Hans Anthony Galvez
Section 1
Nov 1 2015
Blog 7

While reading "Korean American Youth and Transnational Flows of Popular Culture across the Pacific", I found it interesting how the alienation of Korean American Youth caused by assimilation resulted in increased consumption of Korean media and further interest in their culture. As the popularity of the culture increases in America, it is interesting to see how it spreads to non-Korean youth. For instance, I know people back in my hometown that have fully immersed themselves in the Korean youth culture and have actually started to learn some Korean language. Also, reading this article prompted me to think about how the increasing popularity of Korean media and culture might lead to cultural appropriation. If the American people start to take cues from the exploitation of Korean culture, it would further alienate the Korean American youth who have not assimilated. Cultural appropriation may even seem inevitable given the numerous instances where American pop culture has exploited various cultures for their own interests.

Question: Will the popularization of Korean pop culture lead to cultural appropriation in America?