CharlieAngel
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2007
- Messages
- 1,461
- Reaction score
- 165
There was a very nice moment in recent Korean history (circa 2006/2007) when Hines Ward (whose team recently won and he got MVP) went there on behalf of the Pearl Buck association in support of Amerasian children and the discrimination they suffer (especially African American ones). There was some good internal debating going on there (why are Koreans so enamored by Hines Ward and proud of him even though they despise everything he phsysically stands for? What would have become of Hines Ward if he had remained in Korea?, etc.). Some good questions and collective soul searching. The best, however, was Hines Ward's Korean mother who, if you were to really reduce everything she said to the most blunt statement, basically said, "screw you, you hypocrites. You gave me nothing but grief when I was trying to raise this kid here". Nevertheless, it was a good debate that played out in the local papers.
I remember one of the few korean friends I have telling me about that. Basically, the only way for a "happa" to gain acceptance in Korean culture is to be some sort of superstar. Like, a pop singer, or a world-class athlete. Otherwise, you're trash. Apparently there's some sort of reconcilliation going on in Korea regarding hapas, but due to the insular nature of Los Angeles (surrounded by Mexicans, Blacks, and Whites), it hasn't quite made it over here yet, and thus the current climate. I've actually had 2 Koreans quit talking to me and walk away as soon as I said I was half Korean once. Seriously. "Are you half-japanese?" "I'm half-Korean, actually---" <turned around and walked off> Once at a convenience store: Storeowner: "Are you half-japanese?" Me: "I'm half-Korean.." Storeowner: "Oh......................<weird look> That is..very.........................................Unusual."