All I Asking For Is My Body, is told by a 4th grade boy named Kiyoshi Oyama. He is Japanese, and lives in Pepelau, Hawaii. Kiyoshi speaks many languages including English. He has an older brother who is 3 years older than him, and is in 7th grade. To different family members, friends, being at school , or rough housing around with his brother; Kiyoshi uses all different languages to speak to them. To his parnets he speaks formal Japanese, in school he speaks formal English, he speaks pidgin when he is talking to his friends, and he speaks pidgin Japanese when he is playing around with his brother saying inappropriate comments so his grandparenst dont understand what he is saying. Kiyoshis family grew up very poor, not afording shoes, bikes, or even a simple toy. But that wasnt important to them, they were proud of the way they were brought up and how they spent their money. A good example of this is when Kiyoshi would always hang out with his friend Makoto, and be at his house all the time. Makoto's family has money and can aford a car, bikes, and even extra money for Makoto to treat his friends. Kiyoshi's mother does not like how that makes her son look. She ordered him to not go over his house anymore becasue poeple may start to see him as a hoitobo (which is a baggar) or a chorimbo ( which is lower than a baggar.) People may think this becasue Kiyoshi goes over to Makoto's house to eat corned beef, onions and other food not made in his own home. Where Kiyoshi's family eats three times a day, and eats fish and rice. There was also an incident where Kiyoshi's father had a say in why he could not hang out with Makoto. I guess it was Makoto's idea to take coconuts which were not theirs and to sell them at the market. When Kiyoshi's father found this out he said that was stealing and to be smart and basically not be a follower. So then on Kiyoshi was not allowed to hang out with his friend Makoto.
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I think it was funny how Kiyo said Makots family did not have money but it seemed as if they did. Makot always had a little something in his pocket to buy the younger kids treats. Perhaps this has something to do with why his parents are so disliked in town.
ReplyDeletegood synopsis of part one. Its interesting that familys tend to not let there kids hangout with other kids that they dont approve of their parents. I think the kids get along good but maybe only because makot has lots of things to offer, food and money.
ReplyDeletePart one gives us a lot to ponder. I'm sure in the chapters ahead we will learn more about Makot and his parents. I wonder why they are the only Japanese family living in a Filipino camp? Maybe they gave Makot money to keep him away? I wonder if Makot was buying friendship?
ReplyDeleteLots of good points to think about.
It seems like all the families in the village are pretty poor but Makot family seems to be doing fine. I wonder what type of business they be doing behind close doors? In a way I understand why most parents don't want their kids to hang out with kids who's parents have a bad reputation. I think they think that their kids might pick it up and follow their foot steps
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYour point, “Kiyoshi goes over to Makoto's house to eat corned beef, onions and other food not made in his own home. Where Kiyoshi's family eats three times a day, and eats fish and rice” is a great observation. You reminded me about the way, and what, people consume. Makoto’s family has money, so they eat store-bought food. Kiyoshi’s family is poor; they eat what his father catches. There’s irony in the way industrialization has taken us away from producing our own food. There’s irony too in the fact that most of the families work on the plantation to grow and harvest sugar cane, but the plantation doesn’t grow food the workers can actually eat, like fruits and vegetables.
Lauren :)