I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

I was the only Korean kid in class. I don’t exactly recall what it was that kept me from speaking up. Granted, I didn’t know a word of English at the time – we were fresh off the bee-hang-gee – and I was 6 years old.

I guess I was too embarrassed to act out my situation. It was morning, I remember, and there was no way in hell I could make it through the day. It wasn’t long until the inevitable happened.

To add insult to injury I had to stay in school, as my parents were unreachable, and take the bus home. I recall sitting on the back of the bus while all the other kids sat cramped towards the front of the bus
with the windows rolled down.