Section 2
Week 7
For this week's blog entry I was very interested reading Korean American Youth and Transnational Flows of Popular Culture across the Pacific by Jung-Sun. In this class we've been hearing stories from a variety of Asian Americans such as Hmong (Kaozong), Hong Kong (Joshua Wong and Scholarism), and so on and so forth. One large population (as in the country's population as well as population in the USA) is Koreans and their perspectives were interesting. One found fitting in in the USA to be impossible because of the presence of various ethnic groups, another noted how an Anglo-Saxon friend had parents who went to the same college as the friend but coming from an immigrant family meant they themselves lacked such a connection, and then one person who felt less American during the process of growing up through realizing how White dominant American culture seemed.
If you notice, South Korea and USA have many similarities. Both have produced successful pop musicians, both are strong in the electronic and automotive industries, and there is similar levels of interest in sports such as martial arts, baseball, and soccer (both countries have hosted a FIFA World Cup). And over the last decade or so both nations seem to have people who appreciate each others' cultures, with K-Pop and Korean shows becoming more popular in the USA (especially in the UC Davis community) and with a large number of Koreans having English speaking skills. Even if there are some people who have trouble relating to one of these cultures, as we become more and more globalized, I feel Koreans and Americans will have the ability to connect with one another more easily. It's all about attitudes. Historically USA has welcomed people of all different cultures over the course of this nation's history. Some welcomes warmer or colder than others. Our time is now, and especially with international students and faculty at UC Davis we are always provided with opportunities to be there for them as we would be for our friends and loved ones.
Are we promoting an inclusive or exclusive culture in our immediate world?
No comments:
Post a Comment