Sandy Kim
Section A02
Response to: "Korean American Youth and Transnational Flows of Popular Culture across the Pacific"
18 May 2014

This article especially speaks to me, as I am part of the population Park mentions in his article. Many of the facts he points out in the article sounds like they could be narrating my life. What's even funnier is that I live less than an hour away from Los Angeles, and subsequently, Los Angeles' Koreatown. When choosing a cable provider, my parents specifically chose DirecTV because they had the most variety of South Korean cable channels, nevermind what American channels my brother and I wanted to watch. Even though I do relate to many of the things Park mentions, the mere fact that I was born in Texas alters my views significantly. Although I can proficiently read and speak Korean, I still consider English my first language and I view myself as more American than Korean. I don't indulge in K-Pop and rarely ever watch Korean dramas. Not because I don't understand the culture or can't understand the language, but simply because I'd rather not watch Korean dramas and listen to K-Pop. I do however, agree with Park's statement on transnationalism. Just a 5 minute stroll through LA's K-town (Koreatown) shows billboards and store signs in English and Korean, with a plethora of Korean markets nestled in between a Ralph's, a Southern California grocery store. The mixing of cultures doesn't stop there. I've personally noticed a recent influx of non-Koreans stepping into Korean restaurants (Korean BBQ, KBBQ, restaurants more specifically). The popularity of Korean food has skyrocketed in mainstream American society and for proof, you don't have to look far. This meshing of cultures isn't limited to just Korean culture in America; this applies to all cultures.