Kimchi Mamas

You Know You Grew Up Korean/Korean American/Korean Candadian If . . .

The local Sunday paper had a fun article today that got me thinking about growing up Korean in the US. So I've come up with a list of "You know you grew up *Korean/Korean American/Korean Canadian if..." of my own. 

Please add your "you know . . . " in the comments.  =)

--Your mother ever gave you guilt about . . . well anything... (Bonus if she pounded her chest with a fist while doing so!)

--You had 2 fridges: one for food and another for kimchi (or else ALL your food tasted like kimchi).

--You ever had to translate a school note, explain a holiday project and/or had a hard time completing the 3rd grade family tree project because there were some family secrets/shame involved and/or there were a lot of branches on that tree with "eemo and samchun".

--Your friends NEVER spent the night.

--Roasting ghim over the flame on the stove.

--You roasted that ghim for ghimbap - which you ate on day-long, car trips, got out, took a look around, ate the ghimbap and got back in the car. You always returned the same night.

--You were a hobo, a clown or a ghost for Halloween more than once.

--You got hit on the back of the head (a lot).

--Your aunt or uncle would pass you a $5 bill and tell your parents "te-sah, te-sah." He or she was your favorite aunt or uncle.

--Your mom made you sweep the carpet, told you you would DIE if you slept with the fan on pointed in your direction and/or were told that women should never sit directly on the floor.

--Threw up from having "han yak". It was usually dark brown, liquidy and has been boiling for hours...Or your mom smeared honey on a piece of boiled ginseng - like it would make it taste better.

--"Fought" for the dinner bill or insisted on paying while out with your non-Korean friends and then was SHOCKED when they were like "ok!"

--Your dad would get drunk, sing sad Korean folksongs and reminsce about the "good times."

--Thanksgiving dinner included the turkey and mashed potatoes, but also yakimandu, kimchi and japchae.

--Your parents scheduled long distance calls to relatives in Seoul and Busan/Pusan/Busan/Pusan.

--Hotdogs have always been a part of jampong.

--You would rather go to school than be sick at home where your mom would make you clean the house.

--Dad smoked Marlboros or Camels and drank Coors light or Budweiser. Mom never smoked or drank, to your knowledge.

--You had a used station wagon or Buick.

--Going to college was NOT an option.

--There's a random collection of blue produce rubberbands in the house.

--Beef jerky was your parents' favorite American snack food.

--You couldn't have a dog (or a cat).

--Hated eating kimchi with almost every meal as a child, but craved it when you went to college.

--You've heard your mom say "why would I ___ for that? I can ___ that!"

--Two words: Korean School. After church lunch in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays.

So what's YOUR "you know if..."

Laughing about childhood because crying isn't as much fun!

--Angie in Texas

*The side note I'd like to add is that this will mostly apply to those of us who grew up Stateside in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

 

Call for Submissions at KoreanAmericanStory.org

Do you or your family members have stories to share for an anthology devoted to the Korean immigrant experience in the 70's and 80's?  If so, please consider submitting it for publication at KoreanAmericanStory.org.  They are collecting content in a variety of formats, and they will compensate for the stories they select for publication.

Details can be found here.

--Julie

American Revolutionary: Grace Lee Boggs Documentary

American Revolutionary - Indiegogo Pitch from American Revolutionary on Vimeo.

I was recently in the Jane Addams Hull House Museum in Chicago and saw a wonderful portrait of Grace Lee Boggs hanging on the wall. It is part of an exhibit called Americans Who Tell The Truth, containing 10 portraits from the inspiring series of the same name by Robert Shetterly. Some of you may have heard of Grace Lee Boggs through the documentary The Grace Lee Project, or you may have heard of her because she has been an activist and community organizer in Detroit for many decades. She has been an inspiration to me and one of the influences in my own personal journey of becoming politicized. At almost 96 years old, Grace Lee Boggs continues to dedicate herself to serving her beloved community, and her impact is felt not only in Detroit but throughout the world, via her writings and her mentoring of activists and justice lovers in so many places over many decades.

Because of the inspiration Grace Lee Boggs has been to many of us who contribute to Kimchi Mamas, we were excited to hear of a new documentary film project about her by the filmmaker of The Grace Lee Project, who is also named Grace Lee and is also a Kimchi Mama. The new film is titled American Revolutionary:The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs. Grace Lee wrote the following in an email a few weeks ago telling us about the new project:

"I actually started this project while I was staying home with my son who was born three years ago. I wanted  him to know about Grace Lee Boggs and her ideas of rethinking what it means to be an 'American revolutionary' -- someone who is dedicated to the ideas of social justice and the process of building community. Fellow moms I think would respond to her message as well."

Grace Lee is currently raising funds to be able to complete this project, and we at Kimchi Mamas are only too happy to help get the word out for this worthy cause. She has 12 days left to reach a goal of $12,500 to be able to receive an anonymous matching donation of another $4,500, bringing the total to $17,000. She is soooo close to that goal now at just shy of $11,000. We encourage all our fellow Kimchi Mamas and Kimchi Papas and allies to donate if they are able. No amount is too small, and I am certain that the resulting film will be a treasure and inspiration to so many, including ourselves and our children. Please go to Grace's Indigogo site to contribute.

To learn more about the work of filmmaker Grace Lee, please visit her website at gracelee.net. To learn more about the life and work of Grace Lee Boggs, please visit The Bogg Center.

~Sarah-Ji

Understanding our parents' generation

I've always had an inkling that our Korean parents' generation suffered from post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. (I'm in my mid thirties.) I think that would explain some of the dysfunction that I see in that generation. (I'm thinking, those who were born before, during, and after the Korean War.)

A traumatic event (albeit a very long event) in childhood coupled with having no father (many many Korean men died) coupled with societal taboo against mental illness coupled with general non-communication about one's feelings coupled with rampant addiction to alcohol did not make for good mental/emotional health.

Of course, there is the typical generation gap things and the cultural (Korean vs American) differences but I feel like there is something more... some things that just cannot be "explained" by generational or cultural differences.

Kimchi Book Club

A few weeks ago, I found myself in Capitola between my son's soccer tournament matches.  We wandered into the Capitola Book Cafe to wait out the break.  While the boys manhandled the "Where's Waldo" books in the children's section, I stole a few minutes to explore the grown-up fiction aisles.  I was looking for the sequel to my book club assignment, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".  (A longtime Sci-Fi fan, I'll read pretty much anything with "Dragon" in the title).  Even though this was not sci-fi, I still enjoyed it.

I spied a book I had not heard of before--by a Korean!  The Calligrapher's Daughter features a picture of a young woman in hanbok on the cover, and is written by Eugenia Kim.  Having read and enjoyed Joy Luck Club, and Memoirs of a Geisha, I hoped this Korean story would be at least as enjoyable.  Besides, even if I couldn't get the online store discount, I would be supporting an independent bookstore, and also a Korean "sistah".

I found the sequel I was looking for, and added The Calligrapher's Daughter to the pile.  The boys also found some books they could not be parted from, and we checked out.

I have not finished the book yet, but I already want to tell you how much I am enjoying it!  The writing is descriptive and evokes life during the Japanese occupation.  I must admit my Korean history is very weak, and having been raised in white America, it is fun getting a fictional peek at what life might have been like a few generations back.  I have read Pearl S. Buck's The Living Reed, which was also interesting.  But this book is primarily from a woman's perspective, unlike Buck's book which focused on a father and his two sons.

6.25. 육이오

Today is 6.25. 육이오. Today is the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The Forgotten War as many call it. Apparently, a lot of Americans have forgotten about it. Well, not me.

My grandfather died during the war. My father was a toddler when the war broke out and walked until his feet bled, trying like everyone else, to flee to Pusan. The war made my grandmother a widow, and in a way, is the reason why I am even in America. If it wasn't for the Korean War, I am pretty sure that I would be living in South Korea right now.

My deepest gratitude goes to all the soldiers who fought in the Korean War to defend South Korea. I also thank the countless people that worked to help South Korea recover from the war and help it be the amazing and economically thriving country that it is today. Thank you.

- Mary is taking a moment to reflect on this day even though she should be preparing for her son's dol (1 year birthday) tomorrow.