I found Sam Okyere from my cultural artifact #4 post on the "Happy Together" show, and I wanted to learn more about his journey from Ghana to Korea. I found this interview from Asian Boss, and his path to adjusting to life in Korea is amazing, particularly the subtle discrimination he endured. He mentions one instance when he sat on the subway in Korea and realized that no one would sit next to him because he was from Africa. Another instance was when a woman deliberately put her legs up on the subway seat so he couldn't sit next to her. He would also often get confused as Will Smith. He went on to explain that in order to bring a positive image of foreigners, he needed to assimilate into their culture and learn their language. He went on to do exactly that, and eventually became the most famous black person in Korea. While I admire Okyere's persistence, this interview made me think about how the Korean population thinks of foreigners and immigrants who come to Korea. Though liberal Americans can easily judge Koreans for being more conservative and close-minded, I also imagine that there are not as many foreign encounters in Korea than in America. America's cultural values are built on being a melting pot of immigrants and other cultures, while Korea has had a long-lasting personal history. Korea's impression of foreigners may stem from the bitterness that came when Japan took over Korea, therefore leading to a negative impression of other foreigners and even North Koreans. I've always assumed that all Koreans were more conservative, but I hope to broaden my horizons my expanding my Korean to be able to talk about these topics with Korean citizens.
The interview:
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