My American Journey

"This is Colin Powell’s autobiography, My American Journey. For me the idea that Colin Powell was the first African American to be appointed as Secretary of State, and the highest ranking military man in America makes him a symbol. Even more important than what he was doing, is the idea that an American person can come from any background and go on to achieve so much. That’s a testament to what America is. Yes and I could just as easily put either of Barack Obama ’s books as a choice. They’re also stories of hope. But, when I look to my personal story, being in the military and reading Powell’s story about how racist people were towards him, this for me is morally wrong. He was serving and he encountered a lot of discrimination and it was hard for him to find friends. So through the book I tried to piece together where I stood as a Korean American in the military. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . And of course the same sorts of things apply if you’re gay in the military. So near the end of my time at West Point I managed to piece it all together. I was very defensive in a lot of ways about my race, about being different. But, throughout my time in the army Powell’s story gave me inspiration and solace."