Korean Job Discussion Forums

mourningclam · Joined: 27 Jan 2004

All the points are viable. Oh, after seeing that Bubbles Sisters thing, I realize how ignorant these people can be. I remember meeting this one Korean guy at a bar and he said something to the effect that there are a lot of "n****rs" in the American South (Texas, Alabama, etc). I corrected the guy on his use of vocabulary saying that it would get himself shot or at least beaten up had he used that word in a place like America (depending if he's talking to rednecks or not). Anyway, the guy had no idea that it was offensive. He thought it was OK because he heard the word in a lot of rap lyrics.

peppermint · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 7:50 pm Post subject:

I've heard the same thing from my students. I've gotta wonder though, what would happen if we took our cues on how to behave here from Korean pop culture.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Dan · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Sunny Glendale, CA

This reminds me of watching Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time and thinking how offensive Andy Rooney's character was.

But I let it go, and I got over it, because I understood that we make fun of what we don't understand.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

I remember at a EFL school in London where I was teaching, we had an international review one evening where different nationalities put on a show as a display of their culture. The Japanese were really funny, playing that game where two people have to feed each other chocolate mouse with blindfolds on, Spanish did flamenco dancing etc. A couple of Korean guys did a taekwondo display, and a group of Swiss German men and Brazilian were giggling and making 'me chinesie' faces, and mimicking oriental music. In such an international setting it was heartbreaking, to be honest, to realize that so many people around the world can only validate themselves by mocking other cultures. It seems to be innate in dumbasses the world over.

I didn't expect such behavior in an international setting such as the school where I was working, where people were supposedly exposed to the diversity of the world and should have behaved suitably, but I do expect to find it here in Korea because here I knew from the start that I would not be shielded from occasional negative attitudes towards the other peoples of the world, because I live here, I see Korea, good and bad, top to bottom, warts and all.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

OTOH-Corporal exchange:

Homer · Guest

I am sure they do Corporal.

ohahakehte · Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Location: The State of Denial

IconsFanatic · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

Canada/US/UK might be extremely politically correct, but that doesn't mean the rest of the Western, English-speaking world is.

New Zealand, being the parochial country that it is, still gets away with relative murder in this department.

Was listening to George FM over the internet last year, and they had some advert for the station, mimicking the stereotypical Asian "me so horny!" voice.

Didn't bother me too much, to be honest, but I was flabbergasted to hear such a thing from the media in 2003.

Kwangjuchicken · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:42 am Post subject:

JW · Joined: 06 Feb 2003

This is where I get blasted and railroaded out of this forum. "On the other hand" I feel you on your posts. I must say, however, that we must look at the reality of the situation. Just because ignorance is internationally broadcasted daes not mean that it gives the world the authority to call me or any of my friends, famill and enimies a N****. Sure Biggie or Jay Z said it but guess what world! THERE ARE MORE PROFESSIONS THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE THAN BEING A RAPPER! They are not our culture ambassators. I don't care for the word and I don't use it.

Next, I'm sick of people making the "they don't know it's offensive" excuse. How can painting yourself black and lampooning not be offensive. Basically it is the value that was placed on black life dating back to the European slave trade. You can only enslave that which you deem sub-human. We (black people) were considered 3/5 of a human being by the European settlers in America. This thinking takes a long time to die. Think about it. The slave trade was not that long ago and if you don't want to go back that far..look at the civil rights movement. This was my mother and father. Hell. I was alive through part of a series of racial movements in the 70's. Look at South Africa in the 80's and 90's. You can't tell me that the practice of devaluing black life and glabal contributions is isolates to the west. As we look at many countries, Korea in particular, degrade black culture while holding a white face up as a false God then we must be aware that the historically racist practices by whites in the US, Canada, England and other countries also followed. I said it and I will say it again, that while adopting some western customs and values, Korea has also adopted a western(white racist) practice of degrading blacks. Let's not mention how we have seen how other Asians are treated here (Indonesians, Malaysians,Philippians...). This is a plague that Korea or many other countries are not immune to. So, yes I hear my brothers and sisters degrading themselves on the airwaves but don't look at it as a surface occurence. This is the result of over 400 years of forces labor, breaking framilies apart, broken men and broken spirit. I'm not talking about 100 years ago I mean up to and including the modern day. Black men who fought here in Korea returned to a segragated US. So say what you must but there is no excuse for it, only solutions.

peppermint · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:58 pm Post subject:

The thing is that the offensive comments are hardly limited to black people. Just this week in class, I had a student describe Korean Americans as "bananas" Shocked

. My jaw dropped, and I explained that that's very offensive and why.