Eyes of the Ocean
Syaman Rapongan’s compelling memoir is about colonialism and the willful love of one’s own culture.
When Syaman Rapongan was a boy, he witnessed Japan and China colonize his home, Pongso no Tao. Despite these experiences of injustice, his love for his people and his culture never abated. In later years, his fervent pursuit of an education was tempered by his refusal to assist the Chinese state in the erasure of his civilization. In time, he found his purpose in writing.
Syaman Rapongan describes his upbringing in vivid terms, as where he details the pressures to conform to Japanese, and then Chinese, ideals. In multiple instances, powerful people told him that he’d never amount to anything unless he adhered to Chinese standards of conduct. His family countered these negations, adding weight to his love for his home and culture.
The prose is lyrical, using beautiful metaphors and analogies to illustrate its points. It speaks of “the flaming tongue of colonialism, an unextinguishable torch that would torment us islanders” and of “a future like the sea, of boundless uncertainty.” Evocations of the ocean are continual throughout. Indeed, Syaman Rapongan refers to himself as an “ocean writer,” and his memories build around the water from the book’s beginning onward.
Conveying emotions including humiliation and feelings of impotence while one’s cultural rituals and traditions are ignored and forbidden, as well as the joy of reuniting with family and the ocean after years away, the book works toward a review of the years between Syaman Rapongan’s college graduation and the present, stating his purpose and reaffirming his belonging and commitment to his Tao tribe.
Eyes of the Ocean is an impactful memoir about staying true to yourself and your community in the face of attempts at erasure.
Reviewed by
Carolina Ciucci
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
