I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

I am the child of the diaspora; a grandchild of the war. I belong to a group of people who are frequently without a community; who are not “impure” to one group and have no personal connection to another. A group of people who do not follow the societies norms on race and . I am a Korean Hapa.

My mom was born outside of Seoul in 1956 and was adopted by a Scottish family in Wyoming when she was two. I never really knew my biological father (though I know who he is) ; I really only associate myself with those in my life.

To the bafflement to some of my friends, I take my Korean heritage seriously. I do not find heroes in US or European history. I find my heroes in Korean history, reading about the likes of Yi Sunsin or Kim Gu. I frequently write about political and social issues in Asia in my free time (normally under the pen name Kim Gu because I feel awesome like that) and currently attempting to learn Korean.

I write a blog called Exile from Pyongyang. The name has literal and figurative meanings for me. The literal meaning stems from the fact that my family were from Pyongyang and displaced during the 1940s. The figurative meaning stems from my own “inner” exile from the norms of society. Whether this comes from politics, religion or even just my own view on my racial background, I feel like I’ve been exiled from any area I can feel like home. Maybe I will find refuge, maybe I won’t. Either way, life is a long journey and I plan to be in it for the long haul.

To learn more about me and see some of my ramblings; feel free to visit my blog at http://exilefrompyongyang.blogspot.com/