The Human Race

Here is some food for thought that was provoked during a recent discussion I had with some friends from several different countries and backgrounds… (My thoughts are in no way meant to criticize Korean culture or Korean people.  They are simply some thoughts (scattered thoughts at that) and observations I have been pondering about myself and all people everywhere)

Honestly I find it amazing that is 2013 and we still cannot accept all people for what they are: People.  We are all the same species.  We all live on the same planet.  We are all the same race: human race.  But for some reason that isn’t enough.  Growing up I remember learning about diversity and how the country of America was founded on the principle that all men are created equal.  I remember hearing people talk occasionally about feeling discriminated against because of their skin color or gender or whatnot.  I always shrugged it off thinking no, it’s the 21^st century now.  Discrimination doesn’t exist anymore.  Oh how wrong I was.  It wasn’t until I moved somewhere where I was the minority that I realized not only does discrimination exist everywhere, but I, myself, have plenty of stereotypes for different groups of people back home as well.  

Korea is an extremely homogenous population.  When we first came here I knew we would be the minority but I didn’t realize just how much we would be the minority.  In the area of Seoul that we live in especially, it is very rare to see another non-Korean walking the streets.  Therefore, when they do see a non-Korean, many of them to tend to stare.  And stare.  And stare.  Even after sixteen months of it, it can still be uncomfortable at times, especially when I stop to think about why they are staring.  I’m a human being just like each one of them so what’s to stare at?  Well my skin color is different and my face looks different and my hair is a slightly lighter color.  Basically I don’t look exactly the same as all of them.  A Korean friend even explained it like this to us before:  “Sometimes they’ve never seen a foreigner in person before so they want to get up close and personal and just stare at you since you’re the first one they’ve seen.”  People stare, people point, sometimes little kids even cry, all because we don’t look the same as them.   Yes there is the point of the stereotype and reputation that westerners in Korea have that contributes to this as well.  But I feel like the root of it comes from the fact that we simply look different.

I have a Korean friend who was born and raised in Germany.  German is her first language, Korean and English came after.  When we were talking this last weekend she mentioned how in Germany she really didn’t feel like she fit in because she was Korean and not German.  She always figured that when she went to Korea she would fit in just fine since those are “her people.”  When she came to Korea she was not accepted by the Korean people at all because she was not born and raised there.  They can tell by the way she speaks Korean.  She says that in a way it seems like she has no home.  She is not very well accepted in Germany and is not very well accepted in Korea either.  How sad that a person, a human being just like you and I, cannot feel accepted because of their nationality or where they were raised.

It really causes me to stop and think about all the stereotypes that I hold and that are accepted for different groups of people and how wrong those stereotypes are.  I think it’s really hard to understand discrimination and stereotypes until you are in the middle of one.  It definitely was for me.  When it comes time for us to return home to America I will definitely take the value and importance of understanding diversity with me.  In the meantime I will continue to ponder these thoughts of how important it is to accept everyone for exactly who they are: a human being.