Identity Portfolio Author: Shawn Lau Grade: 7

Research notes World War II (1939-1945) was the most destructive war in history, It killed more people, destroyed more property than any other war in the world. The war brought the downfall of the whole Western Europe and it started the nuclear stage. It was estimated that 20 million soldiers died during the entire war, and 30 to 40 million civilians died in that wretched war. That makes a combined death toll of 60-70million people died in the war. The war was fought in nearly every single ground in the world. There were submarines under the Atlantic Ocean, Troops in jungles in the Southeast Asia. Troops in the deserts near Tobruk, planes flying all around the world.

1 December 1941: Bombs fell on Penang. The bombings continued for 2

more days. By 13 December looting had broken out in the city, first to obtain food, which was beginning to be in short supply, but then to steal the belongings of victims of the bombing. 30 March 1942: Penang road was closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and all doors and windows had to be closed, while important Japanese officials passed by. 2 April 1942: All those living in government quarters received a 70 per cent reduction in their house rent.3 April 1942: Horse racing resumed, and the Wembley Amusement Park re-opened with bangsawan [a form of Malay theatre popular in northwest Malaya] and Chinese opera performances, gambling and other entertainment. 4 April 1942: A four-man committee that had administered Penang during the interregnum was officially

dissolved. 5 April 1942: Japanese soldiers threw a cordon around various areas of Georgetown to attempt to locate Communists, and also in the Kampung Mahi area along Perak Road, one of the primary evacuation areas used by Chinese living in Georgetown. 7 April 1942: Hundreds of Chinese have assembled before the Penang jail seeking information about their relatives who have been detained. Clothes in Malaysia: Nearly all Malays are Muslims, and many of them choose modest styles favored by Islam. For example, many Malay women wear a loose, long-sleeved blouse, a long skirt extending to their ankles, and a shawl or kerchief over their heads. Many Malay men wear a black hat called a songkok. For ceremonies and other formal gatherings, both men and women may wear traditional Malay

dress, which includes a tunic or blouse and a length of batik cloth worn as a skirt. Chinese, Indians, and other groups in Malaysia also wear their traditional dress for special occasions. Many Indian women wear saris, and some Chinese women wear a long, tight-fitting dress called a cheongsam.

Bibliography

1. Kratoska, Paul H. Proc. of The Penang Story, The City Bayview Hotel, Penang,Malaysia. N.p, n.d. Print. 2. “Malaysia” World Book-Student

Pudong Secondary.Web.18 October 2012.

<http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar340060&st=war+in+malaysia>

3. Kratoska, Paul H. "Penaklukan Jepun: Suka Duka di Georgetown

(The Japanese Conquest: Pleasures and Sorrow in Georgetown)."

Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 27.1 (1996): 199+.

Gale World History In Context. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. 4. "Encyclopedia Britannica Image

Quest." Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. <http://quest.eb.com/>.

Interview Questions What happened to you in the war? There was no food to eat in the mountains, The Japanese bombed Penang and train station. Then our family left, they escape to the mountain. They saw Penang Island burning. Once when he was young he ran after the Japanese soldiers that were on a horse. Extras After 2 days there were no food so they came down, the bombing stopped. The Japanese scared people, they took away girls. The remaining girls cut their hair off. The invaders took people, killed people, they didn’t have of rice so they put a lot of potatoes in porridges and many people ate cassava until their leg was swollen.

What was the toughest part for you in the war? The hardest part was that food was meager. Family Tree

Chan foo choo brother

Historical Narrative The smoky haze blinded me. My eyes filled

with water. My parents gawked at the flickering flames and bombers in the day.

“The war has finally arrived.” The house next to ours exploded violently, splinters and projectiles flying. Shrieks of victims pounded my ears. The strong scent of smoke and burnt flesh made me retch.

My parent’s gaped in horror. I watched in confusion at the devastation around me. I sprinted in the house with my stricken parents. They were stuffing things into a bag. “Don’t bring that! It will only slow us down and be targets for the Japanese!” my dad sputtered.

“But it’s a portrait of my father! ” my mom retorted.

“Fine, but carrying such a large object would endanger our lives. It a huge, colorful painting, it will makes us a target, ”my dad cautioned. “Lets go!”

We bolted through the door. I held hands with my mom while she carried my little brother. I weaved through screaming and crying people to follow my mom. Somebody groaned behind me and screamed for help. I ignored him and dashed straight across the street. Most houses were missing a floor or completely demolished. There were parts of individuals and shrapnel littered everywhere. The pungent stench of rotten flesh and sulfur slowly crept through my nose. I turned around and glanced at my old home… All of the memories were all in that house. I got grabbed in the arm and

pulled forward by my mom. “What will happen to us? Will we survive?” I wondered...

Reflection 1. How has working on this project

helped you learn about your family’s history and given you a better sense of your identity?

Working on this project has helped me to understand my family’s history by giving me a chance to investigate my past and contact my relatives.

1. Why do you think doing a project like this is important?

I think it’s important to do a project like this so that you can understand the hardships of the family and also find out where you came from.

1. What part of this project did you enjoy the most? Why?

I enjoyed researching and interviewing about my

grandfather’s brother.

1. What specific challenges did you face during this project and how did you over come them?

There were some problems such as writing the narrative and interviewing my grandfather’s brother.

1. What advice would you give future students as they begin this project? Don’t hand in anything late or else you can’t catch up. Cite all of your sources. Don’t procrastinate… Especially with interviewing and researching Try to ask some of your friends to edit your interview narrative. When thinking of the topic, try to think big.

Thanks for Reading