Roots (part 3)

Read parts 1 and 2, here.

Well, as you can probably guess, my youngest gomo (aunt) decided to immigrate to America. I have never ever asked her about this and I don't think she even knows that I know this story so I don't know exactly why she decided to immigrate... but I have some educated guesses. My youngest gomo is pretty driven and she's also very smart. She probably would not have been able to go to college had she stayed in Korea because of the fact that she is a woman and that she is the youngest in the family.

My oldest uncle (kun appa) is the only person in my family that was educated. He was the first son so of course he was bestowed this privilege. Actually, he was educated to become a priest (see Roots part 1 re: my family's Catholic heritage). He's no longer a priest though but that's a different story for a different time. My father, I think, barely went to junior high school or maybe a bit of high school. (My mom didn't graduate from high school either.) My other uncle and other aunts also did not go to college. Education in Korea during those days, and even now, is very expensive. Especially college. So had my youngest aunt stayed in Korea, she would not have been able to pursue her studies... something that she wanted to do very much.

I have to guess that education and opportunity were the two biggest reasons why she decided to leave her family and immigrate to the US. I was told that she went to community college, fell in love and married my uncle and became a U.S. citizen. (My uncle is White.) 

I was also told that she "fixed" all the the paperwork in Korea so that she was only registered with our family. After this was done, she was able to invite my grandma to the US. The process took a long time but eventually my grandma came to the US. The day after she landed in California, my youngest gomo took her to the immigration office so that she could file papers to invite the rest of the family. It took even longer for the rest of the family to come because the waiting periods were getting longer and longer during the 80's. Apparently, everyone was trying to immigrate to America, the land of opportunity.

I can remember being told when I was very young that we were going to move to America "soon." We waited for that dang visa to be approved for YEARS. Finally, when I was in the fifth grade, we got the green light to come to America. I kind of couldn't believe that we were actually gonna go.

The last day of my class in fifth grade, when I said goodbye to all my friends and teachers, is still vivid in my mind. I stood in front of the WHOLE class and the teacher announced that I was moving to America. All the kids were jealous. I got teary eyed and started to cry... mostly because this girl in my class started crying. I remember thinking, "We're not even that close, why is she crying?!"

A few days after that, I was on a plane headed for America, with my father and my unni (older sister). My mother did not come with us because my parents had actually gotten divorced when I was very young. The plan ride was so beautiful. I fought my sister for the window seat because we both wanted to look out the window at the cotton clouds. They looked like a quilt and I wanted to run on them.

The day I landed in America, my youngest gomo took us to get vaccinations so that we could go to school right away. I got three shots. THREE FREAKIN' SHOTS! I remember thinking, "I want to go back to Korea!" I hated getting shots and I still do.

Two days later, I started ABC Elementary school. I didn't know a lick of English, not even the alphabet or how to spell my name but I learned quickly.

I am really grateful to my youngest gomo for bringing our family to America. Because of her, most of my extended family on my dad's side now live in America. A total of 14 people were able to immigrate through her. If it wasn't for her, I probably would not have been able to go to a great college. I am also very thankful that I am able to raise my kids in America.

Thank you gomo. It's all because of you.

Comments

[Angie in Texas]

what a brave gomo!

(and what a brave family . . . )

In our family there is/was a lot of myth about how opportunity is/was everywhere in america. my parents aren't formally educated either . . . so imagine their pride at an oldest son with a good job, an older daughter with her own company, a daughter with a master's and their youngest (son) with an engineering degree! wah! =)

[Xibee]

Did your mother come later?

[Kimchi]

She did but that's another long long story for maybe another time.

[Kimchi]

I also wanted to ask the readers, how your family (if they are immigrants) ended up living in American/Canada/the country you reside in now?

[Asianmommy]

My parents are not really the adventurous type, so I'm still surprised that they decided long ago to come to the US to live. My dad came to further his education. My mom came along with him. They intended to move back to Taiwan when he was finished, but they never did. That was 42 years ago.

[OTRgirl]

I think my in-laws moved to get away from my FIL's family. My MIL was a nurse, my FIL taught at Seoul University, so they were doing great by Korean standards. They were just living with his parents and I don't think my MIL could take it. The story we're told is that they moved for greater opportunities for their children, which is, of course, a big part of the story. I just wonder about the other reasons. It's a bit of a shift to go from professor to just being a pharmacist at a hospital.

[joelsa]

Immigration to the US was to help my mom avoid my evil grandma (aka her mother in law). I'm pretty sure that is why my parents moved here. I am the first one to be born in the US. Then my mom moved all her siblings out and our home was Ellis Island. One by one, an aunt or uncle came to the US, lived in our home for a year or two, and then eventually moved out.

Thanks for sharing your story!

[coobeans]

i'm not really sure of the circumstances surrounding how my family ended up in the US. I'm told that it was for the educational opportunities for their children. I get the sense that my extended family that is still in Korea looked down on my parents for making the move, sneering at them for struggling to make ends meet all these years... My mom speaks with a sense of pride now when she talks to them, because (not to toot our own horns.. but) my brother and I aren't doing too bad.. and certainly better than my cousins in korea. Its like she's been vindicated thru my brother and i. anyways, my dad was studying to be a judge and my mom was a teacher in korea so they were doing pretty well. all this makes me want to sit down with them and get the real story of how we ended up here. same goes for my in-laws. thanks for sharing your story!

[A Kim]

I just wrote a short paper on my experience as a second generation Korean American and actually interviewed my parents on their experiences. My Dad came here in '69 to do his residency in the Bronx. At the time, the U.S. was experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers so they invited a bunch of foreign med school graduates to train in the US. I think the majority of the grads were from India (docs), Korea (docs) and Philippines(primarily nurses). Originally, my parents intended to go back upon the completion of his training, but decided to stay. My brother and I were born here. They stayed because (1) the U.S. extended their invitation for the docs to stay, (2) Korea was still poor, and (3) the U.S. provided better future for us, the kids.

I did not read your Roots 1 & 2, but did your family first immigrate to southern or northern California? Thanks for sharing your story...

[Ghimchi-Mama-in-Training]

My grandmother was an ultimate mother-in-law from HELL, not to mention the nine noisy and meddlesome sisters (my daegomos) of my grandfather and just as badly drawn five sisters (my gomos) of my father. Somehow my parents succeeded in getting away from the old dragon lady and I'm glad as heck they did! :)

[Mary]

it's amazing to read that so many families came to the US to escape from the MIL.