June 6, 2012

외국인혐오, 무지, 그리고 인종차별주의

문화는 인간행동의 사고, 언어 , 행동, 문화유물 을 포함하는 통합된 행위로 학습하고 후대에 정보를 전달하는 인간의 능력을 기반으로 하는 행위이다 “라고 웹스터 사전은 정의 하고 있다. 

나는 문제를 해결하기 위해 이 정의를 선택하였다. 문제는 명백하다. 인종주의, 외국인 혐오, 그리고 무지이다. 그러나 나는 단순히 문제를 제거하기를 원하지 않는다. 나는 진단을 하고 원인을 규명하고자 한다. 우리가 살고 있는 이 나라를 모욕하고자 하는 것이 아니다. 나의 목표는 문화적 오해를 성공적으로 중재하는 유일한 해결안 “말”을 사용하는 것이다. 나의 말을 촉진시키는 것은 최근 방영된 외국인을 한국여자에 대한 포식자로 묘사한 MBC의 방송이다. 불행하게도 이 방송은 순수한 추론이다. 이 방송은 추정되는 증거로 추론을 이끌어내고 있다. 나는 미합중국 시민이다. 미국의 역사는 이민의 역사다. 새로 이민 오는 모든 인종은 필연적으로 인종차별을 일으켰다. 불행하게도 이것은 인간의 본질 인 것 같다. 나는 문화가 복합문화가 일으키는 문제에 대해서 잘 알고 있다. 미국과의 다른 점은 미국은 새로운 문화를 환영했다. 미국은 모든 인종 ,교리를 섞는 용광로가 되기를 원했다. 한국은 그러한 곳이 아닌 것 같다. 외국인에 대한 한국인들의 감정은 외국인이란 단어에 함축되어있다. 이 말은 우리(외국인)는 하나가 될 수 없다는 말이다. 우리는 방문자일 뿐이다. 우리는 영속성이 없다고 생각한다. 나는 순진한 한국 사람들에게 많은 외국인들이 여기서 결혼하고 살고 있다는 걸 알려주고 싶다. 많은 한국 사람들은 외국인들이 한국에서 일어나는 범죄의 많은 부분을 차지한다고
생각한다. 그러나 사실은 한국 사람들의 범죄율보다 낮다. 2010년 경찰은 전국적으로 백팔십만 명을 기소했다 (전체 인구4800만중의 3.8%). 대조적으로 33,586 의 비 한국인이 기소되었다 (외국인 인구 126만 명의 2.7%) 중국 이민자가 가장 높은 비중을 차지했고 캐나다인이 가장 낮았다. 여기서 두 가지를 알 수 있다. 모든 인간은 범죄를 저지르고, 한국의 외국인은 실제로는 범죄를 적게 저지른다. 한국 퍼져있는 또 다른 이야기는 HIV는 외국인이 퍼트린다고 생각한다는 사실이다. 사실은 한국에 오는 모든 영어선생들은 비자를 받기위해 모두 검사를 받는다는 것이다. 미군은 모든군인을 파견하기 전에 모두 STD 검사를 한다. 한국에서 어떻게 HIV가 퍼지는가? 나는 외국인보다 매춘이 HIV의 원인이 될 가능성이 훨씬 높다고 간절하게 말하고 싶다. MBC에 방송된 내용은 의심할 여지없는 인종차별과 무지에서 비롯된 것이다. 또한 방송에서는 한국여성을 무기력한 희생자로 묘사했다. 여성이 약한 존재라는 개념은 그 사회의 문제가 있다는 점을 인정한 것이다. 내 생각으로는 성차별주의는 현 사회문제의 원인이다. 방송에서 외국인 남성이 현지의 무기력한 여성을 희생시킨다고 강조한 사실을 주목해보자 나는 한국남성이 베트남여성과 결혼하는 것에 대해 방송에서 본 적이 없다. 이 방송에서 내가 느끼는 것은 한국여성은 단지 한국남성이 지배력을 잃고 싶어 하지 않는 힘없는 존재 같다는 느낌이다. 한국이 세계적으로 성공하기 위해서는 양성의 평등이 시급하다. 지금 같은 가부장적인 편애주의는 한국은 퇴보시킬 뿐이다.

June 2, 2012

Xenophobia, Ignorance, and Racism - The Tentacles of Sexism

The word culture is defined as the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends upon the human capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations by the Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary.

I chose the above definition because a disease exists and we ought look for the cure. The main symptoms are obvious: Racism, Xenophobia, and Ignorance. However, I don’t wish to simply eliminate the symptoms. I want to play doctor and diagnose the root cause. What will follow is not an effort to condemn the society we live in on this peninsula. The goal is to use the only medicine which can successfully arbitrate cultural misunderstanding: words.

The catalyst for my words is a video segment recently aired by MBC which depicts foreign men as predators and Korean women as victims. Unfortunately, the video is pure conjecture. It draws its inferences almost entirely from presumptive evidence. The bias of the creators is evident and the video’s message is easily dismissed by any rational human being. However, the overt racism displayed is merely a symptom of a larger disease.


 


I am a citizen of the United States of America. The history of my country is the history of its immigrants. Every incoming wave of new race or culture inherently evokes racism. This, unfortunately, is part of our human condition. I am well aware of the difficulties mixing cultures can cause. The main difference is that the USA welcomes new cultures. The ensuing conflict which arises from immigration enhances our social IQ. We aim to become a pot in which all of the world’s races, creeds, and colors can mix. Korea is no such place.

Sentiment toward foreigners here is summed up in the Korean word 외국인 (foreigner). This word implies we cannot integrate. We are mere visitors. We have no permanency. I must inform the naïve natives here that many of us are permanent. We have married your daughters, sons, brothers, and sisters. We have made a few babies as well. It is for those children that the problem of Korean integration must be addressed.

Many natives believe that foreigners are a large source of crime in Korea. The truth is foreigners have a lower rate of criminal offense than the natives. According to the Wall Street Journal, “In 2010 police around the country charged 1.8 million South Koreans with crimes (3.8% of the overall population of 48 million). By contrast, 33,586 non-Koreans were charged with crimes (2.7% of the country’s foreign population of 1.26 million).” The Chinese immigrants had the highest rate of crime and the Canadians the lowest. Here we learn two things; a percentage of all humans do wrong and that in Korea foreigners actually commit fewer crimes.

Another myth which permeates Korea is that HIV is a common gift from a foreigner. The fact is every teacher here has been tested for AIDS in order to secure their visa. The U.S. military tests all soldiers for STD’s prior to deployment. How does HIV propagate here in Korea? I beg Koreans to consider prostitution as more probable than the foreigner.

The video aired on MBC also portrays Korean women as helpless victims. If the notion that women are the weaker sex is indeed part of the culture here we just may have learned the disease itself. Sexism in my estimation is the root of the current social woe. Note that the video focuses on foreign men victimizing the local, helpless women. Has a Malaysian bride of a Korean man ever stolen his money and left for home? Has a Chinese woman ever tried to have sex with a Korean man? I hear no outcry in this country about the men marrying the Vietnamese. The overwhelming feeling transmitted by the MBC segment is that Korean women are merely a commodity which the native men don’t want to lose control over. Korea’s wish to become globally successful will require an equality of the sexes. A continued state of patriarchal favoritism will only hold Korea back.

 “Sexism is the foundation of which all tyranny is built. Every social form of hierarchy and abuse is modeled on male over female domination.” - Andrea Dworkin


 

July 6, 2011

The Myth of July 7th (견우와 직녀)


I presented a copy of this story in Korean today to my students. I was born on the 7th of July and always wanted to learn this story. The following is the myth of 직녀 (Jiknyeo) and 견우 (Kyeonu) translated by several students and pieced together as best I could:

Long ago in a place among the stars lived Jiknyeo. This beautiful princess was daughter to the King of the Sky. Jiknyeo was a talented weaver of hemp and could make all sorts of beautiful things. Her work ethic was second to none. The King despised idleness and was proud of his daughters diligence. One day, the Sky King recognized her beauty. He decided she must marry and began searching for a worthy husband. Soon after Kyeonu was chosen as her mate. Like Jiknyeo, Kyeonu was hardworking. Although a simple cow herder, his animals were always well tended. He was also a prince!

The couple married and continued to excel in their diligence and hardwork. They were the most famous couple in all of the universe and loved each other very much. As time passed they began to enjoy spending time together more than their work. They would lay together for hours on end and stare at the stars. Jiknyeo's loom became covered in dust. Kyeonu's cows roamed freely and even trampled the King's garden. Their laziness displeased the Sky King greatly.

The angry King chose to separate the couple. He sent Kyeonu to a distant land in the East to tend his herd and Jiknyeo to a remote land in the West to continue her weaving. The couple cried and cried. They wept so many tears that the King, moved by their affection, agreed to let them view each other  once a year from opposite banks of the silvery river in the sky.

After a year of waiting the couple met alongside the river. The torment of seeing their love but unable to meet drove their weeping to torrents. They cried many tears which fell to Earth and flooded the planet. The inundation was so severe on Earth that the animals feared for their lives. The animals gathered together in search of a plan. A wise bear noted that if the rain was going to stop the couple must meet face to face. Suddenly a magpie came up with a plan. The bird asked all of his kind and all of the crow cousins to work in tandem and create a bridge over the silvery river in the sky.
On the seventh day of the seventh month the birds flew off and turned the sky to blackness. With their wings spread these birds created a span over the river for the couples to meet.


The couple rushed toward one another and remained in embrace all night. They talked about the happy life they had and how painful it was to be separated. As dawn approached, they cried a few tears and walked back to the riverbanks.

According to the legend no crow or magpie has ever been seen since on July 7th. It is also said that after this day each summer you will notice many of the birds have fewer feathers on their heads due to the couple walking and resting upon them. There will also always be a sprinkle of rain as well from the lover's parting tears. Jiknyeo is the star Vega, Kyeonu is Altair, and the great silvery river is the Milky Way. On the night of July 7th these two stars are truly visible overhead on either side of the Milky Way!



I am aware that the original myth must have regarded the date as the seventh day and seventh month of the lunar calendar. However, July 7th is the day of the event in modern practice. There are also similar myths from China and Japan which occur on the same day. As in many items of mutual tradition, the original source is not known.

June 24, 2011

Yeondongjin (영동진)


The Northeastern coast of South Korea is a remarkable place. I recently spent a weekend just north of the famed Jeongdongjin beach. It was a world unlike any other I had experienced on this peninsula. The ocean was a clean crisp blue which reminded me of the tropics. It just begged for me to take a swim. Turns out the water temperature is anything but tropical; more at arctic. It reminded me more of Lake Superior. I honestly couldn't stand it long. I guess I am getting old.


The trip consisted of three trains and roughly ten hours each way. It was a grind but well worth it. When you exit the train you are right on the beach! Most hotels offer pick up from the station as well. Our hotel was about two miles north of the station. There was no access to a store for groceries or supplies. Thankfully the woman who ran the hotel drove us to a large market roughly a half hour away. The next day her husband drove us into "town" and we spent a few hours walking along the beach and exploring the town proper. Unfortunately, when we were ready to return his car was occupied. The taxis were nowhere to be found which left only the choice of walking. We set out along the beach and a half mile later were unable to continue. The military is everywhere it seems! Guardposts and barbed wire fences stand aplenty in stark contrast to the natural beauty.


One U-turn and forty minutes later we decide to go underneath the railroad line which parallels the coast and walk along the fenceline rather than risk the speedy traffic along the rather narrow road. Another half mile later we reached another impass. An impenetrable spaghetti of barbed wire and metal. By now we are roasting. I coax my companion onto the railway where must first cross a 100 foot bridge. Thankfully no trains came! I knew that if we continued along the track it would be the quickest way back to the hotel and fifteen minutes and another degree of sunburn we arrived safely to our room.


The reason Jeongdongjin is famous is the sunrise. We happened to be here on the Summer Solstice so a four in the morning wake up was necessary. As we awoke the sky was lightening and we scampered across the railway toward the beach. But, wait, are you kidding? The gate to the beach was locked. We simply sat on a bench as the sky brightened and I snapped a few photos throught the fence. It must have been around five when the sight of soldiers appeared out of nowhere unlocking the gates and patrolling the beach.




With the gates open on to a completely deserted beach we went and were treated to a truly fabulous sunrise. All in all a great trip for me personally. If you are not so rugged I would recommend you book a hotel directly in town. Ours sat in an enclave of homes and small farms with no dining or market access. I liked the isolation. I had a great trip. Korea has so many layers and it was fun to be exposed to a new one.

June 16, 2011

Baek JiYoung (백지영) wants me!

This recording comes from a TV show here in Korea where several of the best vocalists performed in an elimination contest for best pipes. I love this woman. I know she loves me. It is only a matter of time before we meet. Enjoy my loose translation annotations!

December 25, 2010

Yang HyeonKyung양현경-Snow Fall눈이 내리면

On this Christmas morning I am reminded of my first months in Korea. I was rather destitute when I first came here. I had recently graduated college and had basically sacrificed everything to complete my degree in music. Anyone who knows me knows I am a music freak. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore the female voice. Anyone who knows me knows that serendipity is my best friend.

When I first arrived I made an investment in a manual tuned transistor radio (I know, big spender). I would finish work and slowly spin the wheel and see what the airwaves had to offer. There was a good deal to be heard. The classical radio station in Gwangju had some highlights when it would focus on native traditional music but it in my estimation is absolutely atrocious beyond that. I think I heard Vivaldi over two hundred times and was pretty much going crazy. I soon learned that you need not listen to the radio to hear popular music. The hits of the day blare constantly outside of storefronts and it would be truly impossible to hide from them if you wished.

One fine fall day I saw a giant boom box alongside a garbage pile. Score!! I took it home and sadly the CD player was broken. Fortunately the cassette player worked quite brilliantly! A few days later I crossed paths with an old man pushing a giant cart filled with CD's and cassettes. I stopped him and purchased two cassettes for about four dollars. The prizes were Japan's Pop Hits 2001 and a tape by a native folk artist named Yang HyeonKyung (양현경) upon his recommendation.

Upon inspection the Japanese recording was hideous. I was disappointed but quickly the folk singer's voice gave me great joy. I can't honestly say she is a very powerful singer but somehow her emotion comes out extremely well. I was overjoyed! As I listened to the tape repeatedly I began to notice the subtleties in the recordings and the depth of musicianship. A two dollar gold mine was echoing through my room.

The song which follows is Snow Falls (눈이 내리면). The arrangement is quite simple, a piercing kind of simple. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a female lament. The story of the song as best as I can tell is of a woman whose husband (or lover) has departed (either for work or war I am not certain) and is not expected to return home until the snow flies. I simply interpret it as a woman's wish for the snow to come and be reunited with her man. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!


December 24, 2010

China believes South Korea "Drunk with Patriotism"

The Dong A-Ilbo filed a report citing several quotes from Chinese newspapers. Included is the line "Beijing 'has its means'” if Seoul does not listen to its advice. China is obviously not happy with the South Korean military drills. Interestingly they have yet to denounce North Korea's recent actions. China's only response is that the island shelling was "what happened in an exchange of fire at a disputed area.” In regard to recent activities an editorial from the Global Times says “The North`s international image is being quietly altered as it showed its calmness and restraint over the South’s military drill, while urging the South to think about whether it did not become the provoker."

The newspapers also say that South Korea must be "drunk on something" and that if Seoul will not listen to China that "new means" are necessary. In regard to South Korea's latest drill the editorial says that Seoul is "playing soccer on a dangerous cliff." The Chinese
Global Times states "South Korean leaders might have the illusion that they suffered a lot from the North`s `provocation.` But do they understand that the North Koreans also had bitter pills to swallow when the South launched military exercises with the U.S. time and again?” and that South Korea's stance is "irrationally demanding."

The Chinese official news agency
Xinhua states China's intention of degrading relations between the U.S. and South Korea. China believes that the latest rounds of drills and exercises are in the interest of the United States. Making a claim that the U.S. masks its interests by its alliance with South Korea.

The Dong A-Ilbo surveyed twenty
experts on Chinese policy. Five say that a military clash is likely, twelve say it is not likely, and three say a fight is impossible.

China and South Korea are also currently having serious issues over fishing waters. A few days ago South Korea claims a Chinese fishing boat intentionally rammed itself into one of their coast guard vessels (it is said there is video evidence of this). Initially China took a hard line toward South Korea over the incident but has since eased off (potentially due to the video evidence). Three Chinese fisherman are being held and are expected to face criminal charges.

The latest words from North Korea are that they are ready for "A Sacred War based on a nuclear deterrent"

The latest words from South Korea's President are "tough actions enable us to keep peace, deter provocations and prevent war."