Jean Lee

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        1. I think that being Korean means taking pride in my culture. Korean culture is not only a mixture created from                            adopting the ideas and traditions of other Asian countries like Japan or China, but it is a culture that is passionate                  and earnest. Being Korean means finding success to honor myself and my roots!

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        2. In my opinion, the most important Korean value is respect. Current millennials take for granted of their current                        living situation often forgetting that only 67 years ago, Korean was nothing. Although sometimes the link                                  between respect and age is viewed as too strong, there is also the reminder of how far we have come in such a                      short amount of time thanks to the past few generations. Respect is taken seriously in our country because of the                  hardship our parents and grandparents had to overcome.

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        3. Korean culture has given me thick skin. Korean people are known to be very blunt and straightforward. Especially                  when it comes to appearance. As a dance major, I had to conform to some of the severe and strict opinions on how I              should look, but I also had to keep myself in check. I had to make sure I didn't lose myself to the pressure that                        society voices very loudly.

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        4. I think that a big misconception is that we are very smart. I personally don't believe that that is a very accurate term              to describe Koreans. I think that a truly intelligent group of people is also filled and fueled by creativity. In Korean,                  that is not the case. Most of the time creativity is not encouraged in schools or by parents. Fitting into the mold of                  society is what people strive for and not much more. My parents went to the top universities in Korea and are                          considered very successful, but their success is only found in Korea, because they followed the rules and the                          guidelines of what they should do to get into a good school and find a good job. In conclusion, I think that Koreans                are often viewed as a very smart group of people, but I personally would only call them hard-working.

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        Situational 1. Being a first-gen means that I need to learn and figure out how I fit into a society that is new to me. I                                           don't have a family there to fall back on or home in the U.S. and that means that I have a lot to learn                                             about their history and their conditions.

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Irene Kim 

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        1. Being Korean means idk I’m just so proud and happy to be born Korean:) There’s just so much more Korean                              influence in America now & 6th grade me would be jealous.

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        2. Being respectful to your elders.

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        3. Korean culture has influenced the food I eat, the language I speak, and mannerisms. Being educated on Korean                      culture has helped me not stray away from who I am and help me defend my history when it is being put down.                      There’s a lot that isn’t being said about Korean history and culture in World History textbooks in America, and it                      makes me want to make it known. (Sorry its 3 am and i dont even know how to form words and thoughts).

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        4. That they eat DOGS. I have more of an issue with the misconceptions that people have with asians in general. Some              people think that they’re dirty and loud. Or that all asians want to remodel their face through plastic surgery. Or                      that I’m related to Kim Jong Un. Or that they’re all automatically smart.

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        Situational 1. Especially during a time like this, I’m constantly worried about people judging me in public places. In                                         the super market, I notice people avoiding me, giving me weird stares, or being straight up rude                                                   because of Trump proclaiming the “Chinese Virus” and speculations surrounding the idea that all Asians                                   MUST have coronavirus. I have friends who make racist or insensitive jokes and when I show that I am                                         uncomfortable, they simply tell me I’m being sensitive. Non-asians will not understand the challenges                                       they face because they will never have to experience years of racism and prejudice. But between asians,                                   there’s also pressure of getting into the top schools, getting good grades, and being the most involved                                       bc ASIAN PARENTS ESP KOREAN MOMS JUST LOVE COMPARING. Also, I used to be so afraid to speak                                       my native language in public growing up, thinking that people would make fun of me. But then I just                                           realized how amazing it is to know two languages!

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Irene Kim

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        1. I haven’t thought much of what being Korean means to me, for being Korean has always been a matter-of-fact to                    me. I can’t imagine myself being another ethnicity.

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        2. Respect, Group mindset. 

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        3. I am confident enough to say that I embody Korean culture, and I can say that most of my opinions on topics are                    because of the environment that I have grown up in.

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        4. That the “harsh” education system is bad and that the regulations in society are burdening.

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        Situational 1. I think just adjusting to a new society and conforming to a new culture may be hard. However, I have                                           plans on staying in Korea after I graduate, so I don’t think it is that big of an issue.

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