rachel

September 10, 2023

Chloe: So Rachel, how long have you lived in New York?

Rachel: I've lived in New York my whole life. And I've stayed on the Upper East Side, basically, since I was born.

Chloe: Oh, nice. And do you have any other siblings that you live with?

Rachel: No, I'm an only child. But I do have a dog. He's my younger brother. 

Chloe: Oh, that's really cute! So you just live with your parents, right?

Rachel: Yes!

Chloe: Nice. So could you talk a little bit about your background and your culture?

Rachel: My dad's parents, so my grandparents, came to America when they had my dad. And so my dad was a high school student when he arrived here, And my mom came here to do graduate school. She came here when she was probably around 20-ish. So she had a late start learning English, but my dad was pretty good at English by then because he lived here for a long time. So technically, my dad is an immigrant. So we've been living in New York City for all of my life and most of my parents’ life as well.

Chloe: Okay, I see. And where did they live before?

Rachel: They're from Korea. They're both from South Korea. So I am 100% Korean, but I was born on American soil.

Chloe: Nice. Now, because you're born in the US, do you feel like you've had, like, a little bit of a hard time connecting to your Korean background more than your parents?

Rachel: Yeah, sure. That's a question I get asked often, but honestly, because I traveled to Korea every summer for summer break and because my mom's side of the family is still in Korea, it's honestly so much easier for me to be connected back to Korea and my heritage, compared to other kids around me. I truly love Korea so much and the culture and the history. So I take time myself to learn a lot about stuff that I wouldn't know if I wasn't interested in Korea, and my parents really helped me out with that. They sent me to Korean school to help me learn Korean, and I've improved what I had learnt from my parents at home. Now, I am fluent. Even though my parents wouldn't allow me to watch SpongeBob, they would allow me to watch a Korean TV show to learn more vocab. Texting with my cousins in Korea, reading books, watching shows, and listening to music in Korean; all of that really contributed to how much I know about my culture. I take pride in it. Sometimes it's hard because there are people who don't want to accept me as someone who can embrace both my American and Korean cultures, but I've been able to keep in touch with both really well, and I'm happy to share it with people around me who are eager to learn about my culture.

Chloe: That's so nice. I really admire that.

Rachel: I do try as much as possible to keep in touch.

Chloe: And in the US, besides American media, or media that you consume from Korea, has Korean representation in American media done anything to that close relationship that you have?

Rachel: Yeah. Like I had shared at my school about AAPI heritage month, I've always been proud of how much Korean culture and the entertainment industry has come around the world. I've always been very proud of that. An specific example would be Squid Game, and how everyone watched it and loved it. It became the topic of so many conversations that I wouldn't normally think I would have, because so many people used to judge me for liking K-pop, or watching K-dramas, but now everyone else is doing it as well. That was an original K-drama and K-film that came all the way here, and everyone embraced it so well that I think that Korean representation itself has improved. Although we don't see many K-actors in Hollywood films, the slow integration of other original K-films and music has been phenomenal, honestly. I really am so happy to see that. And I'm sure everyone really does enjoy it. I feel like people do try to make an effort these days to try to keep an open mind, so that in itself helps the representation and spread of creating media.

Chloe: Yeah, that's a great thing. And I remember that X-period, I really loved that reflection. It was really good. So besides, like, all of these positive interactions with your identity, have you ever had anything have a negative type of impact on your relationship with your identity? Like, has it ever made you feel like in like, just not in a great way?

Rachel: Yeah, definitely. Many things have improved from when I was younger. There was always the pulled back eyes joke among my classmates that, honestly, I didn't even understand at the time, so I laughed along with them. I didn't know that they were making fun of me until I realized that that's not actually being funny and that it's actually supposed to be an insult. I also noticed people on the streets would say, “Go back to your country,” or “Oh, you're the reason for COVID,” et cetera, and show classic stereotypical racism. I believe that no matter how much you're accustomed to and love the U.S., it doesn’t change how much you're discriminated against. I don't take it as an insult anymore, but I just feel bad that some people aren't educated in a way that they're able to understand that other people in this world also live in New York and are American as well. So I do think that trying to help people be more aware so that this doesn't happen to kids who are growing up now is a good thing. But there are definitely very negative instances that sometimes make me feel like if I forget my culture, and fully assimilate into American society and the predetermined social hierarchy, that I would be able to live a much easier life, I guess. But I have my own beliefs that are not easily wavered. So luckily, all of those experiences haven't stopped me from doing things I love, watching things I love, and making sure other people around me also know about these wonderful things that they wouldn't be able to see if they didn't have people like me, like you, around. Things like K-pop and those who enjoy it like me have always been a target of hate and that made me doubt myself from time to time. But then I soon realized that that just didn't really matter. And there are people who really do enjoy it, and there are people who are willing to learn. So with these few extended hands, I was able to endure all of that. And I've become a stronger person that has fostered her love for K-pop even more. 

Chloe: That's a great way to handle it. It's so mature. And it's honestly what everyone needs to figure out how to do in life, especially when people are like grown adults. But I'm sorry that happened to you.

Rachel: Thank you, Chloe! I just thought of something–the mistaking me for another person in my class, too. It happens all day. And it's honestly not the teachers' or anyone's fault. It could be confusing, I guess. And so we accepted that. And we make fun of it in a way that we can turn it into humor. However, I do think that trying to help other people be more aware, so that it doesn't happen to kids who are growing up now, the next generation, is a good thing.

Chloe: So that's pretty much all I wanted to talk to you about. That was really nice to discuss, and you had some really great answers. And so I have one last question for you. What else? So like I said earlier, I'm currently planning to share these stories from Asian Americans regarding their relationships with their racial and cultural identities. So what else do you feel would be crucial to share with people who are looking at it on social media, who are probably mainly young teens and young adults, like, who might be having a little bit of a hard time navigating their own backgrounds?

Rachel: A lesson that I learned that would be helpful for kids my age or even younger, would be that although not everyone might accept you for who you are, it's always great to keep in mind that there will always be people who do appreciate you. And you should always focus on those people in your life rather than people who aren't able or willing to do so. And so I want you to keep what you love and what you want to do in your heart, and never let that go, regardless of whatever other people say. Like how I said with K-pop, I loved it. Not many people did. But the few people who stayed with me were the most important. That's what kept me going.