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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject: Comparing Korean-Americans to Native Koreans |
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It's like comparing Irish-Americans to Irish! How ridiculous is that? For example, would I go up to an Irish-American and start accusing him of not knowing about Ireland and the Gaellic dialect? Would I go up to an Italian-American and compare by saying stuff like, "You are not a true Italian like the Italians in Italy", "You will never be accepted as an Italian by Italians in Italy if you go back". Why the fxxx would anybody make such a ridiculous comparison? Nobody has asked to be compared! Some people need to start realizing the ridiculousness of what they are doing, let alone some foreigners comparing themselves with other foreigners to see who is more Korean, knows more about Korea and speaks better Korean! I had some American friend talk to my Canadian friend this way during dinner the other night. He would all of a sudden go, "I've been in Korea longer than you have, so I know more about Korea than you", "I even had a Korean wife", "and slept with several Korean women", etc...
Blah, blah, blah.... So sleeping with a Korean woman or having a Korean wife makes you more Korean than someone who hasn't. Blah, blah, blah....
Last edited by lostandforgotten on Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:52 am; edited 4 times in total |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Did I miss something here? |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: Comparing Korean-Americans to Native Koreans |
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| *blink* |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Comparing Korean-Americans to Native Koreans |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| It's like comparing Irish-Americans to Irish! How ridiculous is that? For example, would I go up to an Irish-American and start accusing him of not knowing about Ireland and the Gaellic dialect? Would I go up to an Italian-American and compare by saying stuff like, "You are not a true Italian like the Italians in Italy", "You will never be accepted as an Italian by Italians in Italy if you go back". Why the fxxx would anybody make such a ridiculous comparison? Nobody has asked to be compared! Some people need to start realizing the ridiculousness of what they are doing! |
Of course that would be silly. However if an Irish-American, born in America, started spouting off about how Irish he was, talking like he knew everything there is to know about Ireland, and getting upset at anyone criticising Ireland, I'd think he's as stupid as a few Korean-Americans I've met. |
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soju pizza
Joined: 21 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Why would you let such assinine idiocy bother you in the first place? |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| And telling Korean-Americans they aren't like real Koreans is a compliment, isn't it? |
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Vancouver
Joined: 12 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Newbie wrote: |
| And telling Korean-Americans they aren't like real Koreans is a compliment, isn't it? |
i'd say that's kind of offensive, yet, at the same time, true.
this thread is quite random |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a Korean American and here's my 2 cents.
Since I look Korean and all my relatives are Korean, I have an insight into Korean society and culture that no Westerner will experince. I have a different perspective.
That being said, people that have been here longer than me probably know more about Korea than I do. However, they won't ever know what its like to be "Korean" unless they wear a hollywood style mask and makeup.
This is a collectivist society where comformity is very important. Look all around you. Everyone dresses the same. "The Nail that Sticks out gets Hamemred Down." No one does anything to stand out from the group. No one dares challenge authority. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Vancouver wrote: |
| Newbie wrote: |
| And telling Korean-Americans they aren't like real Koreans is a compliment, isn't it? |
i'd say that's kind of offensive, yet, at the same time, true.
this thread is quite random |
Why is it offensive? Would a French-Canadian be offended if they were told they weren't like real French? Would a German-American be offended if they were told that they weren't like real Germans? What are you thinking? The point is that it's totally stupid to compare. |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| Vancouver wrote: |
| Newbie wrote: |
| And telling Korean-Americans they aren't like real Koreans is a compliment, isn't it? |
i'd say that's kind of offensive, yet, at the same time, true.
this thread is quite random |
Why is it offensive? Would a French-Canadian be offended if they were told they weren't like real French? Would a German-American be offended if they were told that they weren't like real Germans? What are you thinking? The point is that it's totally stupid to compare. |
I'd agree it's not always great to compare. But you do get a good number of Korean-Americans who just beg for the comparison going on about "WE Koreans are so great" and "We Koreans have to stop whitey".... Then you have all the cool ones. |
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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I'd agree it's not always great to compare. But you do get a good number of Korean-Americans who just beg for the comparison going on about "WE Koreans are so great" and "We Koreans have to stop whitey".... Then you have all the cool ones. |
Do you live your life dealing with the same questions that all Korean-Americans and all Asian-Americans for that matter deal with, which are ,
1. Where are you originally from?
2. Can you speak Korean, Chinese, so and so...
I taught in a middle school in America and I remember a Korean-American girl being told by a classmate that she shouldn't forget her heritage. So most asians constantly have to mention their ethnicity unlike white-americans where they can just say, "I'm American" and be accepted for that. |
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Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
I'm a Korean American and here's my 2 cents.
Since I look Korean and all my relatives are Korean, I have an insight into Korean society and culture that no Westerner will experince. I have a different perspective. |
Right gyopos can have a valuable perspective on a lot of things, but then you get the gyopos who've been in Korea a few months in their entire lives and assume that they know far more about what it is like to live in Korea than people who've been here for years. Then there are the gyopos who can't hack it in Korea (since Koreans tend to expect them to conform a lot more than whities) and get all bitter and annoying. There are a lot of cool gyopos in the middle of the whiner/apologist spectrum but the ones on either end get damn annoying. |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| lostandforgotten wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I'd agree it's not always great to compare. But you do get a good number of Korean-Americans who just beg for the comparison going on about "WE Koreans are so great" and "We Koreans have to stop whitey".... Then you have all the cool ones. |
Do you live your life dealing with the same questions that all Korean-Americans and all Asian-Americans for that matter deal with, which are ,
1. Where are you originally from?
2. Can you speak Korean, Chinese, so and so...
I taught in a middle school in America and I remember a Korean-American girl being told by a classmate that she shouldn't forget her heritage. So most asians constantly have to mention their ethnicity unlike white-americans where they can just say, "I'm American" and be accepted for that. |
I guess it's different on our side of the border cuz even when white folk say, "I'm Canadian" we get the follow up of "What's your background?"
So, sorry, I guess I don't really have much to say about your topic anymore as I clearly don't understand it. Sorry for getting involved. |
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Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| So most asians constantly have to mention their ethnicity unlike white-americans where they can just say, "I'm American" and be accepted for that. |
Unless you're a whitey with a strange/hard to pronounce last name  |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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In America, the average person of Irish decent is probably a few generations removed from the home country, whereas (and I'm just guessing here, but I feel pretty confident about it) the average Korean-American has parents who were born in Korea. So on average, Korean Americans have a much stronger connection to the home country than I-As because they were raised by full on Koreans. Also, the difference betwee American and Irish culture is much smaller than the difference between American and Korean culture (in my opinion).
So...uh...well, actually, I didn't really understand the point of your post. Who are you railing against? People who claim to have more knowledge than others about Korea? People who claim Korea is distinctly different from America and difficult for Americans to understand? Really, is that so crazy? |
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