American PUNK!

Today I tried to teach a lesson on the origins of American names (cities, states, etc) that ended up a lesson on punk rock. Don't ask me how it got there (maybe the mohawk hair syle, etc), but from the outcome of the lesson, I will slowly make my way through a lot of different genres of music.
Anyway, my students have never heard of this before, and as I showed them pictures, music videos and movie trailers about punk rock, their jaws hung agape the entire time. They were simultaneously terrified and intrigued. Especially so when I showed them a music video of a WOMAN in punk garb (The Distillers- The Young Crazed Peeling). Though, pretty much universally, they liked the music, they could not believe people their own age looked and acted so differently.

Above: American Punks

Above: Korean Punks

I felt a strange amount of pride in America/bad-assery at this point, which I think stems from the fact that I'm in one of the most homogeneous nations in the world. I certainly don't mean to say we're the best, look at us, racism doesn't exist here, we'll put a boot in your ass, America!!! I mean to say simply that I have come to appreciate just how truly diverse and awesome and tough the USA is, though we still have a far way to go when it comes to understanding. The music played in American supermarkets is tougher than anything that comes out of Korea. People look different everywhere you look, so much so that no one bats an eyelash at seeing a mohawk walk down the street. I don't know what that really says about our culture, but I like it.

Yesterday, I got a ride home with another teacher at my school, a little woman who only speaks a little English. She told me she wants to come to the USA at some point in the future, but "I afraid of black people." Knowing she would never understand a counter argument, I had no idea what to say! Eyes wide, jaw on the floor of the car, I just kind of said, "Oh...... No......"

More soon,
M