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Name:Park, Ji Hyun
 Grade:10th
 School:Cambridge School of Weston

After I actually got to know them, my whole mind set was opened up. I erased all the bad stereotypes about other people and I started to think that we are all equal as human. All of my white and black friends were nice and funny. I liked them a lot and they seemed to like me back because I respect them of who they are and they respect me as who I am.

The point that I am trying to get across is that I felt as if white and black people were living in a moon and that they were like aliens to me. I never met them in my life (before I went to America); I only saw them through movies, commercials, or books. I think this is very sad because this is mostly the reason why I think Korean people have various stereotypical views about white and black people. It is important to realize that we are all people who have different perspectives and opinions. Although we may have some differences in race, background, culture, ethnicity, but we are all human beings who have feelings and emotions.

When I think of the word race, culture, and ethnicity, the first thing that comes up into my mind is “diversity”. The word, “race” is a big issue in every country and I think the best way to get rid of stereotypical view of other races would be understanding and realizing that although a person may look or act different than you, that does not make them of a lower or undesirable status.
 
I consider myself a Korean. Some people want to know whether I am from North or South Korea, but I do not understand why that matters that much. Although I was born and raised in South Korea, I am half North Korean. My grandparents (my mother’s) are from North and I do not feel ashamed or embarrassed by this. My grandparents escaped from North during the Korean War. My grandfather fought for South and he is a doctor. I am very proud of my grandparents. I know that North Korea is famous for its nuclear bomb and Kim Jung Ill, but that does not mean that all the people in North Korea are bad or evil. Therefore I would not specifically call myself as South Korean or North Korean, I am Korean. In my opinion, the range of being “Korean” would be people who were born and raised in Korea to the people who have at last 1percent of Korean blood.

Growing up in Korea was very different from growing up in America. When I was in Korea, I grew up being told to be respectful, peaceful, and obedient. Every single time I was spoken to, I listened to elders and my parents. I did and followed whatever they told me to do. Due to this, I learned that the way a person grows up could really change their minds and points of view. For example, there used to be no white or black people living in Korea. These days, I do see them more often because I live in capital city and it has been changing a lot.  Before, when I was young, I thought all the black people were mean and dirty people. Also I thought all the white people were pretty and rich. The main reasons why I had these misconceptions and stereotypes are because of our media. I had never met black or white people so I relied on the movies or TV shows in Korea. Also many elders told me to be careful in America and to behave well because they thought black or white people might physically hurt me. I realized that this was totally wrong. 

Name:Park Ji Hyun
Grade:10th
School:Cambridge School of Weston

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