I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

it’s one thing when people expect you to look somewhat westernized. maybe it’s the style of clothes you wear, taller and slimmer figure, or the amount of money you make. but when you look exactly like your ancestors and even speak korean without much of a hiccup, no one assumes or would even guess that i’m american. sometimes it’s all up in my head and i feel like my big head is going to burst.

my parents and i moved to the states when i was just 4 (korean age). i lived and grew up in america but decided to take up an opportunity to move back to korea and work not as an english teacher, but as an architect and designer upon graduating college. experience korea, learn more about my roots, to further my career as a korean american architect.

i identify with both, people assume i’m one or the other. i am encouraged by this project because i know i’m not alone. i love sports, i’m a trivia whiz. i love football, not soccer. i love food, korean, american, italian, japanese. living in seoul, i miss korean american ‘korean bbq’ that doesn’t even exist in korea (i wonder if anybody understands what i just said?).

what used to be an identity crisis is now my pride. i love being me just the way God made me. i’m korean american.