Where Do Koreans' Ideas about Race Come From?

Well, obviously, there's no single answer to that question. But in my research, I come across a lot of interesting little tidbits that offer little insights. When you put together a lot of tidbits and organize those insights, you get an idea, a thesis, you see a pattern. A few years ago, flipping through a middle school English dictionary that I lifted from the school from my 2 years spent as an English teacher in a little school on Cheju Island, I got a glimpse of why my students – innocent as they were – seemed to have to most screwed-up ideas about black people. With the help of the trusty scanner I bought to help get some images I need for the book, I offer you a few sample entries from that book that seemed to form a fishy pattern of racial and gender representation. And since a picture's worth a thousand words, for an innocent middle school kid in Korean during the 1990's, materials like these spoke volumes.

So these are the kids who are now in their mid-20's – when you look at even a small sample of what they were learning from, the ideas held by a lot of people – the patterns in thought, speech, expression you hear about you – seem to make a lot more sense, considering the context of their educational content.

Here's the cover of the book in question. I'll get the publisher's card in the back later.

"A" is for Africa, where there are no people, just lions.

Americans are white, kinda standoffish?

All the pictures in the book tend to be of white people, especially when it comes to the question of positive words and body parts.

All's fun in the land of cotton, eh? Couldn't we get a picture of a cotton puff, or the plant? Negro, please.

The comfortable and familiar colonial relationship between civilized and savage.

Interesting that "Korean" is the reification of "tradition." What about a Korean scientist? A Korean greeting a non-Korean? A Korean standing in front of the Kyeongbokkung? Interesting again, given the fact that almost all of the other people in the book are white, although it's made by a Korean company.

You know, us niggers got some big-ass lips! Fo' sho'!

Uncivilized, bone-in-the-nose, savage. Uga buga!

Lord have mercy. This is just beyond any attempt at witty commentary.

It's no mystery why plastic surgery has fast become a standard rite of passage. Any pretty Koreans out there? Guess not.

Daddy Warbucks. "The rich are not always happy." He sho' looks happy, do'.

Whole lotta mess here. Schoolgirls, schoolboys, scientists – normal and positive is white in this book.

Hmm. A white master holding a whip over slaves who look kinda...white? Whitewashing, anyone? Oh, while totally and uncritically reinforcing notions of natural superiority over blacks.

Gender norms. My sister makes clothes for me to wear, cleans the house. Most images reinforce clear gender roles in this dictionary.

OK, boys and girls. White is good, white is wise, the white president lives in the white house, nurses are pure and white, white people are attacked by Indians?!

As natives clearly stand on their own turf and probably have a basic Freudian sense of id and self, as a European ship comes up over the horizon, the natives were discovered by the outsider and revealed to them as...themselves?

Pretty scary stuff people. Problematic historical representations, the complete dismissal of any agency or self-awareness on the part of the "coloreds" and "natives," combined insidiously with the normalization of whiteness itself – to Korean people – are all the foundation for further implications about the nature of racial hierarchy that is presented as natural in the US and stretches all the way to Korea.

Is it any wonder Korean people still have the most screwed-up opinions about black people? Here's a recent article "critical" of Koreans' attitudes – but look at the frickin' drawing. Even on Hines Ward's worst day, does he look like the animalisitic drawings here? Lawd.

Sheee-it. If I had beeneducated in Korean school and picked up similar signals throughout Korean society, I wouldn't talk to me neither. I would have to practice spitting upon myself, though.

Comments

[jon pais]

I just discovered your site a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoy your podcasts (hope to hear more with Darcy soon!). Your articles are a joy to read as well, and this one was a real eye-opener.

[Aaron]

As horrible as this picture dictionary is, I wonder what it might have been inspired by. I don't wish to let Koreans off the hook here, but I'd bet that there are one or more precursors to this dictionary among some of the materials provided by the Americans (USAMGIK Department of Education) in the late '40s.

[The Metropolitician]

One suspicion I had as well – that perhaps the materials were provided by the Americans themselves – but that can only be followed up by contacting Dong Ah, which is dissertation work.

But initial suspicions are that the work is Korean-based, although I certainly keep open the possibility that the "Father Knows Best" look of the materials originates from America during the 50's or 60's, and maybe was quick work done by a relative few.

Still, the looking through the dictionary doesn't and the patterns of artwork lend a few clues to its Korean origins. More on that later, 'cause I gotta run out to work!

(And thanks for bringing up that point here – it's an important one.)

[Anonymous]

Most Koreans (even English teachers) can't write good English sentences by themselves, so almost surely the English examples were written by an American. Also, it's common for Koreans to simply copy what was handed down from previous generations - my guess is that the examples were originally written by well meaning missionaries 100 years ago.

[The Metropolitician]

Well, deleted the last comment, the main point of which was saying the "of course they are white people, it's an English textbook" but emphasized by calling me a "dum fuk." Delete. Don't need that vibe around here.

As for the book being all white people, I guess I can buy the argument that because it's an English-language learning material, that's perhaps why there are mostly non-Koreans in the picture examples (perhaps to adjust the students to images of the people speaking the target language); but as to images of English speakers themselves, there is no real reason all the pictures of "Americans" have to be white. Of course, it's obvious that at that time, this would be the case, but alas, that's the point of the exercise, right?

As for who drew the pictures – I thought about the fact that it was a straight copy from perhaps some American or British textbook, especially given the seemingly dated nature of the pictures. However, as I combed through the book itself, I find no direct evidence for this in terms of any attributions or external references, although I do know that this might not have been noted.

However, I think there is quite an equal chance that the pictures were drawn by some Koreans in the 1960's, with the book being progressively updated and updated with few changes. Given the extremely crude nature of the drawings, the simplistic ways in which the book looks at "America," along with the really stereotypical examples used – "stereotypical" meaning that the many pictures seem to give off a feeling of an outsider's simplistic view of America, as opposed to an American trying to give a simplistic view of one's own country – I think it's just as likely that some Koreans and Americans sat down to make a learner's dictionary, a couple of underpaid "artists" in the publishing company scrambled to make some crude accompanying drawings, and the book was published.

And I think the picture of the African with the bone through his nose was a bit extreme for American textbooks in the 1950's. Given what I've seen in terms of the materials from that time – limited though my exposure is – I don't think that image would have passed muster even in the 1950's. Perhaps I'm naive.

In the end, I think both possibilities are equally likely, and the only way for me to know is to track down more information such books published at the time, as well as contacting the publisher directly.

Sounds like some good research work that needs to get down.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE MAIN POINT: Korean kids were reading such materials in their classrooms, which shaped their views of black people.

[heeki]

Well, I'm biased because I'm Korean-American.

Still, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the pictures you posted are not malignant, racist portrayal of blacks.

It's absolutely ignorant and inappropriate but it lacks the social evils that you would normally associate with these picture if they were found in Europe or US.

Maybe it's impossible from an American perspective to look at race without all its social, historical context. But for me these picture are devoid of the type of racist overtures that is the the 900lb gorilla on American backs when we think of race.

My 2 cents. Great site btw.

[therealkim]

Most of any perceptions concerning blacks come the white media. Koreans are no more racist than any other country. We don't have a long enough history with the blacks to really have a racist view. Shame on the arrogant, condescending, "two faced" american and white people in general. They are the most racist people and country in the world. It's just masked through propaganda and PC. What is political correctness? It means not being honest and truthful. Just sugar coating a lie. America if full of organized racism, i.e. White Power, Aryan Nation, Skinheads, Ku Klux Klan, etc...How many organized hate groups do you blatantly see in Korea? When was the last time a korean lynched a black man? Whose businesses were burned during the L.A. Riots? How often do you see asian actor land leading roles in the movies (not including stereotyped stoolies like Jackie Chan & Jet Li)? The pot calling the kettle black. Lets really be honest and then maybe, we could make it a better world. "It is what it is."

[qbe9584]

Wait. Let me sort this one out.

Because Korea doesn't have something analagous to the Klu Klux Klan, the entire Korean nation is free from abnormal national levels of racism? But Korea can't be racist because there aren't enough black people to be racist to. Additionally, any racism that did come over, was imported by the racist conspiracy of white America, who are as a whole, every man jack one of 'em, the most two-faced people in the world.

Are you a performance artist?

[Aaron]

I particularly like this: "We don't have a long enough history with the blacks to really have a racist view." Oh really? One could say the same thing about the Jews. Most Koreans have never seen a Jew, but that didn't prevent some from saying to my face that the Holocaust was God's punishment to the Jews for rejecting Jesus, or that there were no Jews in the WTC on 9/11 because they had been warned in advance. Both of these ideas didn't originate in Korea, obviously, but how does that make them any less hurtful and anti-Semitic? One can't let Korea off the hook for importing racism, even if you believe that Korean racism is completely of foreign origin. Actually, if you don't assign any responsibility to Koreans at all, that's a rather condescending view of Korean people, because it denies them any moral agency.

[therealkim]

qbe9584 & Aaron,

It sounds as if both of you are Americans.

If there is a large environment of racism exists in Korea, it has been imported from the West. Specifically, America. It seems by putting the blame and burden of bigotry towards the blacks on the Koreans, you all seem to shirk (loosely put) the ultimate responsibility of the West and the blacks themselves.

Korea being such a homogenous monoculture, and the lack of contact/exposure to blacks in general, Koreans are infantile terms of dealing with racial issues. Simply put, Koreans are like children when it comes to these issues. They absorb the mass media (predominantly American) and are heavily influenced by it. For example, Hollywood's portrayal of blacks and the poseur facade of the music industry i.e. Hip-Hop and its "bling". What else does the average Korean get a comparative basis? The only few contacts that most average Koreans get with the blacks are usually African- American service men. Not a good source of primary exposure. Usually the bottom rung of american society who enlisted due to lack of education or job opportunities presented then in their own country. Sure most of them have a highschool education which at times do not mean much. Most with 8th grade reading levels. Not really the upper echelon of american society. In addition, most of them running amok in places like Hooker Hill (Itaewon), low class, "ghetto-ing it", and acting like crude savages in heat.

You can't lay the blame or even responsibility on a child. A child learns from what he or she sees. Nor the Koreans when it comes to the Korean's view of the blacks. Blame the white media. The blacks running around the streets of Korea confirming the stereotypes. What about the responsibility of the blacks themselves? The 40 acres and a mule complex is getting old. Put the responsibility where it lies.

We are all biased and at times blinded by it. The truth sometimes hurts and offends and may not be politically correct. Denial is not just a river in Africa.

If you want real dialogue, lets keep it real. The crime rates of blacks (22 times the whites), incarceration rates (14% of the U.S. population as of 2000 Census yet 51% of the prison population, premarital child birth rates, hishchool drop-out levels, HIV stats, (many more) etc...Even with racism factored in, the numbers are way out there. Responsibility? The West? Blacks themselves? The truth stands on its own.

No, I'm not a performance artist. Let's just say that my views, if revealed, would not do well for me. Peace out...

[dbrick]

therealkim,
How many Korean kids are on hooker hill watching black men 'getto-ing it?' Is an 'infantile' way of dealing with race issues an excuse for accepting white views of black people? Who is importing the images you see in the media? C'mon man, give some responsibility to Koreans. The fact that they don't make any effort to filter negative images and have 'infantile' ways of dealing with issues in race just proves Mr. Hurt's point that Koreans don't care about black people.

[jindo]

The one problem with therealkim's comments is that they are all based on unproven assumptions, ie. that white Americans are "the most racist people on the planet" and that Korea imported racism from America. Both allegations are patently false.

Contrary to kim's broadbrush stereotype of white Americans (which is in itself racist) white Americans generally have an extremely high level of respect for diversity, demonstrably more so than many other nations of the world. Note the Moslem riots in France and the Danish publication of problematic cartoons. By contrast, in the US, a Christmas nativity scene cannot be displayed in a government facility because it is considered discriminatory of non-Christians.

Racist American institutions were resoundingly defeated and American consciousness raised, and therealkim is using a logical fallacy known as the "hasty generalization" to impugn an entire people - that is, he is citing an extremist minority and generalizing it to an entire population.

We Korean are in fact racist to an extent that is unparallelled in the West. It is in fact tribalism - 민족주의. Anyone not of the tribe or race is inferior, period. Countries like the US have no such concept.

Why do we constantly denigrade Americans as racist when they adopt thousands of our children? Do they cook and eat our children for meat, or in fact raise them lovingly? Why do we persist in seeing racism where it isn't?

In a phrase, it's our racism that makes us perceive others as racist. What we find objectionable in ourselves we project onto others. It's a basic psychological mechanism.

When Americans faced up to and owned up to racism in their society that was the first step to healing. Are we Koreans even ready to take that first step. Judging by kim, we're far far behind.

[jindo]

"America if full of organized racism, i.e. White Power, Aryan Nation, Skinheads, Ku Klux Klan, etc...How many organized hate groups do you blatantly see in Korea?"

Quite a few. Handeonyeon is one of several. The anti American hatefest of 2 years ago brought was an orgy of racially motivated hate. The media played a large part, launching a campaign of lies using distorted crime statistics and misreporting the facts to deliberately lead the public into thinking that there was a US Army crime wave and that perpertrators got away without punishment or with light sentences.

"When was the last time a korean lynched a black man?"

When was the last time a white person lynched a black man? Contrary to present-day popular conception, lynching was not a crime committed exclusively against Black people. During the nineteenth century a significant minority of the lynching victims were white.Between the 1830s and the 1850s the majority of those lynched in the United States were whites. Then something happened. In Southern states, where most of the lynchings occurred, newspapers began to denounce lynching and the practice ground down to an end.

Southern white organizations also began to condemn lynchings during the two decades before World War II. Among them were the Commission for Interracial Cooperation, which did research and issued publications which provided additional facts on lynchings, and the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, which was founded in Atlanta in 1930. Various other women's organizations in the South were also active in the struggle against lynching.These were not orgainzed white hate groups but organized white anti racist groups. We're talking about people who put themselves on the line to fight for racial equality and civil rights.

"Lets really be honest and then maybe, we could make it a better world. 'It is what it is.'"

Yes, let's be honest. Lst's stop talking stereotypes and unsupported allegations and examine the facts and figures. The numbers show that the day of Jiw Crow's America are long gone, it is now European-Americans who are the more targetted for interracial violence. Blacks are safer today when they are amongst whites than when they are among their own community.

A simple glance at the interracial crime statistics show that European-Americans are often targeted for interracial crimes and seldom practice it. Based on the victimization survey of the US Bureau of Justice, in 2002 while there were about 1,700 White on Black hate crimes but nearly 2 million Black on White crimes. Yet, while the statistics for hate crimes receive extensive media coverage, the statistics for interracial crimes are rarely mentionned. This is what leads to a mistaken and stereotyped vision of Euro-Americans and the way they relate to people of other races.

But, equally as important, the statistics show that while most criminality is intra-racial from the victims point of view, (white on white and Black on Black) And the fact is that the crime wave of the 1960s and 70s was a temporary blip that has reversed with crime since declining 50% accross the board - among all races.

Wherever there are different types of people living together there will be conflict. But in America, more than anywhere in the world, people of diverse backgrounds have learned to live together in harmony. It is a fact and it is a great, perhaps unparalleled historical accomplishment.

[Most Asians, not only Korean, do.]

Thanks for your impressive article. I am a traditional Korean who born in Korea and exclusively educated in Korea.

Most Asian has some biases against black people. Why do you think it is? Because white American was the window for Asians to see American society and race. The racial basis against black American mainly comes from white American's dissemination. Most of impression which we got about white American was that they are generous and rich. And it was TRUE during 60s and 70s. Probably the back people who are succeed now would be born in early 1970s.

Japanese and Chinese do as well. The racial biases against black people and poor Asian who comes from South Asia are COMMON in Japan and China. If you stay in Tokyo as a black people, you may feel the same response and probably the same as in Shanghai and Beijing.

There are growing movements that encourage changing people's perspective toward black American or black-American Korean. When Hines Ward was awarded Super Bowl MVP, Korean media applauded it. One of the points was that his mother was Korean so we have reason to praise him. That's funny. But at the same time, there are some arguments against it. If Hines Ward were raised and educated in Korea, was it possible for him to succeed like that? Absolutely not! People’s perspective cannot be changed overnight. But we are going forward relentlessly by setting up some legal backup, for example, the authorities to support immigrant’s human rights. It is small step and it can not be conspicuous because it started less than 10 years earlier.

I want to point out American’s discrimination against Asians in the United Sates. Racial biases…. It has obviously no points and no answers. Arguing about it is SOMETIMES useless. Reality cannot change overnight.

[jindo]

MostAsians, Have you personally encountered discrimination against Asians in the US? I have not and, frankly, I don't think it exists. I have never once heard of a realtor refusing to sell a house to an Asian, for instance. Do you have specifics, or just more unsubstantiated accusations?

[coffeecup]

I agree with what Most Asians has said. It's like anticommunism. This was also brought in by the Americans. Koreans are starting to move away from both of these influences and examining issues themselves. The Americans hate it that the Koreans are thinking for themselves politically but at the same time they bash Koreans for not moving 'fast enough' on the blacks issue. (But when you think about it Koreans haven't had a problem with racism that the US has had because they never imported slaves from another country - it's just the Americans playing the 'holier than thou' game because they had more racism to overcome than Korea does - but in my opinion the racism is still there in the US, just better hidden.)

I don't think Koreans like to see whites or blacks fraternizing with Koreans because it reminds them that Korea was/is a US colony - if the US hadn't come to Korea then Korea wouldn't have the American military presence that it does now.

And Jindo, of course there's racism against Asians, are you blind? just because it's not of the "refusal to sell a house" variety doesn't mean there's no such problem in US society.

Good lord, I think you are deluded that tut-tutting over the depiction of blacks in a Korean music video equates to being a non-racist. Denying racism exists is even worse than being racist in my book. Just the fact that the Americans are in arms over the Bubble Sisters etc just shows they don't understand the issue at all and are just interested in the 'cosmetic makeover' aspect of covering up racism - just pretending it is not there and any reminders of it in the form of the Bubble Sisters must be decried because it achieves two things for the white American: one, it gives them a chance to tell everyone that they're not racist 'anymore' contrast to x and y countries - usually countries which have never had issues with race like the US has had - and two, to wipe out from memory that the USA used to be helluva racist country killing people just for the fact that their ethnicity was not white, denying them other basic human rights, and even less heinous things like making it a crime to marry outside of your race (miscenegation I think is the word).

So Americans, especially the white ones - JUST STFU, already - look in your own backyard and take care of your own racism problems and going by the Jasper, Texas-type killings, you got serious ones.

[jindo]

Coffeecup, as Michael has said, some things are just wrong, and that includes racism. So the white people should never STFU - they have as much right and obligation as you or I do to speak out and offer the voice of reason and conscience. It's not as if they too haven't encountered prejudice - everybody does. Claiming the exclusive right to speak based on an artificial distinction such as their skin color or nationality is discrimination, and you are the perpetrator.

Americans "get" the Bubble Sisters more than you seem to imagine. The only ones who don't "get" it is the Bubble Sisters themselves and the bubble brains who don't understand that certain things are just wrong and will have repercussions. You see, it is one thing to put on blackface in the privacy of my own home, and another to broadcast it to the world. At the very least it makes us as Koreans look clueless and, come to think of it, in some regards, we are.

But people like you who stand up and make transparent excuses for our inexcusable behavior while trying to drag down Americans who have been there and already leaped far ahead of us, you only bring more shame upon us.

But shame is not even the issue. Guilt is the issue. At least the Americans who criticise our racist ignorance feel guilt for their own national heritage and are making solid efforts to right past wrongs. But you are just trying to cover it up to avoid the stigma of shame. Dispense with the shame and feel some guilt, and then you will make a baby step toward the mind change that is key to the whole issue.

[jindo]

coffeecup: "It's like anticommunism. This was also brought in by the Americans. Koreans are starting to move away from both of these influences and examining issues themselves. The Americans hate it that the Koreans are thinking for themselves politically but at the same time they bash Koreans for not moving 'fast enough' on the blacks issue. (But when you think about it Koreans haven't had a problem with racism that the US has had because they never imported slaves from another country - it's just the Americans playing the 'holier than thou' game because they had more racism to overcome than Korea does - but in my opinion the racism is still there in the US, just better hidden.) I don't think Koreans like to see whites or blacks fraternizing with Koreans because it reminds them that Korea was/is a US colony - if the US hadn't come to Korea then Korea wouldn't have the American military presence that it does now.

It's hard to know where to start with someone with such a poor understanding of history and a perspective completely distorted by racially-motivated ideology. Wile every one of the above premises will be quickly disproven by simple examination of facts, this will not change the underlying issue behind the irrationality. We're dealing with anger and insecurity that are culturally instilled. I overcame it. So can he. Until then, it is sufficient to note it, and recognize it as a tool to self-awareness.

[koreanskin]

Jindo,

You are really blind & brain washed! I mean't "WHITE WASHED" apjhengi. Is your american name TOM? As in UNCLE TOM. You may have forgotten or chosen not to see the racism against asians in the U.S., but the Whites haven't. Have you ever seen the T.V. show Bonanza? Remember
"Hop Sing"? Out of more than a billion chinese in the world, there's not one named Hop Sing.
You can "Hop & Sing" for the white man all you want.

Real korean men like Coffeecup chooses truth and saves his singing for the karaoke bars.

[jindo]

This little tirade illustrates the point about percieved racism put forth by Malcolm Gladwell. He is one one hand so fragile and sensitive that the name of a fictional character is demeaning beyond toleration, and on the other hand so intolerent that those who do not succumb to his negative thinking are subject to racial epithets.

[jindo]

One of the most insideous forms of racism - one that Malcolm X addressed - is self limitation. Terms like "Uncle Tom", "Oreo" and "Banana" are as problematic as the racial slurs of old in that they shame individuals into limiting his self expression and potential within a narrowly circumscribed racial boundary. A person is not free to explore the fullness of his potential because of his race not because these avenues are denied to him by the majority, but because of a perverse racial pride that is in fact propelled by self-hate.

When Asian Americans like the aptly self-named "koreanskin" attempt to shame other Asian Americans into adopting a negative mindset based on self hate, the intelligent response is to question why such "koreanskins" can't get past their own skin. To blame society is the cowardly way out. the fault lies not in the stars but in ourselves.

[jindo]

The "blame white society trend" is one of the biggest handicaps that we need to overcome as minorities. Visionary leaders refused to limit themselve by how others define them and press on without whining. By objective measures, and when the statistics are analyzed, the progress Asians have made in America is amazing. And this is only the beginning of what appears to be a growing trend.

For example, one of the common complaints of Korean American males is that they believe the entertainment industry is out to emasculate them. But let's examine the statistics. In television, the Screen Actors Guild noted that Asians have recently been the only ethnic group to make notable gains - 78 new roles in 2004, increasing their overall share from 2.5% to 2.9% - up 21% in episodic TV, while black actors lost 1,147 roles, and Latino roles declined 0.1% to 5.5%. Overall, not bad for a group that comprises just 3.6 percent of the U.S. population.

The complaint grows out of poor self-image and projection as a form of psychological compensation. We Koreans are largely fixated on a drive for collective racial pride, something not mirrored by and in fact foreign to mainstream America. For Americans, pride is based more on personal achievement rather than identification with a particular race or ethnic group. Koreans' perceptions of American attitudes are problematic when we are in fact ascribing our own notions of racial pride to American mainstream society.

You may notice a tendency among some Korean Americans to even complain about the positive image they enjoy as a "model minority". This reflects a Korean obsession with external appearances. In the US, acknowledgement works the opposite way - image grows out of concrete achievements. As Asian Americas contine to excel in their fields and contribute to society, we will continue to earn even more recognition.

When we allow close-minded peoples' views of us to become an excuse to wallow in self pity and negativity, we limit our present well-being and future potential. Visionaries understand that the future is a realm of limitless potential and the present is the future's playground. The reason I respect minority pioneers like Michael, Bruce Lee and others is the lack of negativity, the recognition of the potential of people to change their thinking and their lives.

While I have sometimes assumed the devil's advocate position with Michael, faulting him for his optimism in Korean society's ability to overcome our self-imposed emotional and intellectual barriers, he has stood firm when so tested. Likewise, he has analyzes the cultural influences in American society dispassionately and without malice. This is why he will make a difference in peoples' lives.

All societal elements are subject to objective criticism, but racism cannot long thrive in an environment of acceptance of people as individuals. We may examine and deconstruct stereotypes - cultural tendencies to view a certain group in a certain manner, but it is not valid to therefore generalize such influences to individuals as a means to condemn them as a group. This is the hasty generalization fallacy accompanied by the psycological projection of one's inner states onto others. Stereotypes cannot be countered by stereotypes but by using the process of their deconstruction as a means of self-awareness.

[Jee-Won Kim]

I am Korean and I have to admit that, in general, we have a problem. From the time I was born I kept hearing about the 'superiority' of all things Korea from my parents and the rest of the Korean community in my city in Socal. In high school I joined the Korean Pride club and was really into it.

I have realized that it is SO easy to be suckered into thinking that your people are better than any other group. I mean there are statistics to proove anything. A frequent topic in Korean circles is the financial and academic success of Korean Americans. If you just hear a few things about how Koreans are worth "twice as much" as the average white or "four times as much" as the average black, you can easily come to false conclusions. We don't think to take into account that immigration to the US has been highly selective, leading to the percieved successes of Asian groups like Chinese, Indians, Koreans.

In Korea itself, it is even worse. Since there are so few other types of people, it is easy to come to the conclusion that Koreans are superior. In Korean Media it is always mentioned that we are the most "wired" country and all other positive stats. Some of this may be true, but it is not like Korea has done more great things than any other country. I mean, we don't have a tradition of success in the physical sciences like the Germans, Russians or Americans. We didn't invent mathematics or religions like the Indians. We copied Confucionism and writing from the Chinese. We have our successes and out failures like anyone else. Clearly one of the big failures is that our culture is relatively mypoic. This is why we get so hyped about even the small success of our scientists like that lying scoundrel Hwang.

At the same time other cultures have also been mypoic at times, such as the Germans during the 1st half of the last century. Clearly this is a problem that can and should be overcome. Koreans must realize that this sort of thinking reflects negatiely on all Koreans. I was visiting some Buddhist sites in India on pilgrimage and I noticed how poorly Korean pilgrims in general treat the natives, especially the beggars. I can easily imagine that Indians in that area have a horrible notion of what Koreans are like. Clearly racism begets racism. When India becomes more successful I can imagine that some Koreans will want to move there for commercial interests. How will they be treated?

If Koreans want to be treated as equals along with the other peoples of the world, we have not only to be succesful but to reat others as equals. In America it is true that some racism exists. However the general perception is that you should treat all people as individuals and not as members of a race or religion. This is why Koreans are able to succeed in America, just like other minorities.

[Kevin Berghouse]

It is true that White America has a HISTORY or racism, oppression and discrimintation. However it also has a TRADITION of tolerance and dynamism unparalelled by any other society in the world. Sometimes we have been behind the rest of the world, such as in abolishing slavery. However from the very very beginning, even before the American revolution, there has always been a voice of reason, fairness and acceptance. Many of the founding fathers were abhorred at the idea of slavery and inequality. We have had our bigots, and we have had our saints. Fortunately the saints have always won in the end.

Most states in the world define themselves in terms of ETHNIC Nationhood. The US is one of the few that defines itself in terms of an ETHICAL nationhood. An American is, theoretically, one who accepts the ideas enshrined in our constitution and declaration of Independence. For sure there have been lapses throughout history. However at then end 'Americans' in general believe we are the greatest country in the world not because of an ethnic identity, but because we believe that all people deserve an equal shot at life.

A Korean who succeeds in America is an American, just like any other. Muhammad Ali the boxer was once asked why, given all the racism in America at the time, didn't he just move to Africa where everyone loved him. He said "We have people taking care of that." This is the true American spirit...we know that there are faults in society, but there are ways to overcome these faults, ways to change the system peacefully. Ali was a draft dodger, a 'Black,' and a converted Muslim. Still he was given the honor of lighting the olympic flame as representing the best of America. Recently there is a growing sense that being 'American' is defined by such things as military service etc, being pro-war etc. This is wrong, the true Patriot is a person who believes in the principles behind America, not in the decisions of the government. However we don't have to fear this becoming the ultimate reality, because unlike most places in the world, America can and will change and will always revert back to its doctrine.

The definition of 'Korean' is fairly static. The definition of American is absolutely not. This is why racism will always be defeated in America, even if it does prop up from time to time.

[Harish Bhat]

I am Indian-American and I have to say that in general we reject being classified as Asian-American. Historically India has had more contact with the Middle-East and Europe than we have had with China, Japan or Korea aside from the spread of Buddhism through Tibet. We have had a unique experience in America, and have been stereotyped differently. In some ways we have had an easier time assimilating due to the ability to speak English well. In other ways it has been harder, since Indians tend to have distinct religious traditions, and do not often accept Christianity. In addition America has had a longer history of contact with East Asia...notably with the American presence in Japan and Korea.

Indians have been among the most recent migrants to America, while Japanese, Chinese and Korean communities may have been here for a few generations. I find that when it is beneficial to combine Indians with these groups, such as when defining the "model minority," it is often done. However our success has been very different. Indians are not as homogenous as these other groups. India(south Asia) is essentially a seperate continent like Europe. We consist of more than 30 linguistic nations, and beyond that are very stratified into various cultural and social groupings. We have a very unique distribution of success amongst these groups. For example a common steriotype is the owner of motels or 7-11s. However this is restriced to the Patels, a 'trading' caste from one of the linguistic nations, Gujurat. Another steriotype is the software/engineering genius, however this is generally confined to south indian Brahmins. Another, disappearing, stereotype, is the New York cabbie. Almost all of these are Pakistani-Punjabi or Sikh-Punjabis. Medicine is a traditional profession throughout India, so this stereotype is not restriced to any particular group. However most lawyers you will find coming from North-Indian Kshatriya comminuties.

As a result of this inhomogeniety we tend not to 'help' eachother out as much outside of communities. For example, I could not expect to have social connections to help me in the motel business. It bothers me when I see people use us in statistics to boost the perception of the Asian 'Model minority,' just to take advantage of our success. Though we may 'average' more income or higher SAT scores than anyone else, or have the highest representation in Medicine relative to our <1% numbers, we are not so much one community, and neither do we nor the succesful East Asian minorities see eachother as the same. For example an 'Asian' pride club in a high-school will certainly not include Indians. Yet when such groups exult in the achievements of constituting 30% of the national science contest winners they happily include Indians to raise the total. For example an above poster used 3.6% as a figure of Asian representation, which likely includes Indians.

In general we reject the term Model Minority as Indians are generally very individualistic in nature. The 'Model Minority' idea insinuates that Asian values of hard-work, dedication and single-minded determination to succeed is responsible for success. We do not share these 'confucian' values of community superiority over the individual. Historically we have idealized the solitary genius, much like Western culture. The idea that the individual is superior to the community is very important for us. In truth the success of Asian groups in America has more to do with immigrant selection than anything else. The Model Minority idea is a scheme to 'proove' that Africans and Latinos have 'bad' cultures, which is perpetuated by some Asian communities. Indians do not have an "Asian" or "COnfucian" culture as such and do not want ot be used as a political tool to degrade other ethnicities.

This is not a diatribe against East-Asians. I am just saying that grouping Asians together for political reasons is wrong.