lessons from dc: being korean/asian in america

As I make my 15-20 minute commute from GW's campus to the Federal Triangle metro station every morning, I take a minute to glance at the people standing next to me, sitting a few feet away from me, smushing into me (when one train breaks down and everybody on that train has to get off and get on the next decently-packed one...the one I'm waiting for...it makes for a very, very crowded train.) It's rare that I see another Asian face in the crowd, apart from a handful of those around my age, who I'm guessing are interns just like me. But very rarely do you see an adult Asian-American, one with an I.D. badge and a newspaper in hand, waiting to get to work.

As I walk down the streets of D.C., sit in on a few restaurants here and there, go perusing through the Georgetown area, I find myself surrounded by very few Asians. Now, this could be the case in Idaho or the deep southern parts of Georgia - where people will ask you if you're from China first, and if you say Korea, North or South? - but why does it perturb me that this is the case in D.C.? Aren't there enough Asians in New York or Los Angeles?

Because. This is the capital of the United States. Perhaps Asians are better suited to the crowds in Wall Street or the various hospitals all around the country, but what about in the government? What about in these various departments and institutions that make our laws, determine where our taxes go, shape our lives, if I am to be so dramatic?

When it comes to government and politics, Asian-Americans - particularly Korean-Americans -seem to be a little indifferent. Perhaps it's because many in the older generation are immigrants, more invested in the running of their home country than that of this country in which they've planted roots so that their offspring would blossom. And perhaps this general lack of interest in the parental generation has trickled down to the younger generations. Sure, I've encountered a lot (a LOT) of Korean-Americans who are majoring in International Relations, but it's rare that you see one major in Political Science. And don't get me wrong - I really don't find politics all that interesting, nor do I keep up with governmental news that often either. The long jargon-y talks, the promises that require too much upkeep, the diplomatic smiles and the guarded conversations - sometimes it's too much for my feeble mind.

But in my short time at D.C., I'm greatly reminded of an amped up version of high school student government. Except in high school, we knew the ins-and-outs of the school's policies and traditions...we just didn't care. We were cynical, not believing that "more french fry lanes" or "awesome Homecoming decorations" would actually make a difference in our lives. But some of these reforms that are going on, health care and financial regulation and yada yada, these are actually going to make differences in our lives. And yet, I don't think the typical Asian-American thinks to run for Congress or something, because really, in many ways, it's a popularity contest. And there is something within Asian cultures that doesn't breed people suited for popularity contests. We're pretty darn smart, but not very popular.

There's also the question of loyalty. The thing about high school is, white people (especially in Georgia) will always have a soft spot for this place called high school. Football games, locker dates ("see you at 7?"), Prom, etc etc. So, naturally, they're more invested into making high school a better place. Asian students - not so much. It's more about their college alma mater and what career they end up having, rather than returning to catch the annual homecoming game in October or joining parent booster clubs. Asian-Americans in the general arena of America...depending on their generation, it's hard to determine where loyalties lie sometimes. Sure, we love living here. We love the academic and career opportunities here. But do we feel a surge of pride seeing the American flag and listening to the national anthem? Questionable.

The World Cup begins in a few hours, and diehard soccer fans will crowd around their t.v.s or their laptops and keep up with the games, following their brackets and gnashing their teeth as they keep their eyes glued to each player.

Who else will be watching carefully? Koreans - some who don't have any interest in soccer, some who hardly know any of the players' names. All they know are the chants, the color red, the sense of overwhelming pride when a player finally makes a goal. Sure, some of these Koreans will be those who immigrated, or those who spent a considerable time living there. But others will be those who have set foot in Korea a handful of times, or perhaps never at all.

My brother is like that in some ways. He's become obsessed with Korea, all these Korean pop stars, their popular culture, the way they dress, and the sense of humor they have. Why the K-pop scene and not Hollywood? Why do a good handful of Asian-Americans study abroad in their "home" countries and not somewhere new?

They say it's a desire to get to know their heritage, their culture. Wanting to explore a native land that their blood cries out to. But honestly, it's because being an Asian-American working in an Asian country gives more of a competitive advantage than being an Asian-American working in America. Koreans go crazy over K-pop stars who know how to speak English fluently (as long as they don't say anything bad about Korea on Myspace, of course.) If you can't find a job in the U.S., you can probably find a job teaching English in an Asian country. An American education is invaluable to some doing business in Asia.

So where does that leave us? What is my point after this whole long tirade? I'm not saying that we should forsake our culture, our roots. I personally think (South, for those confused) Korea is a great nation that really got on its A-game in the last 57 years and transformed its image from a starving, war-ravaged people to a country so prosperous that it's got a reputation for being superficial and technologically-addicted and then some. I wish I knew the language better, I wish I knew its history better, and honestly, I'm a lot fobbier on the inside than I let on. I have a good amount of Korean pride.

But being here in D.C. makes me realize again that I'm also an American. Maybe a naturalized citizen, maybe one who doesn't really read the newspapers as thoroughly as she should, maybe one who has never gotten to know her next-door neighbors in the various towns she's lived in - but an American nonetheless.

And sitting in on my class every week, I question myself, in the 19 years that I've lived in the U.S., why do I feel like I don't know anything about how it's run and why it's run that way? I feel like it's easy to blame America for being ignorant about the world, but so many Americans choose to be ignorant about America. And this is a problem more for educated Asian-Americans than the Caucasian country bumpkins because people try to make their voice be heard regardless of whether or not they know a thing about politics or government in general. Same goes for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans, which make up sizable portions of the U.S. population. But Asian-Americans, with our 4.4% of the population makeup (seems like more, huh?) and ~11 members of Congress (i.e. counting the half- or 1/8-Asians...that's about 2%), it seems like we have to do more to keep up. The more we shy away, the less of a voice we will get. And isn't having a voice one of the things America is all about?