sometimes I forget I am Asian. maybe it's because I grew up in America and was raised by Americans and live the American life. my best friend's husband refers to me as a banana-- yellow on the outside, white on the inside. but no matter how I do my makeup or how many Britney Spears songs I dance to, I am indeed Asian.
growing up, I was sometimes embarassed by my Asian heritage-- like it was something I wanted to deny and hide. I didn't like people asking me if I've eaten dog and if my "real" parents like rice, or studying Buddhism as a foo foo religion of tea drinkers, or thinking that most Olympian Korean ice skaters look like a 70 lb version of me. I've spent most of my life trying my hardest to assimilate and fit in, which has unfortunately led to my ignorance of my Korean background. so the last time I was at the library, I checked out a book called "South Korea: Enchantment of the World" (by Scholastic books) written by Patricia J. Kummer. I read this short book tonight and learned so many things about my homeland in the orient.
- people have been living in Korea since 28000 bc. insane. no wonder the people have a strong connection to the land. kummer writes that most south Koreans share the same ethnic background and less than 1% of the population descends from china or japan. Korean men must serve for 24-28 month period in the military.
- one of south korea's nicknames is "land of the morning calm." so beautiful.
- many country's have vied for korea's ownership, including the Chinese, Japanese, mongols, and even the russians. it's a violent history, but also one that developed cultural, social, and artistic movements from changes in leadership. in the 900's, "knowledge rather than rank became important as a way to advance oneself" (42). I think Americans have tried this philosophy-- the American dream promotes individuality and success not based on who mommy and daddy were in England-- but I have yet to see this ideal truly blossom.
- more than 1000 islands exist off the Korean coastline.
- free elections were not carried out in south Korea until 1987 (think about that: non-majority parties could serve jailtime just 23 years ago!) but in that short time, democracy has allowed a woman prime minister to serve for 2 years as one of 4 people in the government's executive branch.
- another example of korea's forward thinking: Confucianism promotes "a system of relationships with a code of behavior" (117), and this major religion in south Korea has lead to a tighter sense of community and respect for family.
- the typical breakfast meal includes soup. my people are awesome. I would eat soup everyday.
- many housing establishments (including hotels) have heated floors because eating and sleeping occur there. some hotels have only cotton mattresses on the floor. and people think I'm weird because I don't have a bedframe! my mattress is just on my bedroom floor. I like being close to the ground. so now I can just say, "well, it's because I'm Asian..."
- two major holidays in south Korea are the lunar new year (similar to new years day) and giving thanks for the good fall harvest.
as I was reading, I found myself smiling a lot. like, haha there are women off the southern coast that are known for their diving skills to retrieve food and shells from the ocean floor! and haha that's awesome that women typically do not change their names when they marry because family names are honored! I was searching for connections, reflecting on how I compare/contrast to the traditional Korean, and wondering how much of my personality and preferences are based on my genetic predispositions to things like pink flowers and apartment dwelling.
I learned a lot tonight. I encourage you to research your cultural background. maybe you'll learn something about yourself.
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