Mission:
The Institute for Korean Studies (IKS) at Indiana University aims to introduce Korean culture through Korean media in translation to students enrolled in higher education.
Eligibility:
The contest is open to undergraduate students currently enrolled in Indiana University Bloomington and at our partner institutions.
How to participate:
- Find the media: You may watch the media for free here.
- Write the essay: After watching the documentary, you will write an essay based on the judging criteria listed below. The submission should follow a critical essay format and must not be between 1,000 and 1,250 words.
- Submit your essay: Submit your final essay here by Friday, January 27, 2023. Please do not include personal information in your essay.
- Winners will be announced at a virtual award ceremony in March, date TBD.
Selected Media: Sa-I-Gu (1993) Documentary
April 29 marks the anniversary of a tragic day in American history. Violence, arson and looting erupted in South Central Los Angeles, sparked by the acquittal of the four policemen who had beaten an African American, Rodney King. During the tragic days of the riot in 1992, Korean Americans suffered about half of the $850 million in property damage, not to mention the emotional and psychological pain. In the days and weeks that followed, media coverage of the upheaval was extensive but rarely presented a fair and in-depth portrayal of the victims. They made the Black/Korean conflict the cause of the crisis, not a symptom. Sa-I-Gu, literally April 29, presents this Los Angeles crisis from the perspectives of Korean women shopkeepers and offers an alternative to mainstream media’s inability or refusal to present the voices of victims in human terms but make them issues and numbers. Sa-I-Gu provides a perspective that is essential to discussions on the Los Angeles unrest that brought numerous social issues to the forefront – racism, class divisions, crime, violence, poverty, the urban underclass and political, economic and cultural empowerment.
—Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)
Judging Criteria:
- Writer demonstrates close reading and critical thinking.
- Writer addresses the central theme of the story revealed through the plot, setting, characters, symbols, dialogue, and visual elements of the selected media.
- Writer demonstrates clear understanding of main ideas of the media.
- Writer demonstrates clear understanding of how the media developed the story being told.
- Writer describes tone and style of the media.
- Writer demonstrates clear understanding of the historical context of the media.
- Writer’s essay demonstrates clarity, structure, spelling, grammar, and usage.
Rules:
- Essays must be between 1,000 and 1,250 words in length.
- Essays should be word processed in 12-point Times New Roman fonts, and double spaced.
- One entry per contestant is permitted.
- All entries must be written in English.
- We reserve the right to use all submitted pieces in future IKS publications with no compensation to the authors.
- Winners are announced by the beginning of March. The time to announce the winners is subject to change depending on the number of total entries received. The award ceremony will be held virtually in mid-March 2023.
Prizes: Prizes: 1st Place: $300 Amazon gift card or gift of equal value
2nd Place: $200 amazon gift card or gift of equal value
3rd Place: $100 Amazon gift card or gift of equal value
Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM EST, Friday, January 27, 2023
Indiana University Bloomington, Institute for Korean Studies
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