Korean Job Discussion Forums

[schwa]

I generally just gloss over editorials in the Korea Times but the lead piece today struck me as timely & well thought out. I'm planning to use it in a teachers class tomorrow -- an advanced group I like to challenge. There seems to be a buzz on this issue & I think its worth exploring. We'll go through the article then I figure to set small groups to discussing hypotheticals, which is where I'd appreciate your input.

Heres the editorial:


Touchdown on Motherland
Time to Get Over Prejudice Against Mixed-Blood People


The life story of Hines Ward, the Korean-born Super Bowl MVP, has everything that attracts media spotlight and popular interests. Born in Seoul 30 years ago to an African-American soldier and a Korean mother, he overcame many difficulties to stand tall as a superstar of America's most popular sport. Ward's strong spiritual bonds to his native country, which he left as a toddler, and his mother's extreme parental dedication also made headlines. There is a darker aspect to all this, though.
Since his arrival here on Monday, the whole nation is gripped with "Ward syndrome.'' Ward and his mother lunched with President and Mrs. Roh Moo-hyun will receive honorary citizenship of Seoul and be showered with gifts and accolades from business enterprises and social groups. This is only natural, as people love stars and their success stories. On the other hand, however, about 35,000 mixed-race people in this country are experiencing severe discrimination at schools and workplaces.

We Koreans are notorious for exclusive adherence to ``pure blood,'' as seen in our extraordinary pride in a racially homogeneous nation. But anthropologists say Korea is actually composed of descendants of up to 35 sub-races from all over the world. People are prone, almost instinctively, to dislike those who are different from them. It's time, however, that we recognize difference but reject discrimination by actively accepting cultural relativism. No children can select their parents, anyway.

The mixed-race population breaks into three groups, or generations: Those born to U.S. servicemen and Korean women; children from the couples of Koreans and migrant workers; and the offspring of "mail-order brides'' from Southeast Asian nations. In any case, their chance of assimilating to society is disappointingly low with most, except for a very small number of successful entertainers, ending up as social outcasts. This is shameful for a country where globalization is a national watchword.

Reports are increasing about housewives from Southeast Asia suffering depression due to a culture gap and other "invisible'' barriers. Most of them have language problems, which often lead to difficulties providing a normal education to their children. In 10 to 20 years, this could emerge as a serious social and political issue, as one out of every four marriages in rural areas is biracial. The government should hurry to work out measures to cope with these adverse effects.

The American footballer deserves a warm welcome in his mother's country, but this should not be a passing phenomenon, but an occasion to reflect on our practices and consciousness on mixed-blood people. A society can become an open and fair one only when it cease to differentiate "they'' from "us.'' Globalization is impossible without "inner'' globalization.


OK, if youre still with me, I'm trying to put together some scenarios for them to argue out in 2s or 3s & then present to the class. Here are some of my ideas:

1) Your oldest son comes back from an extended backpacking trip to southeast Asia (which you paid for) with a filipina fiancee. She seems like a nice young woman & your son is clearly taken with her. You can only communicate in broken english. How do you & your spouse respond?

2) You have a half-Thai, half-Korean student in your homeroom class. She's a pleasant girl, evidently bright, but her command of korean is below grade-level. Her mother doesnt speak korean & her father is a drunk. The other students are bullying her. What do you say to your students? How do you deal with this?

3) Your daughter is doing graduate studies in the US. Without warning or ceremony, she has married a black man & is expecting his child. He's a medical professional, your daughter is happy, & she's coming to visit with the new baby later this year. What do you say to your friends & colleagues?

I think I'm also going to suggest that if some popular tv drama would cast an attractive "half-breed" in a lead role social acceptance might be remarkably expedited.

Other ideas? What do you think?


*edited to add link:
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200604/kt2006040420134754040.htm

[SPINOZA]

It's interesting subject matter, but I personally would not use that with my adult class because I'd fear they find it a bit morally patronizing. The Korean adults I work with are pretty liberal - all have travelled much more than most ESL teachers and are knowledgeable - and I fear they'd think that was a bit condescending. Your adults may not be the same though, so who knows?

Besides, they'll only give you politically-correct answers to your questions - ie. "I wouldn't care as long as they loved each other - that's what's most important" regardless of how they really feel. They can't really say anything else after reading the rather sancimonious article can they? The problem with liberal dogma like that is that it basically says this view is right and other views are wrong. The debate would be a bit more open if you left the pontificating article out.

I suggest it'd be more interesting if you asked them your questions and ignored the article. Your questions at the end there are the best thing about it! And if they haven't read the article beforehand, you'll get real answers and probably lots of discussion.

Korea's (obviously) a very socially conservative society still and has only been a modern, wealthy democracy for 20 years if not less. Spreading the gospel truth of college-corridor liberalism to show them the errors of their ways won't do much good in my opinion.

[bijjy]

^ I agree with what he said

[Hater Depot]

On the other hand, teachers are going to be dealing with these issues a lot. See www.rjkoehler.com for a longish but very good post on the subject.

[steroidmaximus]

Interesting article with some useful stats. I'm happy to see such an article in print, written by a Korean, since it will hopefully generate some much needed national dialogue on this issue.

But. . .

I'm not sure I'd use this article myself; I tend to avoid stuff like this in class since I have definite opinions being the father of 2 mixed kids and having to deal with this stuff on a daily basis. Usually students will bring it up themselves; then I offer them some examples from daily life, both positive and negative. Unfortunately, often focusing on the negative, because it sucks to see your little 3 year old start to cry because she is surrounded by a group of kids pointing and saying "oooo waygookin imnida" , "Migook, migook!!" etc, while the parents stand by and go on about how cute they are.

In the future, I'll consider using the stats for this article once they've been verified: 1 in 4 rural marriages to foreigners, eh? From my tour in the EPIK boondocks last year, I certainly did see a lot of Fillipinas and Vietnamese, but I'm not so sure about 1 in 4. I also have a good article in Korean that quotes Ward's mom that I'd consider using.

Now, if you wanted to teach that article exclusively, first I'd initiate the discussion by talking about famous half Koreans; there's a nice list over in that other thread. Just talking about this may use up your whole class. Keep the article as a reserve, or assign it as homework reading. Be sure that you emphasize that this was written by a Korean. If you want to stir things up, disagree vehemently with the article, discussing the disadvantages of interracial / intercultural breeding. Bring up the term eugenics.

Of course, this is really only recommended if you've already taught them the concept of the devil's advocate.

Could you include the link for the article, please?

[Ya-ta Boy]

[patchy]

I think if I were in the class, I would laugh and say that it's quite ironic being taught by a westerner about racial prejudice when the western nations have quite a lot to learn about tolerance from Asians themselves.

Korea may have problems of intolerance but they don't have the kinds of problems of epic proportions you see in the west:

Ever heard in Korea of:
- a colored person being dragged in the street from the back of a truck, or a black guy bashed to death (happened in England recently) by whites for doing nothing except being with a white girl?
- LA-type race riots? Cops beating colored suspects?
- Cops sodomizing Ethiopian migrants with a plunger?
- Deaths of foreigners in police custody?
- Suffocation deaths of black suspected illegal immigrants from duct tape over mouth while being transported via plane?
- Race riots a la Sydney?
- Deaths of people of disadvantaged minority races in custody? In a rate of epidemic proportions?
- Black on white violence? Black violence on Asian business owners?
- Twenty-four % of African American adult male population in prison at one time or another?
- Anti-miscegenation laws kept on the law books as late as 1967? US immigration row in the US Congress at the moment?
- Over-liberal gun laws?
- Hines saying he was teased by whites for being black AND Korean? (Don't ignore that.)

I'd say people should fix their own problems before lecturing to anyone else.

[Captain Corea]

So Patchy, if I'm NOT from the US then maybe I can talk about race relations?

Seriously, you said "western nations" but most of your examples are from the US. Could someone from Canada or New Zealand lead a discussion on race relations? If not those two, could you suggest one?




Odd though how you automatically assume that someone from the US should not have this as a discussion in a class. Honestly, I thought some frank discussion on the matter, involving people from different backgrounds, might actually do everyone some good.

But I guess you disagree.

[patchy]

[NightSky]

[Son Deureo!]

The article is definitely interesting to me, but I wouldn't use it in an adult conversation class either. It's too obviously opinionated, even if I do agree with most of the opinions in it. If you want to discuss this subject matter, I'd pick a simple article (not editorial) about Hines Ward's visit and the Korean public's reaction to it, and then try to draw out the students' response with conversation questions. The ones you include are good, but I'd also include some simpler, less threatening questions like:

Have you taught any mixed students in your classes? How do you feel they were treated by the other students?

Do you know any international couples?

etc.

Good luck, and be sure to let us know how the lesson goes.

[dulouz]

Please help... I'm White and I want to teach English in Zimbawe. Will I be discriminated against? I heard that the Zimbameans have freed themselves from apartied and are now embracing multiculturalism. My culture demands I be paid at least $40,000 per year. We they satisfy my cultural requirements?

[dulouz]

[patchy]

To the OP:

Perhaps you could talk about the racism of your own race first, you could even start talking about the racism your students could expect if they join an all-white discussion group.

That they could be expected to be called Korean (or kyopo) this and Korean that in almost every thread.

That they will be called an "anti-white racist" if they disagree with a white poster; be called a racist if they insist the Japanese should be sincere when giving wartime apologies, and be accused of being biased towards Koreans and biased against whites (the 'anti-white' thing again) if they defend a Korean or defend Koreans in general about anything.

That they will be told to stay away from a white person's country if the Korean has a different POV from the white person, even if the Korean is defending another minority (not Asian) race, and happens to be a citizen of that white person's country. http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=49022&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

And how no white person speaks up about this but all fall over themselves running over to bash a Korean for saying the same thing to a white person. http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=54475&start=0

Yes, maybe you should start here and discuss the racism in your own backyard including your own racism (because everyone is a little racist at heart, aren't they? Even if the racism is the simple act of overlooking the racism of one's own people - and obsessing over the racism of another racial group's) ... and THEN graduate to a discussion of racism around the world, including racism in Korea.

And then maybe, just maybe, the people in your class won't feel like you're a sanctimonious person, preaching to them exclusively about Korean racism.

[juicyhumdinger]

In otehr words, sit down and shut up white boy, you ain't allowed to be speakings around here.

Geez Patchy, bitter much? No one is trying to gloss over western history, it's about trying to have a frank conversation about these kinds of things. You're preaching to the choir; I think quite a few people here would openly admit our countries ain't no shangri-la, baby. . .but it's about where you are now and trying to make sense of it. Why not take on directly those who have offended, instead of painting everyone with the same brush, which you say we're doin to you? Hypocrisy doesn't make your argument any stronger.

Anyway, I've heard enough Koreans in classes trashing the US and Canada, pretty roughly at that, and as a teacher I'll discuss freely and openly these beefs. . .but hey it's a two way street, it's how we learn the truth about each other, eh?

I think this would be a nifty topic, but my problem is how to make a conversation class out of it for middle school students, especially when two of them are half Fillipina and one is half American?