So this post is coming from a place of being a non-Korean person who likes Korean things. I already wrote at length about how the Korea thing became a Korean thing here, How I have tried to explain this all to my parents, who quite frankly just don’t fully understand it here, My father’s experiences with K-Pop here, and how K-Pop really has reshaped my life here. Some of these posts are more deep than others, but I feel that they all express my feelings as authentically as possible, without getting too cringey.
Today’s post, on the other hand is going to be all about those cringey things that you do hear over an extended period of time with something that is considered “unconventional” in many westerners eyes. None of this is said with any anger, but with a bit more of an eye roll, and a slight “you’ve got to be kidding me”. Let the listing begin!
- “Oh, so if you like things in Korea, you must be a Koreaboo!” : No, liking things related to Korea does not make me a Koreaboo. I do not over romanticize the country, and act like it is the happiest place on earth. I don’t love anything and everything just because it is Korean, and I definitely don’t speak Korean at everything. To be honest, for a long time, a lot of Korean food was hard for me to eat, as the flavors are just so different from what I was used to. Growing up in the US, in Pittsburgh of all places, our diet doesn’t really have fish in it at all, so if I tried to eat it I would gag. Insert my Asian friends all finding it hilarious and purposefully making me try different types of seafood without telling me what it was. I will point out though, yes I do speak Korean at things, mainly inanimate objects that aren’t doing what they are supposed to and my dogs, who surprisingly listen better in Korean than they do in English. They listen so well in Korean that everyone else in the family actually uses commands in Korean to get them to do what you want instead of English.
- “Is that Chinese/Japanese/Insert other Asiatic Language?”: I know most of this comes from an actual place of not knowing due to lack of exposure for a lot of people in the western hemisphere, but my issue when you explain it to someone once, explain the difference between the languages, and they ask it again 2 days later. Then, they assume that because you can speak one Asiatic language, that you can speak them all. I have been asked before to read Japanese, Chinese, as well as Thai and Burmese. Yes, the countries are in Asia, but they have different cultures and linguistic histories.
- “Wow! You are listening to music in English!” : This one has also happened to me on occasion. I think that people assume that because i listen to foreign music that I don’t listen to things in any other language anymore. The interesting thing about this is that when I go from listening to French music to English music, no one comments. Korean to English is a different story though. People comment on it relatively frequently, and the problem is there is almost a sigh of relief sometimes when the music is actually in English.
- “So do Korean people smell like their food?” : No, no they do not smell super garlic-y and delicious. All Korean people I know are actually way cleaner than most Americans and smell wonderful all the time. The Koreans in general are actually very up on personal hygiene and are very well groomed. They also know that their food is loaded with garlic, so they typically take a toothbrush with them. Side note: 98% of Koreans possess a gene where they don’t smell when they sweat (here’s an article on it). That is something that I am super jealous of as a westerner.
- “They all look alike!”: This is one of those statements that I actually 100% understand, as at first, besides the Asians who I was friends with, I too did struggle to distinguish between Asian faces. There is actually a post on this from The Guardian (read that ish here). Apparently, people are more likely to be able to distinguish faces from similar cultures than they are from ones that are different from them. I compared notes with my Asian friends on this, they have issues with determining the differences between white people faces. Most of that is due to lack of exposure, it is something that can easily be changed with time, and just meeting more and more people. So if someone says this, don’t take offense, as there is science backing this as a legit thing.
- “When you say Korea, you mean South, right?”: Yes, of course I mean South Korea. Why would I say that I want to travel to North Korea? I don’t have a death wish. Use your brains. I understand that the US has had a conflict with NK for a very long time, but there is also a South Korea….
Despite all of these things that people have said to me, I have still had many meaningful conversations with people regarding Korea and Korean culture. I’ve even managed to get some of my friends to start listening to K-Pop and take an interest in Korean affairs all together. Changing people’s mindsets take time, and usually the ones who do change are the ones who care the most about you to try and understand the interest. It also brings in a whole new set of friends and acquaintances who already come from that background. It expands your horizons and makes you a more well rounded person as well.
What kind of new experiences has your interest in K-Pop brought you, K-Nuggets? Where has it changed your life?
사랑합니다!
–Rachel
