the horrors done by the Empire are being torn down to avoid humiliating the guilty, along with the limitation and censorship of history books in certain schools all boils down as to how the modern-day Empire wants to be viewed. During the Eye Witness talks, Abba Naor reminded us that history must be observed and remembered, no matter how grotesque. I believe that information and understanding is the purpose of remembrance, not humiliation; Japanese seem to think the opposite. This is especially so in the controversial case of the disassembled “Comfort Women” statue in Manila, Philippines. These statues portray the unforgivable acts done by the Imperial soldiers to women and girls in Asia during the war and can be found around the world; most notable ones are found in Korea, Taiwan, China, and even USA.
It saddens me to know that my friends from Eastern and Southeastern countries in Asia know little to nothing about the events that occurred in the World War, and more so in the events from Western Countries. Though it’s a part of why I went to IYM in the first place, so that I can understand how remembrance is being observed in Europe. Because of this, I’d like to end with some of the acts of Jewish admittance in Asia during National Socialism in Europe. In China, about 18,000 Jewish refugees from Eastern-Europe who fled the Holocaust found refuge in Shanghai. Kiichiro Higuchi, a Japanese general who disapproved of anti-Semitic laws, saved about 20,000 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany; despite the Axis alliance and anti-Semitic policies that Germany attempted to push in Japan. The Philippines’ president, Manuel L. Quezon, rescued over 1,200 European Jews in 1938 and ultimately admitted 10,000 European Jews until Japan invaded the country. These are just some of what I know and studied when I was home-schooled as a child and I wish for them to be here to interest you in the history of what lead to the WW2 events in Asia.