Korean Job Discussion Forums

[n3ptne]

An interesting thing happened to me today, but before I get to that theres some background information that must be had.

Now I grew up Detroit, MI, USA, which has a large population of blacks, arabs, hispanics, and asians. I consider myself enlightened enough to hold no racial prejudices, and quite to the point I prefer the company of ethnic people. However, in the US, when walking down and I happen upon a black man, in my mind I think "BLACK MAN", not Man. This holds true whenever I see an ethnic minority, whether its asian, or what have you, but not of course when I see a "WHITE MAN", I simply, in my mind, see a Man. Of course I'm not saying blacks, asians, and other minorities aren't Men, or even to suggest that they aren't on equal standing with the "WHITE MAN", but as what I believe to be a natural function of my mind from being raised in a predominantly white society, this phenomenon occurred while living in the US.

Here in Korea things are different. I do not see, when finding one on the street, a "KOREAN MAN", I simply see a Man, and conversely I, through their eyes, see myself as being a "Foreign Man". While I'm not sure if all of them hold the same enlightened outlook on race that I do, thus far there has been no evidence to suggest otherwise, I've been treated well, but certainly not as a Korean... as a Foreigner. I imagine this concept will hold to be true throughout the course of my travels, and as I do wish to live in Africa for a period of time, believe that perhaps after seeing all of the world, and upon returning to the US that this societal predisposition towards color will be eradicated.

This brings me to the interesting thing that happened today. I was at the bank withdrawing some money and in walked another Foreign Man, who was black. My mind no longer saw him as being any different than me, despite the obvious different of pigmentation.

This thought led me to wonder something though, an open question to Blacks, do you think that Koreans see you any differently as they do me? Or, are you just another foreigner to them?

I find this most interesting because, I imagine most of the Blacks in Korea are from the US, and I also imagine that in the US they have run into some form of racism during the course of their lives. They are... more predisposed to dealing with it, picking up on it, and things of that nature. Even the subtleties of my own subconscious way of thinking is an example of this, that all Blacks in the US are typically viewed as being different. I don't mean this in a bad way, but it wasn't until today that I saw the Man first, and his color second. This, of course, has never prevented me from making friends with, living around, going to school, and communicating with Blacks... but it was always there lingering in the back of my mind.

[chest rockwell]

It seems like anybody who is a foreigner and isnt white gets a hard time over here. I think its because they look scary to Asians.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

[billybrobby]

I've always considered people who say that they're not at all racist to be like people who say they don't masturbate (hint: full of sh*t). Personally, I come from a racist place and I used to use racial slurs all the time amongst my friends. It's obviously not something I'm proud of. But maybe that's why I don't find Korean racism to be so outrageous. It's the just the shoe on the other foot for me.

Anyways, when I see a black guy in Korea, I'm always trying to suss whether he's from an African country or if he's an American GI (yeah, I know, I'm pidgeonholing)

[seoulkitchen]

[SuperHero]

[Demonicat]

[OiGirl]

[Captain Corea]

[Ya-ta Boy]

I was really hoping to think of something clever to say, but...

It's my guess that Koreans see blacks and whites both as SO different that they kind of put them in the same box, although Koreans do have a 'thing' for light complexions. This gets mixed up with admiration for rich white countries and contempt (?) for poor non-white countries. That ranking thing Koreans do. I'll bet you could have a terrific discussion of this point with a couple of articulate Korean friends and a couple of bottles of soju.

[Red]

When the entire world gets 50 Cent as the cultural representative of black folks thanks to B.E.T., I can't help but wonder why there are so many people shitting themselves...

Why, why, why?

[n3ptne]

-belch-

Maybe Canadians don't feel the same way because they didn't have slavery... in America its a big deal, well... its a deal.

I use racial slurs all the time... and personally find racial jokes to be some of the most amusing (my favorite are hearing black people make fun of white people)... and I didn't mean "most of the blacks in Korea are from America"... I meant, more or less "most of the blacks on Daves Esl, or English teachers, are from America".


I'm not racist... I own a color TV, haha love it... still havent heard from any blacks... I imagine there really aren't too many of them.

[bobbyhanlon]

why would canadians be so surprised?

[dogbert]

[The Great Toad]

You know this reminds me of my ole buddy LCPL Brach who use to be a CPL he got demoted because he felt bad could not hack it after he killed many Somalias he especially felt bad about an old woman he cut in half who happened to be in a crowd of snipping ambushers. Brach use to share his MRE with a little Somali kid but the poor hungry kid got more and more greedy as he grew less and less afraid of Brach. Eventually the kid got angry at him and threw rocks. As the rules of engagement prohibited deadly force on rock throwing civilians a lot of Marines got in rock fights with crowds, but the crowds always won the rock fights and the Marines would run away and hide in their tracks. The point to the story is that people in foreign countries don't belong there no matter waht race they are- at least to many of the native peoples, this in turn causes the foreigner to feel like he is an outsider and act sketchy which reinforces his strangeness. The best way to solve this is to be extra friendly especially with the young kids, but to understand that if they are very poor you may eventually have to give away your whole MRE instead of just the crackers. In my case however I am the one who asks for and gets free food from the children as they are all well fed rich punks in the new hub of asia. And if they give me no food I do not throw rocks, however I do say, "Angaahree." "Whyyy no chocolate, Me?" "Hungaaareee."