Monday, March 1st, 2010
Jenny Shin
Age
23
Location
Rajasthan, India
Occupation
unemployed traveler
Own Words
Second-generation Korean-Americans probably understand the challenge of finding a balance between their goals as an American and the traditional dreams their parents have for them. I face this challenge everyday as I pursue a career that is considered “unconventional” according to Korean standards.
As the daughter of immigrants, I am constantly being molded to follow the Korean perception of a structured career path. Moreover, as the youngest and first to attend college in my family, my independence and individual goals have always been tested by my parents’ view of what is right or wrong for a young Korean woman.
As a Korean, I would never forget where I’m from nor ignore the customs and attitudes that have been handed down to me. And I give my parents credit for working tirelessly to embed knowledge of Korean culture into me. But I feel that even if they hadn’t done any of that, I would still find my way back to the motherland.
At the end of the day, I know I represent the crossroads between Korean and American culture. I find comfort in knowing where my ancestors are from, speaking two languages, and being my own person, even if I am not conforming to the mold my parents had envisioned for me. I enjoy eating kimchi with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or even having had the opportunity to eat Korean food for dinner every night when I lived at home. I am at ease traveling thousands of miles away from home and representing two different cultures. I am comfortable with who I am as a Korean-American.
As I travel around India, I sometimes wonder if I should have tied myself down to a 9-5 job to appease my parents’ concerns. But what puts me back to my own version of reality is looking around right now and seeing that I’m experiencing and learning something new each day. There’s just too much going on around the world and I just couldn’t sit around wondering when I would be a part of all that.