Kimchi Mamas

Silicon Valley Asian American Voices Project: Immigrant Issues Affect Us All No Matter Where We Live

Even if you don't live in Silicon Valley, I'm hoping that as a Kimchi Mamas reader connected to Asian culture you will take a look at the trailer for the Silicon Valley Asian American Voices video project. The documentary follows the stories—the successes, hardships, and hopes—of three Asian American immigrants in Silicon Valley. Despite struggling through language, cultural, and health care barriers, these individuals readily work to shape the local community. This piece explores the strengthening of community through the support of immigrant populations.

These issues reach far beyond Silicon Valley—the policy initiatives associated with the project impact Asian immigrants and their family members across the United States—which is why I share it here.

Please take a moment to watch it--no matter where you live or where you are from, I think you will be able to relate to the stories being told. 

If you are in the Bay Area and would like to come to a screening of the documentary you can find all the info on the Silicon Valley Asian American Voices project website. It also screens at the Asian American Film Festival on March 20.

Please feel free to share the trailer on your blog, Facebook, or on Twitter. (Here's the URL if that's easier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjKBzZv7s7g)

-Stefania Pomponi Butler

DIsclosure: AACI, the organization behind Silicon Valley Asian American Voices is a client of mine.

Summer Camp in the Motherland

My in-laws live in Seoul and visit us about once a year. Our relationship is fraught and complicated, but (hopefully) improving with time. Regardless, they love our two sons and I know they try their best to be good to us.

When my first son was three months old and I was returning to school to finish my last quarter of undergrad, my mother-in-law pretty much offered to take him to Korea with her for the next three months. She was worried I wouldn't be able to handle a baby and school. I, on the other hand, was so appalled at the very suggestion of living an ocean apart from my infant for three months that, in my shock, I blurted out rudely, "I would never do that!"

Fast forward a few years and now we have two sons who are four and nearly two. Every visit, my in-laws drop hints that in a few years they expect us to send the kids to Korea for the summer to stay with them. I know that, as much as they want to spend time with the children, they also think of this as a generous way of giving us a much-needed break. But, much as my reaction to my mother-in-law's initial offer so ungraciously showed, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. As much as I think that spending a summer (or summers) in Korea would be a wonderful experience for my kids, I still can't imagine sending them anywhere without me. I can barely leave them overnight at my parents' house when Yubo and I manage to plan a night away for necessary romantic purposes. And not just because I miss them, but because they seem insecure and overly irritable for days afterward.

Is this just me being overprotective and overly attached? Perhaps. But, to be honest, I'm comfortable with that. Even if the idea of a whole summer without the kids is mildly tempting (freedom!), I'd still much rather spend that time with them than without them. And as someone who tries to practice attachment parenting, I have a hard time believing that young children benefit from being away from their parents for extended periods of time. I know that there are plenty of Korean American kids (including some of my friends growing up) who spent summers with relatives in Korea and they turned out fine blah blah blah, but I'm still not sold on the idea.

Olympic Open Thread Thursday

Korean Females representin' in the Olympics!

(the link to the photo - giving credit where it's due.)

The FINAL Season of Lost!

Valentines AND the Year of the Tiger!

It's an Olympic Open Thread Thursday . . . what's on YOUR mind?

--The Kimchi Mamas

So Cal Kimchi Mama Meet-Up!

Hey you gorgeous sunkissed LA Kimchi Mamas (or KMs who will find themselves in the LA area next weekend)!

Please join us for lunch on Sunday, February 21! 

Koreatown Galleria food court
3250 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
12:00 PM

I definitely plan on going grocery shopping afterwards, so feel free to join me if you also need to run some errands.

Please RSVP below or join our Google Group to get the latest details, set up a possible carpool, or exchange cellphone numbers.

--Julie

Research study on Korean adoptees

I recently received an email from my friend Saebom, who is a Korean adoptee doing a research study on the experiences of Korean adoptees.  This is such an under-studied topic, and I think it's so important that Korea adoptees are starting this research.  Please help out if you can, and feel free to pass this information along!

- eliaday, who wants to help out a friend

--

We need your help if you are a Korean adoptee who is:

* Currently 20 years or older
* Went to Korea at age 20 or older
* Went to Korea and RETURNED to pre-Korea life 

Please respond to our independent research study! 

There are only 49 questions, and it should take 20-30 minutes. Email us for the password  at 2curiouskads [at] gmail com, and then proceed to this link: http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=BIDNH_636365b6. Be sure to enable cookies before you start so you can go back  later on if you need to.

Some of these questions might seem personal, but the more open and honest you can be the more helpful your responses will be for other adoptees. Please know that your responses are generated anonymously. 

Feel free to post this message on your own blog or copy, paste and email it to anyone who might be interested in participating. Or simply email us at 2curiouskads [at] gmail com, with a list of emails, and we'll be happy to send out the information.

Here’s some info on us. We are Korean adoptees, 32 and 35 years old, who've been Korea 2-3 times. After we returned from Korea last year we felt isolated. Displaced. Confused. Unable to ease back into our pre-Korea lives. We wondered if other adoptees felt the same way. More importantly, if they didn't, what had they done to prevent these feelings from manifesting? What sort of foundations, behaviors, life circumstances did they have in place that enabled them to feel rooted and connected when they returned? And how could this information offer support to other adoptees? 

This is where you come in. If we get enough responses we will develop the results into a presentation for the IKAA Gathering in Seoul this summer so that your responses will help others just like you. 

Much appreciation,
Rae Anne and Saebom
2curiouskads [at] gmail com

February Photo Share!

As a photographer, I have to admit that words often fail me, and I've been wondering how to contribute to the Kimchi Mama community.  So I've decided to do what I know and start a monthly Photo Share post where we can all share links to images of our kids or any picture from our daily lives.  Think of it as an Open Thread, except with photos.

The photo above is my daughter Cadence spinning around in her new dress.  It's the dead of winter here in the Windy City, and I've been daydreaming a lot about our upcoming spring break to New Orleans, hence the new sleeveless dress.  Cadence loves the excellent twirl factor, and both she and I can't wait until she can actually wear that outside.

Now it's your turn.  Feel free to share with us links to recent images of you and/or your kids.  And if you have any suggestions on what to do in NOLA with a 5 year old, I'm all ears (or eyes, rather)!

~ Sarah-Ji, who thinks Peru sounds good right about now.

Open Thread Thursday

The Olympics.

The San Antonio Rodeo.

My birthday . . .

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

--Angie in Texas loves being in her 30's . . . no really!

My Favorite Korean Baby Words

Although I speak Korean fairly OK, I don't speak it to my kids all that much. But there are a few words that I use consistently and I thought I'd share them here!

gee gee 지지 (pronounced like the letter G x 2) = dirty.

We say this one ALL the time in our household. And according to the preschool teacher, Christian (bit over 3 years old) says it all the time at school too!  She was like, he says everything is gee gee! =)  This word is just so fun to say. Dirty hands = gee gee! Dirty clothes = gee gee! Poop-y diaper = gee gee!  Don't touch that! It's gee gee!

ah ttuh 아뜨 (short for 아 뜨거워 = That's hot!)

This one gets used a lot during mealtime. Christian has a tendency to shove things into his mouth without considering their temperature. A stern warning of ah ttuh usually does the trick so that he doesn't burn his mouth or tongue!

mem-me 맴매-not sure of the Korean spelling (spanking)

We don't spank that much in our household but there are times when we feel that it's called for. It's actually not the spanking itself but the warning of one that helps Christian behave better. I would say something like, "Appa's going to give you a mem me unless you clean up your toys!" When he knows he's been bad, he'll even say, "Don't give me mem me..." with that pouty puppy dog face that we can't resist... 

mam-ma 맘마 (food)

I used this more when Christian was little... especially when feeding him his first solids. I'd say "Mam ma muck ja!" (Let's eat food!) as I got ready to feed him some finger foods or purred foods. I'd ask if he looked hungry, "Mam ma muck ul leh? (Do you want some food?). It's another fun word to say but it also sounds a lot like mama if you use that word for mommy in your house. We used umma so wasn't a problem for us. =)

What, if any, baby words did or do you use?

- Mary