English 2H pd 3 discussion

Of the titles of Lollapalooza group A, I chose to read Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly due to its personal connection to me and because it was about a topic I am passionate about. Hidden Figures is a story about four extraordinary women who fought through the segregation and stereotype of being women and African American in the technology field at NASA. As a girl who is passionate about computer programming and robotics, I felt immediately drawn into the story. While reading this book, I found myself comparing current stereotypes surrounding women and the digital gender gap to what Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden faced throughout their careers. Though the book is set years ago and the profoundness of the stereotypes have since decreased, I found that the doubt in a women in the STEM field from decades ago is still found today. Over the span of the book, I felt myself getting more attached to each woman, which made me fall in love with Hidden Figures.

Of the titles of Lollapalooza group B, I chose to read Hyeon-seo Lee’s The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story due to its cultural attachment to me as well as the story's familiarity. About a year ago, I found myself crying after watching Lee’s TED Talk, “My escape from North Korea,” which told a brief story of her escape from North Korea to South Korea. Acquainted with her story and as a Korean American, I knew I had to read the book. Reading her story made me realize the lengths it took for my family to get where it is today and made me feel grateful for everything I take for granted. With extended family in North Korea, I can only imagine the horrors of what is believed to be normal and humane to those who I will never get to meet.