As an older sister to my little brother and sister, I have to set a good example for them. I do what a typical older sister does: steer them away from bad influences and at times pick on them. I often tell them that its important to learn Korean. However, they don't listen to me so for now I've just been pushing them to learn Korean. This how my conversation with them about this matter usually goes:
Lets call my little brother and sister X and Y.
Me: hey, why don't you want to learn Korean?
X and Y: What's the use of learning Korean? We live in America where we only need to know English not Korean. Why don't you stop making a big deal out of nothing. It's not like we're going to live in Korea.
Me: But it's important to know Korean. Even though we are American citizens, we're still Korean. You always have to remember that. Don't ever forget who you are.
X and Y: I know you're trying to help us but we just don't see the point learning Korean now.
Me: It's never too late.
You may be wondering why I bring up a personal matter as this. I bring this point up to explain how important it is not only for me but also for my younger siblings. I don't want them to forget who they are and most importantly their own identity. Nowadays, second generation foreign born koreans are having a hard time finding their own identities whether it's not being able to speak Korean or feeling out of place among other Koreans. I sincerely hope one day my younger siblings will realize how important it is to know Korean. It's not just a language, its what one calls it a way of life.
Whenever I tell people I'm German they say, "Say something in German!!" I just kind of stare at them because I can only say a few words. It's not like I was exposed to German as my native language. My gandmother is the only true German and she can no longer speak. I wish I had at least studied German in high school. As crazy as it may seem, my parents told me I shouldn't. They thought Spanish would help me in the future. I follow a lot of the German traditions, such as leaving my Christmas tree up until Jan. 5th, but I wish I could speak more of the language.
ReplyDeleteJust like Rebecca said Allison, its never too late. Maybe you could take some German classes in college. And great post Rebecca. One should always know where they come from and who they are. When I have kids I plan to teach them Hindi, Gujarati and English so whenever they go to India they don't feel left out or so weird about the culture.
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