Youth Opinion : ‘It Felt Good to Revel in Each Other’s Culture’

In our world of advanced technology and increasing interdependence among countries, there is a fear that globalization will blur the cultures and make them obsolete. This fear is part of what drives people to ethnocentricity and a thirst for dominance, the extreme consequence of which is bloodshed. News images from Eastern Europe and Africa are a painful reminder of what can happen.

To realize a truly multicultural society, nations and individuals must actively educate themselves and others about their own and others’ societies, so that respect for the way other people think and do things develops. A multicultural society does not mean a passive acceptance of every aspect of every culture, but seeing with unfiltered vision the good and bad that exist in all cultures.

As a Korean American young woman, I believe that having pride in my heritage and expressing my pride to others is one way to fulfill my vision. While I was backpacking through the Sierra with Dori Erlich, I taught her an old Korean folk song. In return, she taught me the Yiddish song to the Jewish alphabet.

I remember how intrigued she was to learn what my song said. It seemed like such a trivial thing. But I can remember distinctly how good it felt to revel in each other’s and our own culture. This is what living in a multicultural society should be like.

I know that without understanding the richness of my own cultural heritage, I cannot hope to contribute toward a multicultural community. Through my involvement with the Korean Tea Ritual Assn. of Los Angeles, I have partaken of the ancient tea ceremony custom, been fascinated with our artistic heritage and have seen and felt the dignity of my people and our ways.

At my predominantly white school, I find the need to let others know what I am about. During Women’s History Month I chose to present the story of Yu Kwan Sun, a young Korean martyr who died protesting for freedom. The stereotype that women in our culture do not have a voice can be corrected by educating others in these kind of small but significant ways.

Compared to the United States, which has a tradition of pluralism deeply embedded in its short history, Korea was and remains a homogenous country. In the Korean American community in Los Angeles where I grew up, I see the need for acknowledgments of other cultures. We cannot hold on to just our own values since we have to take into account the people we are living with.

I believe Korean Americans experienced great loss in the 1992 riots because the community was successful only within its own context. The store owners earned the means to support their families and, through hard work, achieved what seemed to be the American dream. But this did not necessarily guarantee a successful coexistence within a multicultural society. There needed to be an understanding between the Korean Americans and the black and Latino citizens of the community. The Korean Americans also suffered loss because there was no one to represent us within the power structure.

It is clear that multiculturalism and diversity are not part of the Korean heritage. But times are changing fast and Koreans can no longer stay separate from the mainstream society. Instead, we must actively communicate with different groups and break down the mountains of ignorance dividing us. There is a very fine line between pride for one’s culture and ethnocentricity.