Having been born in America but having Korean immigrant parents, I identify myself as Korean-American. Throughout my life, I was constantly attacked from people from both sides of my identity for not being really one ethnicity or the other. Why should I have to choose? I am an American citizen, and I'm Korean. End of story.
1. "Do you know what a foreign accent is? It's a sign of bravery."
In this famous quote by the author of "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," accents are symbols of courage. They truly are. Attempting to master a language and live in another country that speaks a different language requires motivation and commitment. When I was younger, my mother had a rather strong accent when speaking English. I never thought about her accent until I was approached by a classmate who informed me that "my mother talked funny." I was hurt that this was said about my mother. Knowing that she was trying her best to convey her words in English, it angered me that her attempts were belittled to something humorous rather than inspiring. Now as a college student, I am in awe over how much my mother has improved. Her accent is practically gone, and no one has ever made another negative comment about her English. Knowing the struggles my mother made to improve her English, I keep in open mind to others with accents. An accent shouldn't be made fun of- it should be something to admire.
2. Having a unique name makes you special- not the opposite.
A memory I still have very vividly is an encounter I faced in second grade. Two classmates pointed at my name written on my backpack and laughed. With comments such as, "What kind of name is that?" and, "Ew," the classmates poked fun at a title that I considered beautiful. My name means "Big Shine." My great-grandmother went to a professional name maker to create my name. Pretty sure that the names of those classmates were common, I was perplexed that it was me being made fun of for my name. From that experience, I was traumatized for a couple years and hated my name. I wondered why my parents didn't give me an American name to fit in with my peers. As I entered high school, I experienced a very different response to my name. Others started calling my name "pretty" and "unique." It was no longer the object of ridicule. Now being 19 years old, I adore my name and am very glad that I wasn't given an American name.
3. Food is food.
Among the many regrets I have, one regret is that I didn't eat much Korean food when I was younger. All my friends brought sandwiches, juice and snacks when I was an elementary school student. Wanting to fit in, I rejected my mom's Korean food for the more common American school lunch. I would buy food that my friends bought and only ate Korean food at home. Instead of assimilating, I should have shared my culture's food to my friends. To be honest, the Korean food I ate at home was more filling and had more flavor than the food I bought at school. In college, many of my friends venture out to try different cuisine. If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self to be confident in bringing Korean food to school. One should never feel ashamed to share one's culture.
4. You are your own person.
When family friends from Korea came to visit, they commented on my American accent in Korean and the very "American ways" I expressed through my actions. When I would be with my American friends, they joked about my Asian taste in food and music. I never truly felt that I fit one cultural group. I was in the middle. Growing up, I realized having both Korean and American traits made up who I really was. Trying to fit in with one culture didn't feel like a right, because I wasn't comprised of solely one culture. I enjoyed aspects of both my Korean and American identity. Because I am Korean, I don't have to dress like how a "Korean" girl should dress or do everything other Koreans do to get into college. Because I'm American, I don't have to only listen to American music.
5. Your parents deserve the most respect in the world.
Learning a new language in middle and high school, I can't imagine how it was for my parents to move from their home country to America. To have to learn a whole other language while balancing mastering a different lifestyle, my parents are the bravest and most diligent people in my life. Even having structured lessons in Spanish for years, I can't imagine myself being able to run a business or find a house in a Spanish-speaking country. Seeing their improvements in English and everything they've accomplished to give my sister and I a comfortable life, I strive to become like them. I hope to study hard and obtain a well-paying job so that my parents can retire early to spend the rest of their lives living comfortably, a luxury only my sister and I experienced. I hope all children of immigrants realize how strong and courageous their parents are to sacrifice their comfort and time to build better lives for them to receive the most opportunities to achieve a successful life.
