Ji-sun: Do you remember my sister?
Ji-sun (지선), do you remember my sister? She was the bright, artistic, shy little girl who sat next to you in school every day in Seoul. You both were about seven years old.
Tag: Substack
And this is how revisionist history happens: Remembering Vincent Chin
Vincent Chin’s murderers served no jail time. They killed him, but the legal system allowed them to literally get away with murder.
Is Korean culture to blame for the Sewol tragedy?
News organizations are making the claim that Korean culture is partially to blame for the Sewol ferry disaster. Some even insist that had these been American children onboard, they would’ve escaped death. Shame on them for blaming the young victims of this tragedy.
Throwback Thursday
I found this photo when I was looking for something to put up for Throwback Thursday. I love this picture. I see a little girl who loved getting dressed up and having her picture taken. That’s what I remember. That even during a time of turmoil, a less than pristine backdrop was the worst part of my childhood.
What exactly is “kimchee-scented Kleenex fiction”?
The worst book review I’ve ever read. Maureen Corrigan’s take on a Korean novel reeked of enthocentric entitlement.
My mother’s friend
My mother’s cooking was a taste of Korea. It took me years to understand why her friend stopped by when I was home alone.
The Boy Scouts
Our local Boy Scout troop could’ve had an opportunity to learn that there are repercussions to their actions; and that sometimes, the worst action is in pretending that a wrong never happened. Instead, they learned that if they deny something enough, they can get away with being cruel to youngsters and disrespecting members of their community.
Newsflash: K-pop bands sing in Korean
Let me start this post by saying that I’m pleased that non Koreans like K-pop. When I was growing up in Chicago, few people knew that Korea even existed as a country. None of my American friends were interested in Korean music and they certainly didn’t idolize any Korean stars.
My mother’s memories
This memory made me think about Korean singer Insooni and Ronald Lewis, an American GI who befriended the biracial teenager when she was ostracized by Korean society. There was never anything romantic between the two. Lewis said he had experienced racism in the U.S., but hadn’t expected it in other countries. When he saw it happening to Insooni, he and his friends took her under their wings. They bought her food. They didn’t assume they could buy her. Are there men today who would still be this kind to a child?