Author’s Note
Information is constantly flooding our world. We see countless events and stories every day, but I believe there is far more than we realize. This book explores questions that often go unasked, even though they may have crossed our minds.
Before you continue, think about how you preserve information. Is it through newspapers, websites, social networks, or TV broadcasts? We have many options to filter what we receive, and we also tend to avoid problems we’d rather not face. In doing so, we create our own biases. Whatever the medium, each claims to report “the truth,” but that “truth” may simply reflect its own perspective. Ultimately, no single, absolute truth exists in our world—our task is to develop our own views on the news and events around us.
I’d like to share a bit about myself so you can understand my viewpoint and compare it with your own. I was born in Japan in August 2000, to a Canadian parent and a Japanese parent. When I started elementary school in Kobe, I experienced bullying because I looked different and initially didn’t speak Japanese. I was also among the very first dual-nationality students in the school’s 150-year history. It showed me that discrimination can exist anywhere, regardless of who you are. Although progress toward acceptance is being made, we still have a long way to go.
After high school, I moved to Canada, a place that officially embraces multiculturalism. I noticed significant differences between life in Japan and Canada, especially because Japan often considered me a “foreigner,” even though I am half-Japanese. My unique background offers perspectives that might differ from yours, and I encourage you to question my ideas as you read—just promise you’ll see them through to the end.
– Benji
Preface
In our daily lives, we often hide secrets and certain information—sometimes as small as a crush on a classmate, or as big as a political leader misplacing classified documents. While private information should remain confidential, I believe some information—like how taxes are spent or disturbing events kept hidden—must be shared publicly. Money, for example, has a huge effect on human behavior, so transparency is essential. And although it’s impossible to track every issue every day, we can still act on major challenges like global warming, women’s rights, and racism.
An iceberg serves as a perfect metaphor for this book. We know that most of an iceberg’s mass lies hidden beneath the water, just as much of the information and deeper context behind the news goes unseen. We only observe the tip.
Let’s go below the surface together. Enjoy reading.
ICEBERG 