Korean-American kids grow curious about Korea

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

Recent string of auditions trigger ‘Korea boom’ among 2nd generation

By Jane Han

NEW YORK -- Maybe it’s the way Eric Nam rocked the stage on MBC’s “Star Audition: The Great Birth,” or how John Park from Mnet’s “Superstar K” debuted with a bang, but Korean-American teens are starting to see their mother country under a whole new light.

To many second-generation adolescents, Korea used to be a far-away land laden with uptight rules and tradition.

“Simply put, boring,” says Kim Ji-hye, advisor at a Korean culture center in New York, “but in the matter of a year or two, their perception did a complete 180. Now, it’s a place they want to experience and even fulfill their dreams in.” Youth experts say the recent string of auditions is the biggest factor that’s making Korean-American kids rethink Korea.

“Korean dramas and show programs have always been popular, but there was no dramatic impact . at least not like this one,” says Robert Yoon, a counselor at a youth camp in New Jersey.

“These auditions are different. They’re seeing their friends and friends of friends on TV. They’re watching their peers achieve their dreams,” he said, adding that the latest “Korea boom” is triggering a rush for second-generation kids to experience Korea for themselves.

A handful of teen tours designed to help Korean- Americans get first-hand experience of the country is completely booked, a situation even organizers aren’t used to seeing.

“We had 50 openings, but more than 200 applicants came,” said an official at the National Unification Advisory Council, New York Chapter.

In the past, parents had to bribe their children to visit Korea, but now, the children submit their applications themselves, he explained. Other organizations, including the Overseas Koreans Foundation and Korean- American Youth Assistance Coalition, are similarly seeing unusually high volumes of application for this summer’s upcoming tours.

“We’re trying to open up more vacancies so that these kids can get a chance to visit Korea before they go off to college,” said Moon So-ra, an official at a Korean-American Youth Exchange.

A majority of applicants are typically middle and high school students, who want to experience their native country before entering college, officials say. Programs have been geared toward traditional and historical sites, but some organizers are considering adding more time in downtown Seoul.

“Educating history and tradition is our priority, but we’re not going to disappoint these curious teens by leaving out what they really want to see,” says Moon. “What they see on TV is also a big part of Korea, so it’s our job to serve them a well-balanced experience.”

Source: Koreatimes

Comments

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

"In the past, parents had to bribe their children to visit Korea"

Omg why. I'd see it as a free holiday and would willingly go.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Maybe they feared nasty relatives who would complain how fat they were and how their faces didn't fit the Korean ideal mold. ;-)

[asth77.livejournal.com]

well, a part of my family is in the caribbeans and I hate going there;
I think no one can understands this unless you are the second gen or 3rd of immigrants... Lol, and there are so many lovely landscapes there.

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was just how the article was written but it made it sound like the parents were forcing the kids to go on the tours, not going to Korea as a family to visit relatives. I get the impression that they're doing touristy stuff whilst learning about the heritage/immersing themselves in the culture.

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

because it's awkward and many of them don't speak a dot of KOREAN. I mean. lol

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

tbh, as someone who's visited my ten thousand relatives in India once every five years, after the first few days you start to feel exhausted and claustrophobic and it isn't much of a holiday.

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was just how the article was written but it made it sound like the parents were forcing the kids to go on the tours, not going to Korea as a family to visit relatives. I get the impression that they're doing touristy stuff whilst learning about the heritage/immersing themselves in the culture.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

I interpreted that sentence to mean that in the past Korean-American kids experienced Korea the way I mentioned (tedious visits to relatives), which was why their parents had to "bribe them" to do it. But now they have the option of experiencing Korea in a more interesting way, so they're more eager to go.

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

I think this line threw me off

"A handful of teen tours designed to help Korean- Americans get first-hand experience of the country is completely booked, a situation even organizers aren’t used to seeing." and the part where they hand in applications themselves, I inferred it to mean that previously their parents would be the one doing so.

I assumed the parents had been pushing them to go but the response for the trips were poor. Yours makes more sense ^_^

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

yeah I didnt go to lebanon when my parents went even tho they wanted me to comm. its not really a fun trip when you're going to see relatives and its SO different from america its hard to deal with for a whole summer. which is how long they would make me stay. (also its a politically unstable country so shit can erupt at any time while you are there, we had a bomb raid when I went to lebanon as a kid) i dont hate my relatives but you cant go over there and be american at them, my mom would put so much pressure on my sister and me to carry on like they do when we went because its a conservative culture. its annoying as hell. going for a week and seeing the sights with a lover or a friend is waay different.

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was just how the article was written but it made it sound like the parents were forcing the kids to go on the tours, not going to Korea as a family to visit relatives. I get the impression that they're doing touristy stuff whilst learning about the heritage/immersing themselves in the culture.

I dislike visiting relatives in foreign countries (even though there isn't such a huge culture shock) so I can only imagine how tough staying in a country with a conservative culture is :\

[luvey.livejournal.com]

any way to get them connected to their heritage. there is a similar program for Israelis to get them connected to their heritage..

i actually envy those who can do such things, to know what country their heritage and ethnicity are connected to (besides being american), to be able to relish in another tradition and history outside of the US. i love being african american....but i wish i knew what country in Africa my family is connected to or have more of a direct connection the Cherokee Nation.

[edanz-castle.livejournal.com]

THIS

[luvey.livejournal.com]

it's good to know there are others who think this way.

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

i agree

[luvey.livejournal.com]

it's nice to know there are others who feel this way.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

i dunno, its not all its cracked up to be to be honest. i always feel guilty because i'm just not very invested in arab culture or being arab. i dont reject that part of me but i dont have strong feelings about it either. my spoken arabic is poor too. i dont wish i didnt have any culture tho. i just sometimes wish there was something in my own heritage to get excited about.

[luvey.livejournal.com]

i'd rather have the option of knowing whether it is or isn't all that.

i feel that something is missing. i'm envious of those who have traditions,another language, another history, to connect with. when you have nothing, there is nothing to build upon. even though your spoken arabic is poor, but that is something you can choose to work on it. (my friend is Israeli American and is in Israel now studying and working on her poor Hebrew. maybe you should see your heritage though another's eyes. there is beauty in something that one cannot see what they are so close to. the thing is...you have the option. i don't.

my culture is what was create here in the states, and tbh most of black/african american culture gets co-opted into the mainstream and it is no longer ours but american. or black/african american culture is more regional centric than ethnic centric. i love being american, but for many in being in america it does mean a duality in culture and tradition.

so yeah i envy you and others who have what i don't. i see it as squandering away when people don't take advantage of it. maybe you will change your mind as you get older as many have.

[pistolkrystle.livejournal.com]

I feel your same envy bb ~sniffles~

[luvey.livejournal.com]

it's nice to know i'm not alone.

[miki-831.livejournal.com]

At least they can travel to their mother land; I am half Colombian and would honestly be afraid to visit there. I would need to travel with a native or something, to feel safe.

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

...hmmm.
but Korean pop-culture is extremely misleading.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing. They may be severely disappointed by how backwards we are in terms of sexism, racism, and actually good interpersonal skills instead of being wildly passive-aggressive.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

yeah especially if you are a girl. it was kind of like when i first got into jpop it looks like its all fun and rainbows just from the pop culture but when you get into the actual culture itself its alot less complimentary. every culture has its own flaws of course but being a western born asian and having to adjust to asian culture in asia is a whooole different thing.

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

oh.. eek. yeah. Korean culture is super condescending towards:
1. people who are younger
2. women
3. people who can't speak Korean well.

[mecha-danger.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much what's keeping me from visiting Korea any sooner. I went quite a bit when I was way younger (didn't hurt that my late great-uncle was a Korean hotel magnate and our humble little family got an all-expenses paid fancy shmancy trip) but now that I'm grown up, I'm seriously aware (and a little afraid) of these issues, being a woman, hapa, not speaking Korean well, not looking perfect, etc. But I really really want to study there and get a better feel for my culture, cause I definitely know that pop culture and having immigrant friends isn't gonna cut it for me.

[saladshooter.livejournal.com]

I want to go in the sense that I feel I am having a bit of a cultural identity crisis but deep down I know I could never fit in. :(

/csb

[luvey.livejournal.com]

is it about "fitting in" and being "accepted" or could it be more about you finding history, roots, traditions and a sense of where your family has come from. although we know from previous stories that there is a chance of not being accepted, but usually when people show a strong and genuine interest in something....someone will open up their arms eventually. or maybe i'm too optimistic.

[chunsakuma.livejournal.com]

To many second-generation adolescents, Korea used to be a far-away land laden with uptight rules and tradition.

All of this article resonated with me, but this bit particularly stuck a chord. My dad is a 1.5 generation Iranian-American (he left Iran when he was a kid and has never returned) and this is basically how I've always seen Iran. I have no desire to visit the country because I don't know a word of Farsi and I also refuse to dress and act accordingly; I would likely get arrested or worse. Plus, since I'm only half Persian (my mom is American with mainly Eastern European ancestry), I'm wary of how I might be treated there. At the same time though, I kind of wish that I wanted to visit Iran like these kids want to visit Korea. : (

[tsukikipin.livejournal.com]

Srs jelly.