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www.groovekorea.com / February 2014 4 Breaking down Barriers of ignorance I never experienced so much random kindness until I moved to Korea. One cold winter day in 2009, an older Korean lady walked up to me, took off her scarf, and wrapped it around my neck. I tried to refuse the gesture but she smiled and insisted I take it. People have gone out of their way to make me feel at home in their country. Strangers have led me to my destination when I was lost. Good things happened to me in Korea, and that’s why I stayed for five years. On the flipside, Korea has also surprised me with its ignorance and discrimination. Back in 2011 when I was looking for a new job, I went to a popular job site to search for positions and I found a pretty good one. The pay and the hours were great, but as I scrolled down the page, I reached the preferences section where they made it clear they preferred a white woman for the job. If that wasn’t clear enough, the next few words plainly stated job applicants could be mixed but “not 100 percent black.” This was not an isolated incident. It is a reality for many black people living in Korea, and it’s a lot more difficult for those from Africa. Such blatant racism would get on my damn nerves. That, and the cold nights after work when I stood watching the taxis breeze right by me and pick everyone else up. I had a lot of those nights. However, I am optimistic about Korea’s ability to change. Most of the discrimination I witnessed in the country was bred from ignorance and fear, not hatred. And we are all ignorant in some respects until we are exposed to the truth and educated with facts. I was once very ignorant about Korea, too. Beyond eating Kore- an BBQ and going to a noraebang in Los Angeles, I’d had virtually no exposure to or knowledge of Korean culture. My education about Korean culture began the moment I stepped off the plane. I learned that not all Asian children are good at math and not every Asian person knows martial arts. My shallow understanding of Korean culture was matched by the simple ideas many Korean people had about black culture. I encountered Koreans who were knowledgeable about icon- ic black figures like Michael Jordan and Jay-Z, but didn’t know much about relating to black people. My stude nts rubbed my skin and asked why I was black. They didn’t understand how I washed my hair or why my palms were a different color than the outside of my hands. The people I encountered on the streets, who typically just stared at me, must have been equally confused. But I get it. The same way many Americans live in a bubble and don’t think about the world around them, many Koreans live in an insular society that hasn’t interacted much with foreigners. This has led to a lot of awkward moments, but it’s also allowed me to challenge people’s notions. One time in class, I took a break from our lesson and pointed across the room to a world map. I asked my students if Southeast Asian countries and Northeast Asian countries were similar or if they had significant differences. They told me that there were a lot of differences between Asian countries. I agreed and moved on to my next question. I asked them if there were a lot of simi- larities between Northeast Asian countries. Again, the majority of my students told me China, Japan and Korea are all very different. Then I pointed to another location on the map — Africa. I asked the students if the continent of Africa had the same diversity. They immediately said no. I said, “So a continent with more than 50 countries, 2,000 languages and four uniquely separate regions are all the same?” I smiled as I watched their brains put the pieces together. Racism and discrimination are not problems unique to South Korea. They are worldwide problems that will always exist. How- ever, that doesn’t mean we can’t work toward eradicating the ignorance that breeds them. All foreigners and Koreans have a responsibility to act and speak out when discrimination is happen- ing right in front of them. By using ignorant comments and unfair treatment as teachable moments, we will, in fact, make Korea a better place. Koreans have taught me a lot and replaced my ignorance with knowledge, just as I hope we, as black foreigners, have had a similar impact on them. Destinations Monkeys and machetes: An adventure in northern Sumatra Once limited to those with an uncanny spirit for peril and excitement, Sumatra is slowly joining the ranks of other Indonesian islands with their bountiful opportunities for vacationers. Show-stopping scenery, volcanoes and orangutans dot the landscape of this isolated corner of the world, not to mention more than a few indigenous tribes and their ubiquitous loincloths. Quirky and wild though it may be, sticky Sumatra is no longer just for daredevils. Story by George Kalli Read it online in February or in print in March Music & Arts Artist’s Journey: Interview with Yu Da Kim, magician “Alone, the magician can’t make magic. It takes a connection between a performer and viewer to experience magic,” says magician Yu Da Kim. “If that connection fails, then there’s no reason to consider it magical. “Like a cake, magic can be created only if the ingredients fit the recipe and the conditions are just right. And if it’s not magic, people are quick to tell you otherwise. By listening to the audience, everything magicians need to know about what magic is and what it isn’t can be learned.” Interview by Wilfred Lee Read it online in February or in print in March Hot on: www.groovekoreA.com By Elliott Ashby, former cohost of “Night Vibe,” teacher and Korea resident Editorial To comment, email editor@groovekorea.com EDITORIAL we are responsiBle for acting out against racism