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Otus
Joined: 09 Feb 2006
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 Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject: K - reaction to Obama |
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You should have seen the disjointed looks on some of my downtown business students' faces when the news came up over Obama winning Iowa...
Imagine what their reaction is going to be if he wins the nomination ...
If he wins the ... (it's too terrible for some of them to think about)
Last edited by Otus on Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Otus wrote: |
You should have seen the disjointed looks on some of my downtown business students' faces when the news came up over Obama winning Illinois ...
Imagine what their reaction is going to be if he wins the nomination ...
If he wins the ... (it's too terrible for some of them to think about) |
You seem to assume we all understand why... |
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Otus
Joined: 09 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Otus wrote:
You should have seen the disjointed looks on some of my downtown business students' faces when the news came up over Obama winning Iowa ... (edit - sorry)
Imagine what their reaction is going to be if he wins the nomination ...
If he wins the ... (it's too terrible for some of them to think about)
Gopher wrote:
You seem to assume we all understand why... |
Not sure if I understand exactly 'why' myself ... I wuz just trying to interpret some reactions. I'm neither Korean nor American but I come into contact with a lot of Korean Americans. Is it reasonable to assume there might be a little tension with Ko-Americans and some other minority groups in the States and this spreads a little into the 'Korean' mindset itself?
Perhaps I'll try asking a few more questions ... cautiously ... |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Otus wrote: |
| Quote: |
Otus wrote:
You should have seen the disjointed looks on some of my downtown business students' faces when the news came up over Obama winning Iowa ... (edit - sorry)
Imagine what their reaction is going to be if he wins the nomination ...
If he wins the ... (it's too terrible for some of them to think about)
Gopher wrote:
You seem to assume we all understand why... |
Not sure if I understand exactly 'why' myself ... I wuz just trying to interpret some reactions. I'm neither Korean nor American but I come into contact with a lot of Korean Americans. Is it reasonable to assume there might be a little tension with Ko-Americans and some other minority groups in the States and this spreads a little into the 'Korean' mindset itself?
Perhaps I'll try asking a few more questions ... cautiously ... |
I'm neither Korean nor American either. But when I was reading about that Judge in the DC area who sued those Korean dry cleaners for millions and millions of $ for a pair of pants it seemed that race was a major part of it (the judge was black). The comments in the WaPo were very strong.
Also, Koreans were a target during the last LA riots. Many Koreans were assaulted and Korean owned shops burnt. Koreans were among the only group to fight back (with guns). There is a lot of tension. But So-Cal Koreans emulate African Americans more than any group I have ever come across.
But I doubt that this makes it all the way across the pond to Korea. They probably just don't like the idea of not being able to call evil USA racist anymore. The mood was similar in my office in Singapore. White as snow Iowa picking a black man (for the Dems). And Singapore isn't an anti-American place. But I think they know that this shows how far America has come and how far they have to go. |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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is this why it has been receiving such a large amount of attention in the Korean press, because the candidate is african american?
and the LA Riots were pushing over 15 years ago now arent they? They cant pin every african american with the same brush. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| stevieg4ever wrote: |
is this why it has been receiving such a large amount of attention in the Korean press, because the candidate is african american?
and the LA Riots were pushing over 15 years ago now arent they? They cant pin every african american with the same brush. |
Well, as anyone who has lived in Korea knows, there is a very strong sense of history in the culture. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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the prejudice of Koreans toward Africans in particular and black people in general is palpable
the things my adlut students have said without batting an eye
took me two years to get used to it |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:20 am Post subject: |
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I have an evening class with ten young adult students (ages 25-2 tonight. I'll ask them and report back. |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:24 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| the things my adult students have said without batting an eye... |
About blacks generally or about Obama specifically?
If all this is true, and I had not considered it before, it might be interesting to see all the racists in the world unite and react to an African-American president. I know Chileans dislike blacks and consider them "dirty," for example. Will be especially interesting to see East Asians' reactions, though. In my opinion, they remain the most racist and ethnocentric people on the planet. |
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agentX
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:20 am Post subject: |
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I was at the bar one night, nothing but Koreans at the "foreigner bar" that night, when I called my bud back home. He told me Barack won, so I cheered. The barlady asked me what that was about. I told her Barack won the first vote (close enough, no need to explain the caucus process). They were happy, and I toasted with some dude.
The barlady knows Hillary, Barack, and Giuliani, and that's about it. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
| If all this is true, and I had not considered it before, it might be interesting to see all the racists in the world unite and react to an African-American president. I know Chileans dislike blacks and consider them "dirty," for example. Will be especially interesting to see East Asians' reactions, though. In my opinion, they remain the most racist and ethnocentric people on the planet. |
I was thinking the opposite. Most of the world is NOT white. Most of them will like to see someone they see as 'more like them' as in not white.
Then you have the 'white' countries, which are generally nearly all the world's liberal countries. They'll be rooting highly for Obama. Speaking in particular of European countries, and most likely NZ and Canada too (who would vote for an underdog). |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:13 am Post subject: |
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I think this is so far from the truth in respect to the far east. Koreans see themselves as having much more in common with white people and white / european civilisation then they would other races. There is no ground won in the idea that 'a black guy is not white, either am I, thus lets hold hands together'.
Koreans especially espouse every kind of difference between themselves and Africans that they possibly can from top to bottom. The furthest that I have ever heard koreans compliment black people would be regarding african american's contribution to popular culture and sports.
What Van Islander said before I can certainly relate to through meeting many Koreans overseas in London.
I was thinking the opposite. Most of the world is NOT white. Most of them will like to see someone they see as 'more like them' as in not white.
[/quote] |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:35 am Post subject: |
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I didn't have any spare time in my lesson tonight, so I'll try a 'man on the street' thing tomorrow and see what I get.
One thing I'm curious about is the effect of Obama being bi-racial. I wonder if that will affect how people here in Korea feel about that. Things improved with Michael Henney and Hines Ward, maybe Obama's election will keep that trend going. |
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Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| I think I know Koreans reasonably well and my view here is - overlooked thus far - be surprised if anything more than a minority of them at this early stage is even aware of the advance in the Obama candidacy. They're hardly the most well-informed, discerning people. |
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