“Where are your parents from?” “Oh, my mom’s from Arizona, and my dad’s from Wisconsin, but they met in Dallas…” “He’s from Korea,” my roommate answered, cutting me off. “Oh!” I exclaimed, the meaning of the question finally clicking in my head. “Yeah! I’m adopted.” Like many, college was a time of self-awakening, but, as is the case with me … Read More
Part 2: I Want to Be An American
Read Part 1 here. “시원, help me sound more Korean.” “Ok. Say something where you think you sound most Korean.” “ee-rue-me moy-yo?” Mockingly:”이름이뭐예요?” “What?! That’s what it sounds like to me!” “Don’t have an accent. Just say normal.” “I did say it normally.” “아이씨….” The world I lived in was (and is) generally white and white-Christian. My church and my … Read More
Part 1: I Want to Be in America
No one ever told me what it meant to be Asian American. I did my best to figure it out.