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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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| Does the word "waeguk" bother you? |
| Yes, a lot! The word symbolizes the exclusion I feel in Korea. |
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10% |
[ 9 ] |
| Somewhat. Koreans are obsessed with appearance and nationality. |
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20% |
[ 18 ] |
| A little. I'm more than just an "outside country person." |
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12% |
[ 11 ] |
| No. Koreans don't mean any/much harm by it. |
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22% |
[ 20 ] |
| No. Grow up. |
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28% |
[ 26 ] |
| I've never thought about it. |
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6% |
[ 6 ] |
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| Total Votes : 90 |
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| Author |
Message |
SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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 Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Satori wrote: |
| Homer wrote: |
Then again...most of our home nations are ethnically mixed. Not the case here. Big difference.
Japanese use Gaijin...Chinese use Gwailo....what about those examples? |
Those examples reprasent the same kind of thinking, so this is not just picking on Korea.
And the fact that Korea, in this day and age, is so profoundly unmixed, is intimately tied up with the way they think of foreingers.
It's not "Well they are so unmixed so therefore they are a bit xenophobic". But rather "They are so unmixed because they are a bit xenophobic". |
It's unmixed because it hasn't had swarms of immigrants from all over the world seek to enter the country. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
| Wangja wrote: |
| Bothers me about the same as being referred to as a "limey" by the Yanks and "rosbif" by the Frogs. |
I never understood why Brits hated the name "limey." I mean I understand where it came from, but it doesn't seem so bad to me.
But "Yank." Ho boy!! I know that Yankee is a term used by others to describe N.Americans, but i'll be damned if you call a Southerner a Yankee. Of course I could care less because most people don't know better, but when we refer to Northerners as Yankees, it's usually derogatory |
It's not particularly appreciated by Canadians or Mexicans either.  |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
| Wangja wrote: |
| Bothers me about the same as being referred to as a "limey" by the Yanks and "rosbif" by the Frogs. |
I never understood why Brits hated the name "limey." I mean I understand where it came from, but it doesn't seem so bad to me.
But "Yank." Ho boy!! I know that Yankee is a term used by others to describe N.Americans, but i'll be damned if you call a Southerner a Yankee. Of course I could care less because most people don't know better, but when we refer to Northerners as Yankees, it's usually derogatory |
It's not particularly appreciated by Canadians or Mexicans either. |
I knew somebody would catch me on that.  |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
| Wangja wrote: |
| Bothers me about the same as being referred to as a "limey" by the Yanks and "rosbif" by the Frogs. |
I never understood why Brits hated the name "limey." I mean I understand where it came from, but it doesn't seem so bad to me.
But "Yank." Ho boy!! I know that Yankee is a term used by others to describe N.Americans, but i'll be damned if you call a Southerner a Yankee. Of course I could care less because most people don't know better, but when we refer to Northerners as Yankees, it's usually derogatory |
It's not particularly appreciated by Canadians or Mexicans either. |
At first I saw that and was going to say the same thing, but a second later I realized he must have meant Northern Americans. Still, might want to write that out fully next time  |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| But "Yank." Ho boy!! I know that Yankee is a term used by others to describe N.Americans, but i'll be damned if you call a Southerner a Yankee. Of course I could care less because most people don't know better, but when we refer to Northerners as Yankees, it's usually derogatory |
The term 'Yankee/Yank' is even more complex than that. Lots of Northerners see absolutely nothing wrong with it. For example:
The New York Yankees
and this blast from the past (1917), one of George M. Cohan's biggest hits "Over There":
Chorus
Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there--
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev'rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray'r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over there. |
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| patchy wrote: |
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And they're probably a whole lot smarter too. |
And I should add a lot better-mannered, less foul-mouthed, more reasonable and not so arrogant they can't take a joke, as well. |
Denmark. |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| But "Yank." Ho boy!! I know that Yankee is a term used by others to describe N.Americans, but i'll be damned if you call a Southerner a Yankee. Of course I could care less because most people don't know better, but when we refer to Northerners as Yankees, it's usually derogatory |
The term 'Yankee/Yank' is even more complex than that. Lots of Northerners see absolutely nothing wrong with it. For example:
The New York Yankees
and this blast from the past (1917), one of George M. Cohan's biggest hits "Over There":
Chorus
Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there--
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev'rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray'r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over there. |
Yes, I have heard that song many times and am quite fond of it.
It is all relative of course. The South calls the Northerners "Yankees," which is usually a punch line or followed with a sneer. Some Northerners even wear that name as a badge of honor and are proud of it.
The flip side of is the name "Redneck." Many people down here love that label and actually self proclaim themselves as such. But when Californians and Northerners label somebody a "Redneck," there is nothing endearing about it.
Oh and ie. the "American" thing. When Canadians and Mexicans are halfway around the world and are asked where are you from?, do you REALLY say "America?" More curious than anything. I would bet my bottom dollar that I already know the answer. When Texans are asked that question anywhere in the world, the reply is Texas, not America. New Yorkers are notorious for this as well. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I have never said I am from America or said that I am North American. |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Satori wrote: |
| Yes, context comes into play, and the context is an exclusive and xenophobic society. The word is not offensive per se, but it emphasises the backwards "in group/out group" thinking that modern countries got over a long time ago. In the west you'll find non natives refered to by thier country of origin. A subtle difference maybe, what it implies is quite a significant difference in the way of viewing human beings. |
yeah, there's something to this. I don't find the word offensive but there is something alienating to it and they do use it with a broadness and insistency that is kinda troubling. Like when Korean people say, "Oh, I heard foreigners don't like spicy food," and I'm thinking "Out of the 190 countries on earth, do you really think that 189 don't like spicy food and Korea alone does?" but I know that's not what they really mean.
I wouldn't say the word is offensive. But it is somewhat alienating. It doesn't put me DOWN. But it puts me APART.
Really, the less I hear it, the better. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:00 am Post subject: |
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Satori,
Not to argue with you here but they are homogenous because they, up to recently, had no need or desire for immigration. Similar deal with Japan for example. Do you find the word Gaijin to be offensive? What about Gwailo in China? Do those terms bother you as well?
Koreas do use weaguk to many sauces. Sometimes it is derogatory in meaning, most of the time it is harmless...much like someone back home calling a Chinese, Japanese or Korean person asian or immigrant. In my neighborhood of TO and then in Ottawa most white people (considering themselves part of the founding people of Canada...or real canadians) would refer to all non-whites as immigrants. This is from an open and mixed society. Along similar lines, the word immigrant was not used to offend most of the time.....yet sometimes it was. My wife was called an immigrant a few times and didn't take it as an insult... |
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It's unmixed because it hasn't had swarms of immigrants from all over the world seek to enter the country. |
That's because it has one of the world's strictest immigration policies that is designed to keep the foreign presence to a minimum. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:57 am Post subject: |
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That's because it has one of the world's strictest immigration policies that is designed to keep the foreign presence to a minimum.
Indeed...and that policy was made possible because of?
No need for immigration until very recently. |
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| No need for immigration until very recently. |
Why then does Korea make it virtually impossible for foreign workers (especially DDD workers) to bring over their families, and why is it so difficult to obtain permanent residency and citizenship?
It is because Korea, like Japan, wants to retain its racial and ethnic homogeneity, and has put in place an immigration system that reflects this. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| much like someone back home calling a Chinese, Japanese or Korean person asian or immigrant. In my neighborhood of TO and then in Ottawa most white people (considering themselves part of the founding people of Canada...or real canadians) would refer to all non-whites as immigrants. This is from an open and mixed society. |
if I recall Homer, you are from the East of Canada right?
I'm just wondering cuz' I rarely heard anyone complain about "dem dam immigrants" other than some old coot complaining about the state of life. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| From Ontario..... |
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