While in South Korea I am also managing another blog. This blog is specifically designed to connect an American high school to foreign culture through a representative in another country. I thought the topic I wrote this week was an important experience to share. It is written towards the students, but I think the information should be shared with everyone. For this week's cultural share on my
, I interviewed my foreign friends on their experience and time in South Korea. I also interviewed my Korean friends on their opinions on foreigners in South Korea. Here is what I learned:
Asia
Agnes
During my interview, I spoke with lots of Western cultures. I wanted the experience of another Asian country in South Korea. I asked one of my classmates from China if I could interview her. For the interview, she decided to provide her English name.
Agnes is in my level 1 intensive Korean class and has been living in South Korea since August. Now towards the end of our class, she feels like her Korean ability is at the level of being able to have a simple conversation. Aside from the language barrier, I wondered if she thinks about the fact that she is a foreigner. For herself, she said she does not always notice it, because she thinks that she might be able to appear as a Korean, aside from the language barrier. Like my Korean friends, I asked her what a foreigner looked like in her opinion. She was the first to describe a foreigner as someone with "Western features".
Before coming to Korea Agnes knew that the celebrity industry was very popular in South Korea and thought that maybe many Koreans chase fame. This comes from the fact that she has noticed a lot of Chinese also chasing fame and thought that maybe Koreans were the same. When I asked her what stereotypes she thought Western cultures had towards Asians she said that Westerners might think Asians are timid and do not always say their opinions directly so that they won't offend anyone.
She wants all of you to know that people are really nice in South Korea and if you are worried about a language barrier, that English speakers can survive here.
Europe
David
I interviewed one of my friends from the Netherlands on his experience here. Like myself, he is taking level 1 of intensive Korean. His experience as a foreigner has been a positive one. He says he is aware that he is a foreigner, but also feels like he looks like a foreigner in his home country. He normally does not think about it, but has noticed that occasionally locals will stare at him.
Before coming to South Korea he acknowledges that he had a stereotype that Koreans are hardworking. He also states that coming to South Korea has not challenged this stereotype, but rather enforced it. Lots of his Korean friends that he has talked to have made statements about working or studying a lot that have supported this stereotype.
He also has noticed that Koreans are super nice and always willing to help. His only negative take-a-way is that compared to his home country, South Korea can be more expensive.
The United States
From the United States, I interviewed some of my closest friends. This was easy to do for me because I already knew them and we have had some discussions already about our lives in South Korea, but I also wanted to interview them specifically because all of us have different ethnic backgrounds that I believe give us each our own perspective even though we are from the same country.
Georgie 조지
Georgie has been studying in South Korea for the fall semester. She arrived in August and like myself, is taking level 1 of intensive Korean. Georgie is a Filipino American and has grown up in Oregon, she is also a Portland State University student. Having just finished our Korean class Georgie rates her Korean speaking ability at the level of being able to have a simple conversation. Her time here in Korea has become very natural for her. While at school and near our university campus she feels comfortable with her surroundings. She does note that when she leaves the campus area she becomes more aware of the fact that she is a foreigner, but while on campus she does not think about it.
Even though she knows she is a foreigner she said that people might not assume she is American. This is because in her opinion there is no stereotypical look for Americans. Also, while living in America she has been asked if she was born in another country. This experience gave her the maturity to not have any preconceived notions of Asians before coming to South Korea. Georgie also feels that it is very important to educate oneself about the culture and dynamics of an area before visiting. She is always socially aware of what is going on around her and does her best to be as respectful as she can be.
Her experience in South Korea has been nothing but positive for her. She notices that lots of locals are very nice to her and willing to help, even though they can be shy due to a language barrier. This shyness doesn't bother her though because she understands the anxiousness speaking another language can cause and always does her best to be understanding.
Calies 칼리
I admit I was most excited to interview my friend Calies. She is from the state of Georgia and identifies her ethnic identity as Black. Like Georgie and myself she also came to South Korea in August. She is taking level 3 of intensive Korean courses and rates her Korean between being able to have a simple conversation and conversational.
For herself, she knows and is aware that she is a foreigner but she does not let it get inside her head. One thing for her is that she does notice more people giving her double looks due to the color of her skin, sometimes turning their heads to look almost like an owl would turn its head. She does admit that this is a much more common tread with the older generation rather than college students or younger. Calies also notes that even though she does get double looks, lots of locals are very nice and has even had some experiences of grandmas going out of their way to help her.
Before coming here she said the only stereotype she had towards Asians was that they were all able to sing. She further jokes that she believes this is true because lots of her Korean friends she has met here can sing very well. She encourages all of you to be diverse in your own thinking and widen your world. She is glad to hear that you are learning about South Korea and encourages you to continue studying and respecting other cultures. Do you have a favorite culture you've learned about? Or do you have another culture you want to learn after Korean culture?
Nara 나라
Nara is a Korean-American student from California, who has also been here since August. However, she has been to South Korea once before for a summer vacation to visit family. Nara speaks Korean at home so she is not taking Korean courses and rates herself as fully conversational.
Even though Nara is Korean, she feels like she does not look like a typical Korean. Also, she has noticed that because she hangs out with foreigners locals associate her as another foreigner. She says this doesn't bother her because she is a foreigner and even though she is Korean she does notice some cultural differences from being raised in the United States.
When I asked her the question about having any stereotypes towards Asians before coming we both shared a laugh. She, of course, didn't have any of her own stereotypes, but she has heard many of the common stereotypes; Asians are small, smart and good at math. She knows that they are just stereotypes though and doesn't feel pressured to fit them or challenge them.
Myself
Even though I grew up with some Hispanic background, I mostly identify as caucasian because I am a third-generation Hispanic. Having just finished my Korean language class I feel as though my speaking ability is being able to have a simple conversation, however, I admit that my grammar is not good, I do feel like I can struggle my way through a quick interaction.
As for being a foreigner, I feel pretty comfortable in my routine here so I do not think about the fact that I am a foreigner on a daily basis. I have noticed some cultural differences in the beginning, but I think now I no longer process the differences. I also know that I most likely had some preconceived stereotypes about Asians and Koreans before coming here, but I do not remember what they were because now I would like to believe that I always see someone for who they are as an individual over general stereotypes.
Like many of my friends, I have noticed a lot of positive treatment my way. I have on several occasions had Koreans be very helpful and very friendly; in my opinion, more so than citizens in the United States would be.
Koreans
Since my Korean is not very good yet, I was limited to only being able to interview Koreans that can speak English. To find diversity in this, I interviewed two friends that have lived abroad and one that has never lived abroad.
Lucas
For my first friend, he wanted to be acknowledged by his English name as well. Lucas and I met in an English Speaking Club at my university. Lucas is another student at the university I am studying at and has never lived outside of South Korea. When I asked him to describe what a foreigner looked like he chose to describe style. He says that foreigners typically have different fashion, and hairstyles. Lucas thinks that most foreigners are extrovert and says that they have good personalities. He notices a lot of Chinese students at universities in South Korea so he thinks that maybe most foreigners in South Korea are from China.
He thinks that foreigners think Koreans are kind. He also thinks foreigners label Koreans as introverted and afraid to speak to them, because of a fear of English. He is not bothered by this assumption and says he tries to change how he speaks to be closer to foreigners.
Before he met an American he assumed Americans were extroverted and do not hesitate to talk to strangers. He also at this point added that Americans have prominent facial features or western features. I asked him if meeting an American confirmed this assumption and he used my friends and me as an example as to why these stereotypes were confirmed.
Lucas is happy to hear about the appreciation many Americans have taken towards Korean culture. He likes that other cultures are taking an appreciation towards k-pop culture because it can give him a common topic to discuss with foreigners.
He wants to add that you students are lucky and that the Korean equivalent of the SAT is much harder in his opinion because for many Koreans it decides they believe it decides their future happiness. He also wanted to express his slight jealousy of the ability of American teenagers to drive a car.
Carl
Carl was born in South Korea, but moved to Yiwu, China at a young age and lived there for 12 years. Afterward, he moved to South Africa for 6 years and has returned to South Korea for university. In his opinion, he separates foreigners from Koreans by the way they dress, noting that he feels Koreans put a strong focus on appearance. He also picks out Korean students by the commonality that they travel in groups. He compared his time in South Africa, where he saw friend groups of two max out in public, but in South Korea, he will see friend groups of five or six together. He thinks that most foreigners in South Korea are from China because of the high number of Chinese international students at Korean universities.
The stereotypes he has heard about Asians from Westerners is that Asians have small eyes and feet. He has also heard that many Western cultures assume all Asians are timid and nerdy. For Koreans specifically, he has heard stereotypes that they are destination-oriented and overly focused on work and education.
When I asked him what stereotypes he had about Americans he said: "you all worry about college tuition". He also said that he thought Americans were party people, sport-oriented, but also fat. After meeting an American he said his opinions have changed; except the one about college tuition.
As a Korean, he thinks the appreciation many foreigners have gained towards Korean culture is a positive one. He hopes that this will encourage more foreigners to learn about the history of Korea and the major industries in Korea, like Samsung. He does add, however, that he is concerned that the appreciation coming from K-pop culture has added a new stereotype that all Koreans look and act like idols. Carl encourages students to learn about cultures outside of their own.
Chan
The last friend I interviewed is one I met in Portland. Chan is my friend that started my appreciation towards Korean culture and I wanted to hear his input on foreigners. Chan lived in the United States for one year and studied at Portland State University. His experience with foreigners in South Korea has been interactions with English teachers, other college students and colleagues at his work. This demographic has provided him with interactions from foreigners who had an appreciation for South Korea established before coming. When I asked him to describe a foreigner he was hesitant to provide ethnic stereotypes and even asked: "do you want me to describe a foreigner's appearance?" He also commented on the difference in fashion. I asked him where he thought most foreigners came from and he quickly said America, but then after thinking some more added that he thinks there is also a high population from other Asian countries. I know that it is common for many Western cultures to have a hard time telling the difference between some Asian races so I asked him how he knew an Asian wasn't from Korea. "I just know based on their mannerisms... or I hear them speak", was his response.
After his time in the United States, he says that Americans are not that different from Koreans. In both the United States and Korea you can find those who have open-minds and those who don't. He also said that he has noticed that American students are not that different from Korean students.
Chan is very excited about the appreciation many other cultures have taken towards South Korea because he is happy to be known well and thinks that it can help the country in the future. He explains that he hopes because people care about the culture if something bad were to happen in South Korea, other countries would help because they know and appreciate the culture. He thinks it will create a good outcome.
All three of my friends I asked what their opinions were on the term "Koreaboo". They all had not heard this expression and I explained the negative use of the phrase to describe individuals who are overly obsessed with Korean culture. I explained how this term can be taken out of context but how it is making an appearance in social media. They all agreed that at first, they might not think this was a negative thing, but would feel it is later. They all especially expressed that they enjoy sharing their culture, but still want to be recognized as their own person and not be generalized by their culture. They worry that people described with this term might put false identities on other Korean individuals.
Overall, everyone that I have met here, are all willing to share their culture and experience other cultures. They also all encourage high school students to do the same.
