Open Thread Thursday

Bringing the hanbok back!

Here's mine:

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It's Open Thread Thursday! . . . What's on YOUR mind?

--The Kimchi Mamas

Comments

[Amy]

That hanbok is beautiful! So how do you all feel about white adoptive parents wearing hanboks? Our son was born in Korea and has beautiful hanboks that we have his photo made in and that he wears on Korean holidays. There's a debate in the adoption community over whether adoptive parents (who are white) should wear them? Or whether thats offensive?

[Angie in Texas]

this is solely my opinion, but i think it'd be okay when you're with your son. there's something really creepy about seeing a non-ethnic person wearing something traditional for apparently no reason.

ex: i was at an asian chamber of commerce dinner. a hispanic/latina woman was dressed in ALL OUT GEISHA/kimono (right down to the wooden sandal/shoes). i can't put my finger on it, but i found it disturbing.

[Xibee]

I think it's sad white people or others might be looked at as usurping something racial when wearing hanbok. I am the wife of a Korean man, so what? And I must say hanbok is forgiving to figures.

The sad part of it is, I wanted to be married in formal Hanbok and my husband nixxed it. "I'm not wearing that stupid baggy blue thing!" he said. The American formal white wedding was what he wanted, and got!

[Jomama]

@Xibee: did your husband put you on his back and carry you around the table beforehand? That's also part of a traditional Korean ceremony...hee hee.

I agree with Angie--it seems fine to me to dress in Hanbok when you are there with your son, to show unity with his birth culture.

When someone of a different culture wears ethnic clothing, there is a risk of looking like you are making fun of the culture, instead of respecting it, even if that is not your intent.

Think about the old minstrel shows and blackface. My hapa son wanted to dress up as Barack Obama for a school project, and we had to nix that--even though his intent was purely respectful.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1101330139]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/artistkitty/791.jpg

Here is my mom in hanbok at my wedding in front of the congo line!

[Amy]

Thanks, everyone. You guys explained that better than any explanation I've every heard. I can definitely see it seeming disrepectful or poking fun if my son wasn't with me. I would love to have a family portrait done in hanboks, but have wondered about the appropriateness of it.

Also I feel odd asking him to wear something for a holiday that I don't wear. We just celebrate at home usually (Chuseok and Lunar New Year) and I've thought it would be nice to all dress up for part of the holiday.

Maybe he'll think that's weird when he's older. Who knows? Right now my husband and I don't have hanboks but I've been wondering whether or not to invest in some.

[Summer]

I just had my children take a sibling portrait in their hanboks! I am on the flipside, however, being Native American married to a Korean :D I am often mistaken as the nanny or caregiver, rarely the mother :D

Plus, I wish more hanboks were worn for the Lunar New Year, there is something magical about hanboks being worn that day, the bright colors lighting up the streets in the midst of winter....

[another hapa momma]

I am an adoptive white mother but also married to a Korean man, so yes we wear hanboks on special days like my BIL's wedding in Korea where married women family members in DH's immediate family were expected to wear a hanbok. MIL made sure that i got a new hanbok to wear for the wedding so it was important to at least one Korean family that their nonKorean DIL was wearing one. Both our kids (one is half Korean and one is 100% Korean) wore hanboks also. So, in my opinion, just wearing a hanbok for no reason is kind of strange but if it is an appropriate situation, why not?

[Angie in Texas]

the wedding was just 2 weeks ago and this is how the hanbok break down went:

i wore a hanbok at the reception (the first portion i was in my wedding gown).

my sister (unni) wore a new hanbok. as did her 100% korean daughter.

my SIL (100% latina) wore a new hanbok. her 2 daughters (50% latina/50% korean - we call them "korexicans") wore hanboks.

my mother wore a new hanbok.

(my father wore a tux. my brothers wore suits.)

[Xibee]

@Jomama - Unfortunately if anyone were doing any carrying, it would have been me...We did however get dressed in traditional garb once(it was sort of quick and cartoony version) months before the wedding at the Korean Cultural Center, since they offered a night where people could come in and learn about Korean ceremony and try on Korean dress, which I thought was TOTALLY AWESOME, they are a wonderful place. We snapped some shots of that.

[Summer]

We should have a Kimchi Mama Hanbok Monday :D a time to share hanbok love. :D