뉴스레터

In February 10, more than 500 students and citizens gathered at New York University (NYU)'s Kimmel Center in Manhattan. Most of them were Asians, but there were also a number of Caucasians, African Americans, and Latin Americans. Regardless of race and nationality, everyone there mingled with each other, kicking around a "jegi", playing "yut" and eating "tteokguk". It seemed that the event was organized by the City of New York for Asian Americans.

It was not until the auditorium was filled with people when the MC dressed in Hanbok, Korean traditional clothing, went up the stage with a microphone. His opening comments were quite striking to me: He asked, "Why do Korean people celebrate Chinese New Year?" Then, he presented a clear answer to the question. "Caucasians look similar on the outside, but they are from many different cultures and traditions, including Italian, Greek, French, and German. In the same vein, it is from ignorance if you think that all Asians you encounter are Chinese. Today is "Seolnal", Korean New Year's Day. Kicking around a "jegi", playing "yut" and eating "tteokguk" are Korean culture and traditions, not Chinese." The event was organized by Korean Students' Association at NYU to celebrate "Seolnal". They invited people from different races and delivered a simple and clear message in an effective and interesting way.

Not all Asians are Chinese

On October 28 last year, a performance titled "Colorful China" was held at Johns Hopkins University. The team traveled across America and performed. It was an event supported by a group of Chinese government entities, including Chinese Ethnic Museum and Chinese Consulate, with a view to presenting diverse cultures of almost 60 ethnicities in China. Part of the performance was controversial in that it included Korean culture. The MC explained that Chinese of Korean descendants (朝鮮族) are one of many ethnicities in China, and performers dressed in Hanbok and played Gayageum (Korean traditional string instrument) as well as the theme song of a popular Korean TV series "Daejanggeum (大長今).

A U.S. cultural organization, "World Artists Experiences", invited the team to perform in the U.S. Considering the scale of nationwide tour and free admission policy, however, it seems that Chinese government has put into a lot of careful efforts in preparing for the tour. This performance was a shock to Korean Americans, who endeavor to encourage their children to cherish Korean traditional culture and traditions. It was a serious event that shook the identity of Koreans all over the world. It happened in the U.S. where all Asian Americans are considered Chinese, and Korean Americans felt a sense of alarm.

On January 18, Chinese President Hu Jintao made a state visit to Washington D.C. Despite his tight schedule during his four-day stay in the U.S., he went to the Kongzi Institute (孔子學院) in Chicago and spent a night near there. His visit to Chicago delivered a firm message that Chinese Americans should play a leading role in making China a global powerhouse. As for his visit to the Kongzi Institute, Chinese press in the U.S. reported that it reconfirmed Chinese Americans' ethnic identity. Chinese Americans are rallying a great deal of support for their participation in U.S. politics. In the past, Chinese Americans were divided into three groups according to their hometown (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan). Yet the lines between groups have been rapidly blurred since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. They are overcoming long-held ideological conflicts between Taiwanese and mainland Chinese, becoming assimilated into one huge community. It looks like Chinese Americans pursue not only "one China" but also "one Asia." I am concerned that someday Korea might be viewed as one of the minority ethnic groups in China.

Paradigm shift for preserving Korean culture and traditions

Thanks to its victory in the midterm elections last year, the Republican Party won a majority in the House at the federal level. Pro-Japan Republican Representatives in the Midwest include Bob Michell, Dennis Hastert, and Donald Manzullo. In 2006, the resolution on Korean women drafted for military sexual slavery by Japan was passed unanimously at the standing committee, but ultimately failed to be presented at the plenary session because then-Speaker of the House was Dennis Hastert. When Korean Americans submitted the resolution again in 2007, we had to deal with another pro-Japan politician, Rep. Donald Manzullo, who was then-ranking member on the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He said that he agreed with the content of the resolution, but argued that he would not want to harm U.S.-Japan relations and that it is in the U.S.' interests if Japan dominates Asia. Citing these reasons, he would not approve of the resolution. At the late open vote, two out of 41 politicians voted against the resolution, and Rep. Manzullo was clever to vote for it. Even after that, we had to go over a series of conflicts with him. At that time, our grass root lobbying was not sophisticated and effective enough: we attacked him through media, emphasizing only on legitimacy, when we had to persuade and persuade again.

And now, that Rep. Manzullo is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. In short, his stance is pro-Japan and anti-China, and he is indifferent to Korea. I think it is because he was not exposed to Korean people, culture and history. When I saw he voted for the resolution in the end, I decided to help him learn more about Korea. I have been sending him tons of materials and documents explaining Korea-U.S. relations in Northeast Asia, trying to convince him that joining forces with Korea is in the interests of the U.S.

The case of Rep. Manzullo is only the tip of the iceberg. Japan has been making continued efforts to carry out PR activities in order to enhance federal Representatives' awareness. Against this backdrop, what endeavors has Korea made to keep up with Japanese efforts and Chinese integration movement? It reminds me of an incident in summer 2008: it felt like a nightmare when the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and the U.S. Board of Geographic Names attempted to change the official name of Dokdo to "Liancourt Rocks". Currently in Washington D.C., Asian Americans from various countries are fiercely competing each other to lobby politicians – it almost looks like a war.

In the globalized world, a country cannot preserve its territory, culture, tradition and even identity, without power. Two million Korean Americans should serve as a catalyst for the U.S. to throw support behind Korea. It is time that we need a paradigm shift to preserve Korean culture and traditions in the U.S.