The Importance Of My Identity

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The idea of who I think I am cannot be explained without considering about something called identity. Identity, according to the dictionary definition, is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. However, in the field of International Politics, conceptualising identity is the subject of long standing debate. Thus there are a plethora of different ways of thinking about identity and the markers used to signify it and they have their limitations. Identity, in this field, is largely seen as a social and economic construction and the subject of politics. Therefore, in this essay, it will be examine that how my identity, as a Korean resident in Japan, is constructed from the perspective of identity politics and how I perceived it. I became South Korean two years ago. During World War 2, many Koreans migrated to, or were forced to work in Japan, including my great grandfather. The Korean War divided the country in two. All Koreans in Japan lost their nationality, and some Koreans remain stateless residents in Japan. I was born and brought up stateless in Japan, but later became South Korean. I attended a Korean school supported by the North Korean government from elementary level. I learned Korean and the school promoted the identity and pride of Korean residents in Japan. I studied general subjects, learning North and South Korean history and their relationships with Japan, allowing me to develop an identity as Korean including both North and South Korea. At the same

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