I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

I am half Korean, and throughout my life I didn’t quite fit into one place or the other. I didn’t look 100% white, and yet, most Koreans didn’t think I was Korean at all. Koreans always looked at me in shock that I could speak Korean, even just a little. Even though I was in this place, I still identified equally with both cultures, and love being Korean.

As I became a mother to two blonde haired/blue eyed children (they are 5 & 4 yrs old); I realized how Korean I am! There is now a new drive, a new purpose for MY children (& I) to know about what it is to be Korean, even if they are only a quarter Korean.

When I was younger, my father was stationed in Korea with the US Army, and we lived there until I was almost 6 yrs old. I spoke Korean fluently, but once we arrived back in the US, it was soon lost. I am sad I let my language go, so we started going to Korean school last Fall 2009. We are all learning to read, write and speak Korean. My mother is thrilled! I don’t think my children quite understand the importance of learning the language is to me, but I hope they will when we go to visit Korea when they are a little older. The great thing is they love Korean food and many of the things that are of the Korean culture; and my mom has done a great job of teaching me how to cook lots of Korean dishes!

I hope that I will be able to serve the Korean community and connect with the Korean community in some way, and I do feel learning the language will help me achieve that. I also have a strong passion to help those in North Korea, and try to educate people about the atrocities that are occurring. I hope to one day be able to go on a humanitarian mission trip, if that is ever possible.

For now, I am a wife, a homeschooling mom, a real estate broker, as well as a fitness consultant; so I keep myself busy, but I love every minute of it!

I am proud to be Korean, even if it’s only half….thanks for letting me share!