I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

For the longest time, I was conflicted by what I thought it meant to be Korean American (KA). I used to think, “I’m nothing like those Koreans. I’m not Korean; I’m American.” I didn’t know what it meant to be Korean American.

My family immigrated to New York in ‘96, and there I saw Flushing Koreans, Westchester Koreans, Jersey Koreans… There were certain stereotypes I held: Koreans were “fobs,” they were “white,” they were A&F wearing, BMW driving, SAT acing teens. Somehow they were all accepted into Harvard, Yale or Columbia.

I couldn’t relate. I wasn’t a “fob.” My Korean wasn’t that great, and I had no interest in kpop. I wasn’t “white” enough either. I lived in the Bronx and the only white people I saw growing up were my teachers. I also felt the distance created by my family’s socioeconomic status. I lived in a small apartment with five other people. My mom was a single parent who worked seven days a week. Also, I knew I wasn’t the brightest kid on the block (don’t worry, I’m doing alright now). So, what were my chances of getting into an Ivy?

I felt that I could not be part of the KA community. I just didn’t qualify, right?

But I’ve recently come to realize that I define what it means to be Korean American and Korean American does not define me.

There are certain dangers of labels. Yes, we are all in some ways “Korean” and “American” but the label, Korean American, can sometimes suppress our differences. So I was excited when I discovered I Am Korean American. It seamlessly showcases KAs of all ages, stages in life, personalities, backgrounds, and passions. It has honestly made me proud to identify as Korean American.

When I finally stop being surprised to meet another Korean American who is queer, an adoptee, an LGBT activist, a hapa, or a spoken word artist… I know I’ve finally understood what it means to be Korean American.

We, as a diverse community, define Korea America, not those skewed stereotypes. We are changing its definitions everyday, and I think we are extraordinary for it.

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