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Sushi
Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Location: North Korea
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 Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:31 am Post subject: Russian Girl adopted by a Korean family. |
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| Maybe there is a refernce to this somewhere else, but I just learned about it. Apparently she was adopted by a Korean family when they were visiting russia. She is in Korean highschool, and wants to become a Korean Russian translater. |
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jadarite
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Location: Andong, Yeongyang, Seoul, now Pyeongtaek
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:39 am Post subject: |
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That's a very touching story that really struck a cord inside me.
I do hope she becomes the among the best translators Korea has. |
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soviet_man
Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:55 am Post subject: |
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A small ethnic Russian community has lived in South Korea for the past century and in many cases Korean is our native language.
So her story is not unique.
Many ethnic Koreans in Sakhalin are equally a part of Russian society.
However ... despite all this reality, this girl, will face a lifetime of questions and probable discrimination because of her ancestory. It may well have been kinder to of left her in Russia.
Assimilation into South Korean society is a contradiction. Even Russians born in Korea cannot hope of such a thing! |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| soviet_man wrote: |
| It may well have been kinder to of left her in Russia. |
Although I respect your opinions, I very much disagree with this statement. There is a level of poverty in parts of Russia that most of us would have trouble comprehending. I've had several students from Russia and former Soviet Republics and their stories are heartbreaking. Parents who purposely cripple their children to make them more effective beggars. Little girls under 10 years prostituting themselves. One student told me that her parents left her at a dairy farm where she started working to help milk the cows at three years of age. Her parents could not afford to raise her and thought that hard work was preferable to starving. I'm sure Jang Su-In's parents knew what awaited her in Russia when they made the incredibly difficult decision to send her away.
BTW, I'm impressed with the academic ability of many Russians. My first Russian student was actually married to a Korean man. Hearing Korean with a Russian accent was quite a trip. They immigrated to the U.S. where she scored in the top 0.3% in the nation on the LSAT and went on to a top law school. Prior to seeing the LSAT, she had never taken a standardized test before. She was used to oral exams in college, so she had to complete reorient her thought process. I was very proud of her and attended her law school graduation. |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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I know I'm being an asshole saying this, but:
I'm glad to be from a country where adopting a child and dragging him/her from the clutches of poverty to live a better life isn't newsworthy. As another poster said, as touching as the story is now - we'll see how she feels after getting shit at school for not being Korean and spends her childhood in a fishbowl because she's the "foreigner" who speaks Korean. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
I know I'm being an asshole saying this, but:
I'm glad to be from a country where adopting a child and dragging him/her from the clutches of poverty to live a better life isn't newsworthy. As another poster said, as touching as the story is now - we'll see how she feels after getting shit at school for not being Korean and spends her childhood in a fishbowl because she's the "foreigner" who speaks Korean. |
Yeah, you're an asshole. But I guess you already knew that. 
1. I assumed you were from the U.S. given the way you write. If so, then I read foreign adoptee feel good stories about once every 1-2 years here in the U.S. BTW, this wasn't you typical adopted kid - her accomplishments are rather remarkable I'd say, which makes her story more newsworthy.
2. Did you read what her life was like in Russia? No formal education by age 12. Growing up uneducated and doomed to poverty vs. college educated but possible discrimination by Koreans. . . every rational person would take the discrimination.
Your hatred of all things Korean is really quite sad. Perhaps it's time for you to go back to your home country? |
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thiophene
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't know...there's always gotta be a first. The first openly gay, first bi-racial marriage, the first woman to demand equal rights...they all had it hard...and bless them for it! |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| madoka wrote: |
Yeah, you're an asshole. But I guess you already knew that.
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You're only angry because I'm right and it pisses you off that you can't do anything about it. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| madoka wrote: |
| Scotticus wrote: |
I know I'm being an asshole saying this, but:
I'm glad to be from a country where adopting a child and dragging him/her from the clutches of poverty to live a better life isn't newsworthy. As another poster said, as touching as the story is now - we'll see how she feels after getting shit at school for not being Korean and spends her childhood in a fishbowl because she's the "foreigner" who speaks Korean. |
Yeah, you're an asshole. But I guess you already knew that.
1. I assumed you were from the U.S. given the way you write. If so, then I read foreign adoptee feel good stories about once every 1-2 years here in the U.S. BTW, this wasn't you typical adopted kid - her accomplishments are rather remarkable I'd say, which makes her story more newsworthy.
2. Did you read what her life was like in Russia? No formal education by age 12. Growing up uneducated and doomed to poverty vs. college educated but possible discrimination by Koreans. . . every rational person would take the discrimination.
Your hatred of all things Korean is really quite sad. Perhaps it's time for you to go back to your home country? |
1. You can't make a distinction between 'hatred of Korea' and 'distaste regarding Korea's racially obsessed mindset'.
2. "Love it or leave it" is for simplistic rednecks, whether you're talking about Korea or the US. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
| You're only angry because I'm right and it pisses you off that you can't do anything about it. |
No Scotticus. I actually feel bad for you. You're in a country you don't want to be in, filled with people you have a distain for, and doing a job you don't like. And there isn't much you can do about it. Unfortunately, I can't say many in the U.S. is faring much better right now. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| jkelly80 wrote: |
| 1. You can't make a distinction between 'hatred of Korea' and 'distaste regarding Korea's racially obsessed mindset'. |
Why yes I can tell that difference. Following Scotticus's posts, I've learned he is simply the former. |
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soviet_man
Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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To those that defend the Korean "parents" (and I don't) let me say ... she was one of six children --- so what happens to the other five in Russia?
The whole thing is deeply problematic. |
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Goku
Joined: 10 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
I know I'm being an asshole saying this, but:
I'm glad to be from a country where adopting a child and dragging him/her from the clutches of poverty to live a better life isn't newsworthy. As another poster said, as touching as the story is now - we'll see how she feels after getting shit at school for not being Korean and spends her childhood in a fishbowl because she's the "foreigner" who speaks Korean. |
She was adopted at 12 and is 19 now. She probably has experienced some sort of discrimination, whether good or bad I would digress. I'm more opt to believe she would receive good treatment.
The fact that a Korean family even adopted her shows how open minded and caring people can be. For all we know, she could have been pampered and treated like a little princess in her town. Maybe the town saw her as the a poor girl ravaged by the poverty of her family and helped out in anyway they could. Fact is, her adoptive parents are christians so there is no doubt in my mind that she would have been surrounded by other chirstians and PROBABLY treated her well (And that's just an assumption, I definately don'tt think all christians are good but from personal experience, it's more likely than not).
I do agree that this totally un-newsworthy though. It's one of those "lift your spirits up" stories that Bruce Almighty does.
But you have to admit, that's a DAMN GOOD act to take in a little girl and bring her all the way over back to your home country just to raise her and give her an education. Look this isn't a normal adoptive story. They didn't have her from birth, or as a baby. It's not like she will grow up with them and only knowing them as a mother and father .The bond isn't really a strong mother daughter relationship. It's just basically an old couple taking care of a little girl. She still has a family in Russia and even though she is grateful to them, she will always have a family in Russia. Most people couldn't raise and care for a child knowing that she might just get up and leave and go back home. In fact, the article states she was even thinking about it. It's like they are simply feeding and educating her for a good life. Now THAT is a selfless act in my eyes. |
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T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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I was in the States and took my son to a birthday party for the daughter of one of my friends. Sitting in a group of parents, one asks me "Which on is your son?" I point him out and she responds, "Oh, I really admire those that adopt overseas children. Have you experienced any racial problems adopting a Chinese baby?" To which I responded "His Korean mother happens to be my wife. And yes I have." At which point I excused myself and walked away.
In fairness to her, she really meant nothing by it, and was trying to make conversation. Unfortunately, her prejudice showed. The point is that Korea does not have a monopoly on ignorance.
I am amused by the observations that newbies make about Korea. There are a lot of things that could be better. However the amount that has changed in the last fifteen years is astonishing and the rate of change is accelerating. Give 'em time. Each generation in Korea is a completely new chapter. |
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