Sam Hammington talks about the racism he experienced as an interracial couple

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

"I experienced a lot of racism when I first came to Korea. I was walking with my girlfriend in the subway and a grandpa came up to my girlfriend and swore at her for dating a foreigner. Another instance is when a man came up to me in Hongdae and tried to pick a fight. Fortunately, my friend came over and put an end to that."

1. [+834, -37] White and black people actually have it easier in Korea. I was on the bus sometime ago and a South East Asian man got up to share his seat with an ajumma who had a kid. Unfortunately, the high school kids sitting behind were making fun of him with sarcastic remarks... I was so angry because I think he understood Korean by the way he put his head down... Koreans seem to forget that we have a history of moving to other countries for work back in the '70s and '80s.. we have no right to put down foreign laborers. Fortunately, everyone on the bus came together and put the high schoolers in their place but we really need to work on respecting foreign laborers.

2. [+798, -213] I don't get why people swear at girls who date foreigners. They're all human beings and they're clearly dating each other because they love each other... Why accuse Korean girls of liking foreign men? ㅋㅋㅋ Why is that something to put down? Don't you men drool over foreign girls too if they're pretty? If a man dates a foreign girl, he's skilled, but if a girl dates a foreign man, it's something to put down? I don't think anyone who puts down girls dating foreign men have ever been in a relationship themselves.

3. [+400, -47] There is racism everywhere in the world. Not only racism, but discrimination of sex, age, nationality, wealth, everything...

4. [+21, -5] People who are racist are clearly stupid and can only think that far. I really hope racism is abolished.

5. [+15, -3] I feel bad for my aunt as well. She went on vacation overseas and fell in love with a nice man and got married and has kids now... She came to visit Korea with him and went out on a short date and people were swearing at her outright, calling her a sl*t for dating a foreigner. She got mad and yelled at them saying he's her husband and they just passed by, looking awkward. People need to be aware that there are interracial couples that truly love each other, don't hate on them all ㅠㅠ

source: TV Daily via Nate, netizenbuzz

"we really need to work on respecting foreign laborers." Yep ;;

Comments

[daisyazul.livejournal.com]

SMH

[achan123.livejournal.com]

read this...ya its pretty disheartening
yesterday i think this discussion came up on a thread or something and i googled indians in korea to get to know the general korean sentiment about it, and there definitely is racism in there. not all obviously, but im sure a lot of people think that people of south east asian (indian, pakistani, bangladeshi etc) are lower than them in 'class' etc... :S
imo, its better if ur white or even black.
but then such racism and views are held world over so it shouldnt come as a surprise really...

[marisu-dono.livejournal.com]

Eh, I think the commentator actually meant Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and what was formerly known as Indo-China. Either way, totally agree with racism still rampant.

[lilybeth84.livejournal.com]

He is right in many of these issues, but he doesn't seem to recognize the bigger problem of Asian fetishization, especially when it comes to white men and Korean women. Also, white male privilege much?

And racism is institutional, not just because people are stupid.

*sigh*

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

there's a lot of stuff i see with white people complaining about how awful korea is for some reason when really if you look closely it's really just them not being the most privileged group around

[fraudandfantasy.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if the interracial relationships are usually korean-white or korean-non-korean asian. I mean i sort of assume that it is and that it's not korean-black for instance. Maybe that's wrong of me to think and if so I want to be corrected. I've always thought that yes korean-white relationships weren't super widely accepted in korea but someone would get even more hell for dating a black or Arab person even. Or maybe that isn't even an issue at all and it's just as long as it's a non-korean person.

Racism is terrible. But still very very prevalent. Not because of stupidity in many cases but because of ignorance and cultural values among other things. And it can happen anywhere. I'm a black woman living in New York and I was told by a black male at an event in the NYC that I could get anyone that I wanted in the room because I was exotic. And he considered that a compliment. The fetishization of races is prevalent in many communities.

Also, in places in America you will still get all kinds of hell for dating outside of your race. Or you have the opposite where dating outside of your race is seen as an achievement because the women/men of your race is less than the other somehow. It differs based on the history and cultural aspects but it's everywhere. Maybe just worst in some places than others and hopefully this will not be a conversation worth having in a century after globalization brings knowledge and cultural sensitivity to what is appropriate and not.

Edit: Happy to see that the netizen comments aren't so bad. And yes foreign laborers. I got off track and missed this but part of it is the antagonistic history between the countries in Asia that has not been forgotten or forgiven as of yet. Right? Or is it something else driving the hatred.

[jamieguo48.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard the same, that African Americans, etc. are treated to more racism then white people. My father, who's black, went to China and he talked about it how people wanted to feel his skin and his hair. Of course, he's tall and he mentioned being regarded as the typical scary and dangerous black male.

I think Drunken Tiger and his wife, who's mixed, have experienced a lot of racial slurs, I believe even their kid was targeted. So while Sam might experience some prejudice, or discrimination, it's probably much worse for couples who are non white.

[21banged.livejournal.com]

wow that is disgusting and Netizen #3...yes there is it doesn't mean you just go about your life letting it happen smh

[mjspice.livejournal.com]

At least he didn't say let's all just deal with it. I remember talking to someone & they were like, "Well my family is racist & I can't do anything about it." Yeah no, just no.

[bumie.livejournal.com]

#2 you tell them

[digitalqueen.livejournal.com]

white people need to learn that discrimination or prejudice are not the same as racism. racism is an institutionalized system that keeps white people at the top. a grandpa insulting you on the street may hurt your feelings, but it doesnt keep you from getting better opportunities at life.

also, korea is a country that has been colonized by foreigners. usa still has militar bases there and has no plans to leave (hell some months ago they were given land taken from farmers so they could build a water park for their soldiers) . its easy to understand why there'd be a resentment towards them.

its different when it comes to black people or other poc, but really white people have nothing to complain about. if theres resentment towards you in a poc country, you should ask yourself why.

[footballfina.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of this however there is a difference between racism and institutionalized racism (hence the distinction). Not all racism exists within the confines of an institutionalized system and it's a little dangerous to think so. Prejudice based on race, regardless of whether that race holds absolute institutionalized power, IS racism.

Also, Korea was never colonized by the west. They were colonized by Japan. Having a military based in the country =/= colonization.

[mjspice.livejournal.com]

For once I applaud the netizens.

[himenojigoku.livejournal.com]

+1

[scheisse.livejournal.com]

I can't take white people who complain about racism in non-white countries seriously. These people are the people who don't think twice about the racism in their own countries where they're in a power position. It's like, now you know how it feels to be a non-white foreigner in a country like the US. Hopefully the "racism" white people encounter in foreign countries is an eye opener and makes them realize what their home countries are doing to foreigners as well.

Korea is predominantly homogeneous, right? I feel a lot of the "racism", especially from the older population, stems from the fact that they're just not used to people who aren't of Korean descent. Non-Koreans are different, foreign, and strange, and animosity towards white people in foreign countries is sort of the norm and sometimes even justified (we've been pretty shitty in the past lol). I find it really interesting because it's so different from America, a country that isn't homogeneous in the slightest and yet still suffers from racism on such a massive level.

I don't know what my point is or what I'm trying to say. Maybe that racism sucks but there's a big difference between racism in a multi-cultural country like the US and a homogenized one like Korea? There's a reason for it in Korea but not the US where you can walk down the street and see people of various races?

[jamieguo48.livejournal.com]

Yeah, on one hand, this is sad, on the other hand, welcome to my world? I find with some white people in particular, there's this level of ... I don't even have words for it... expected privilege, acceptance that I've never seen in a black person. I don't know. It's just this underlying context. I like Simon and Martina of EYK okay, but even though they're mostly political correct and everything, it's like they really don't get it, really.

Your 2nd paragraph I don't agree as much with. Korea has brown skinned people as well, and the fact that people of even slightly darker skin like Hyroin or EXO's Kai gets treated to disparaging remarks about skin color makes me think Korea has accepted westernized standards of beauty as lily white skin (or it came from their own cultures and history).

That said, I don't really know much about Korean history, but I don't think they've had the massive amounts of racial conflict the US has had, from Native Americans, Chinese, Irish, African Americans, basically anyone who's not WASP. So the wounds of racism in US society go deeper with this history. But I could be wrong and that's just my speculation.

[winged-monster.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's right to harass people, but I can't with this guy. He thinks Korean women want plastic surgery to look white and also feels like its his place to to tell Korean women they're too thin. He comes off as the type white guy that Koreans are judging other white guys negatively by. He seems like part of the problem.

[lcbarnes.livejournal.com]

IA. I have never like this guy.

[timetobegin.livejournal.com]

The real problem up in this post:
A grandpa came up to my girlfriend and swore at her
If a man dates a foreign girl, he's skilled, but if a girl dates a foreign man, it's something to put down?
People were swearing at her outright, calling her a sl*t for dating a foreigner.
Netizen 2 was quite insightful on the misogyny of it all.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

I agree, this is more about Korean on Korean sexism than racism against white males.

[leorizanzel.livejournal.com]

Who the hell is this guy and why should I care about his hurt fee-fees??? Like yes, discrimination and street harassment sucks and no one deserves it but if you don't understand the difference between discrimination and racism then you've got a lot of growing up to do, bro.

I'm also not here for him whining about his hurt feelings at the expense of his girlfriend's - he can go back home at any time and not deal with it anymore, but she actually lives there and has to deal with the stigma everyday. That older man was cursing at her, not him. If he really cared about her and the problems she faced, he would've said, "My girlfriend faced a lot of anger because she was dating a foreigner", not "I faced a lot of racism in South Korea because I dated a Korean woman". Self-centered white dudes remain doing the most.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

yeah the girlfriend is the one being called a slut but he described the encounter like it was about his hurt feelings

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I'm glad a netizen mentioned migrant workers.So many of these new oil rich countries (Dubai,Qatar,Saudia Arabia) are built on the backs of south asian/south-east asian labour but the labourers are treated like shit, work in apalling conditios etc.Sad that it also occurs in Korea but cant say Im surpised. Its probably another mixture of classism and colourism.

[martha-sal.livejournal.com]

+1 I've recently visited a friend in Kuwait and was surprised at the amount of south asian/south-east asians working at pretty much 90% of low wage jobs... I had no idea that they would be forced to go as far as the petrodollar countries to be able to make a living...

[iznanassi.livejournal.com]

I sighed bc idt he realizes that most of the negative sentiments are towards his girlfriend and not him, and that he's already way privileged to even be allowed to work in Korea without danger unlike other ethnicities.

But still it's good that he brought up the conversation.

[luvey.livejournal.com]

"whine whine whine....me me me"

dear sam, i feel ya that your feelings got hurt in a foreign country where you are a minority but still in a slight position of power, but i can't fully. there is so much going on with the issue that you are to blinded by your self to see.

but i give bravo to the majority of comments by the netizens. especially the one who spoke of migrant workers.

[askbask.livejournal.com]

You deduce that from a tiny translated comment of his? Part of a long interview asking him about his experiences in Korea? How is he blinded again? As one half of an interracial couple he has every right to complain, btw, it's disgusting what some people make of those couples - the problem is half racism and half sexism of course, the women are slut-shamed whether they know anything about the couple or not, the main problem is one of how women are seen - but his wife is not there and he, as a part of that couple, has every right to speak: The issue should be brought up more times in mass media from this perspective and not the "dangerous truths" about foreigners out to lure innocent, pure Korean women. If nothing else he does a job here adjusting the often disgusting portrayal of Korean tabloids.

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

Today i watched the Kusmi Tea advert with mixed couples dancing in water and it was so beautiful that i wished it wasn't a commercial...
+1 for the comments and maybe the next generation will change that. ok there a lot of people facing the same issues but it doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it. after watching this tv show some people may be more respectful in the future.

[allisnotlost.livejournal.com]

i think ppl are not invalidating his experiences. i think we are taking bigger issue with the fact that non white people's get it the worst. a netizen commented about the south east asians, who are also foreigners. and he is also calling it racism, a term which many people are debating the meaning of.

i also believe racism is not only prejudice, but rather racism= prejudice+systemic and institutionalized power over a set of peoples. (but that's a whole nother discussion).

here, sam is talking about foreigners as a whole and he is NOT representative (as a white man) of us all living in korea. im an american but im not white and there are definitely distinctions on how im treated vs my white friends.

the biggest personal example i can come up with is when i was asked where i was from and then after i said "usa" there were shocked faces asking my why i didnt have blonde hair/blue eyes if i was american. hul!

the funny thing is, this shit could happen in america too. but it wouldnt normally happen to a white looking person, unless they had an accent or something.

[mya13.livejournal.com]

cry me a river.

[stephantasm.livejournal.com]

Wondering if that old man just didn't fuck with his choice of cardigan that night or what.

[stephantasm.livejournal.com]

summa y'all stay losing

[kiku-cha8-8.livejournal.com]

everyone on omona is such an expert on the history of racism in korea!

[diet-pork.livejournal.com]

Mte

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

This is kind of nothing though, a friend of mine who's a pakistani told me how he got spit on the street and stuff, that's racism:/

[somacomatose.livejournal.com]

oh shit. as a half pakistani woman i'm so glad nothing of that sort happened to me when i was there. people were really friendly, young and old, so big fat phew.

[la-geni.livejournal.com]

I remember I was talking to some friends of mine how a lot of the people in Japan/Korea who are white and have had bad experiences do so because they have never had to adapt, and get offended easily when people don't adapt to them instead. We were saying how as minorities in America we've had to balance different cultures and languages all our lives, so we have a skillset that let's us adapt easily. We understand when we are stepping on toes basically.

[skybluecotton.livejournal.com]

sam hammington said something along the line of how chose to date a korean women because western women don't care about their men, and that korean women are more more nurturing. HE can shut the fuck up.

[lilybeth84.livejournal.com]

Seriously? What an asshole.

[yolleh.livejournal.com]

3. [+400, -47] There is racism everywhere in the world. Not only racism, but discrimination of sex, age, nationality, wealth, everything...

Ok...And what's your point netizen three, that because it happens everywhere we should just fold our arms and go with it?
That the ubiquity of injustice somehow lessens the severity of this situation? Like, ch...

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

Just FYI the netizen buzz article is full of comments about Muslim women wearing head scarfs being harassed in Seoul.