Important Lessons from Pachinko

One of the main messages or lessons I learned from Pachinko is about the long-lasting effects of discrimination and prejudice. When Sunja and her family moved to Japan, they were faced with more discrimination than they could have imagined. Their lives were changed forever as they witnessed first hand how life is in Japan for Koreans. Sunja felt the stark contrast between her different living environments and how much better her life had been in Korea. I found it especially interesting how many Koreans had an idea that life would be better and more fulfilling in Japan, when in reality, this was completely untrue. This discrimination she felt did not only effect her, but also her two younger sons as well. Noa was met with such hatred from his peers and felt like an outsider all of his life. He began to resent his heritage and wished throughout the entire book that he had been born Japanese. Previously, I had never read or heard of any books that addressed this injustice so directly. This book has made a large impact on me in regards to educating me on the importance of acknowledging and addressing systemic prejudice against Korean-Japanese people.