Recently, Carol posed a question asking why folks that were not Korean, Korean America, Korean American adoptees (KAD), or in a relationship with any of the above come to this site. So here's my re-introduction.
Hi, I'm eliaday. I am not Korean, Korean American, an adoptee, nor am I in a relationship with any of the above. I am a Chinese American single mom working in education.
So why am I here?
Well, two years ago when this blog was started by the fabulous Nina and Stefania and others, I was married to a Korean American, which whom I had an 18 month old daughter. We were living in socal, 10 minutes away from Halmony and Harabeogi.
Fast forward to today: Now, I am divorced from my daughter's father, living in Boston, 30 minutes away from Gi-gi and Pop-pop (what my daughter calls my parents).
In a way, I am far far away from the things that initially attracted me to reading blogs like Charlie and Nina, Weigook Saram, and City Mama. I don't really have a Korean MIL to deal with, the Korean American man in my life isn't really present (he lives in LA). Boston doesn't have a big Korean American population at all. So what's my connection?
I think that now more than ever, I struggle with trying to raise my daughter to appreciate her ethnic heritage - both her Chinese American side, and her Korean American side. I struggle enough trying to figure out how to infuse my daughter with a pride in being Chinese American. I am nearly at a loss at how to infuse my daughter with a sense of being Korean American. As much as possible, I try to read her books about Korean Americans (this one by Paula Yoo seems particularly timely!). But if I had to describe why my daughter is Korean American it would be her exclaiming that she pangu-ed! (farted) and the fact that she loves rice and kim.
That doesn't seem to be a very full exploration of what it means to be Korean... so I turn to you all to help me figure out what it means to raise a Korean American child in the absence of a Korean American parent. And I turn to you all to figure out what it means to be an Asian American mother raising an Asian American child in the 21st century. And I am given strength in knowing that I am not struggling in isolation or struggling alone.
~ eliaday
