Growing up in the Korean Presbyterian church was how I began to - TopicsExpress

Suey Park

Growing up in the Korean Presbyterian church was how I began to develop my racial identity, since other than those Sundays I lived in a predominately (99% at that time) white neighbored. I can’t blame my parents for this, since I can’t imagine how badly the racism they experienced as new immigrants shaped their decision. They wanted my sister and I to cultivate a cultural/spiritual identity, while also believing that being around other Korean/Korean Americans too long would keep my sister and I from achieving in the traditional American sense. My parents were politically conservative, playing Rush Limbaugh in the car on the way to school and turning the TV on to watch Glenn Beck. The internalization of shame and the American Dream as a tool for survival ran deep. Start a conversation in Korean with me and you will quickly hear my American accent slipping through. There’s a difference between learning a language through community and learning it through textbooks.

Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:34:15 +0000

Growing up in the Korean Presbyterian church was how I began to - TopicsExpress

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