I AM KOREAN AMERICAN

Own Words

Hi, my name is Jin Suk “Brian” Moon. I’m not really a Korean American but more like a 1.5 Generation Korean Hispanic American. I left Korea when I was 5 years old and grew up most of my life in Latin America (Costa Rica and Nicaragua).

Growing up, I got a bit confused where I belonged since I was basically speaking three different languages by the age of 9. However, by speaking Korean with my parents at home, watching/listening to Korean TV shows and music, and attending Korean churches, I managed to keep my Korean identity to the fullest. I learned English and got to know American culture since I attended International schools since 1st grade and Spanish came naturally as Spanish was the ‘de-facto’ language in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua

When I came to the US to for college, I was confused yet again. In college, there was the Korean FOB group or so-called “International students” and the Korean American group. They didn’t seem to get along very well with each other but I did get along well with both of them just fine.

I am currently working and studying in New York and live in the city. I moved here because of the endless possibilities it offers and because I love the diversity and multiculturalism that New York provides that cannot be found elsewhere. I haven’t met many Korean Americans yet since most people I’ve met here were Korean International Students or Koreans that live here but prefer to speak Korean most of the time. I ‘ve been working for a Korean company for over 2 years now and it’s not the most satisfying job or working environment since most co-workers have very Korean minds (in which some are not bad) but miss the flexibility and openness that American companies offer.