Hi guys!
Last time i uploaded a talking video
you guys liked it
so I'm filming another talking video!
Anyway
So today I want to talk about
Racism
Yesterday, I read the news about
a physically violent racism towards a Korean student in Brighton
He got beaten up just because he was asian
and really broke my heart
As you may know, I lived in many countries
(Although my stories are incomparable with the victim in Brighton)
Tbh I really can't count the times I experienced racism since I was little
I experienced it countless times
Not just me
but I also witnessed my parents being mistreated because of racists
Yeah, so, we always had to face racism
because I didn't grow up in Korea
So since I grew up in Spain
So I had many Spanish friends
and I'm not saying that all Spanish kids were racists
Actually I don't think I really experienced racism when I was little
but rather when I was getting older
I think it started around when I was 10
and from 10 you start to become independent and walk around alone and stuff
Back in those days, Korea wasn't really known
So it was normal that people immediately assumed that I was Chinese
they just judged it immediately
So when I just walked around
People would shout: China! China!
China means Chinese
I am not saying I don't like Chinese people
But rather, who are these people? I'm just walking but why they assume and shout that I am Chinese?
I mean, the only reason is
to ridicule me, you know? There's a condescending motivation there
So
So as I grew up I automatically accepted the fact that people just don't even think that I might be Korean
So I moved to the States when I was 12
I didn't really see people shouting racist stuff to me BUT
but there was ALWAYS indirect racism
For example, once when was running an errand at a bank
but the person who worked there very condescending
Even though I spoke good English!
Like, I was confused, why is this lady treating me like this?
Even when I repeated myself she would be like:
"What? What? I don't understand you"
Like this! So I'm like "she crazy?"
I remember being super upset
But I held my anger, and patiently repeated the sentences (to make her look bad)
That was one experience
and I also witnessed it through my parents
I remember my mom being super upset
and asked for a manager of the store
but got completely ignored. (our basic customer's right was neglected)
So I remember that clearly
When I lived in California, I went to school there
and there were many Koreans there, actually
There was discrimination even between KOREANS
Specifically between Korean-Americans, and Korean Immigrants
(it's not just only white Americans who discriminated)
So it wasn't even the WHITE Americans, but the KOREAN-Americans who discriminated us
especially because we couldn't speak English properly
The one thing that really stayed with me was
when I was angriest, and very sad at the same time
So whenever a non-Korean person discriminated me, calling me Chinese out loud or something
in Spain, Korean-Spanish or Korean Immigrants always stuck together
But in California, the Korean-Americans were SO discriminating against us!(me and my Korean immigrant friends)
They looked so annoyed at us, so I asked "Why do you look at us like that? Why do you laugh at us?"
I think they said "When you speak Korean is loud" or something like that
it was nonsense
And they said "Why don't you learn ABC first?!"
and one of them shoved her faced at me
I mean, I couldn't understand! We were all the same, we were Koreans!
So I was so angry, upset, and sad
and thought "We are all Koreans, why do these Koreans discriminate us because we can't speak English fluently?"
and so I got super angry
There was loud music and stuff at a fun school party but I was super upset so
I pushed her (she didn't fall or anything, just pushed her away from me)
Telling her "YOU should learn GANADARA(Korean vocabulary) first!!"
and said "You are a shame to Koreans!"
I remember that...my immature self dealing the situation immaturely
But at the end, because of what happened,
I pushed myself a bit more to learn English, I mean I didn't go crazy, but I remember trying to practice more
So later Imoved to France in my 20's
there as well...yah...I was discriminated just because I was Asian
Like literally, I would walk, and these random people would tell me "Go back to your country"
just without any reason!
Also drunk people would shout
So basically, there was racism any country I went to!
It's not like America has less racism,
In my opinion, it was about the same in any country
There were so many unfair situations,
and there were just this....inexplicable indirect discriminations as well
agh..there are just so many
So, In America, I don't know about these days, but there was always this
indirect racisms
In France, they were pretty straight forward about it
And in Spain, can't remember much cuz I was young, but I was ridiculed
In France, though,
I don't remember if I told you this
when I was discriminated,
in contrary, I became more motivated, it pushed me to study the language faster
The present, however, is very ironic because I'm married to a white European hah
BUT, in the past, when I was a teenager, I was so fed up by racism that
I HATED ALL white Americans
This was when I was 14-15years old
I just despised white people
I was so stressed because of everyday discrimination, and that led to hate
but after I got in college
I started to meet new people
I mean, there are racists out there
but I realized that I was generalizing ALL people because of the fault of few
and that made me equal to racist. I was being racist
So later I stopped generalizing, I stopped judging and opened my heart
The more new friends I made, I learned
So if anybody is racist towards you,
it doesn't mean that the whole country is like that
it's the fault of individuals, and we gotta remind ourselves like that
If you to any country and experience racism,
THAT racist is the idiot
That person is narrow minded, or poorly educated
or it could be someone who never moved out from that neighborhood, who knows
I haven't experienced a lot of racism in London(it does happen though) but
but I am always alert
Yeah, the world is big
and there are tons of weird people
If you ever get discriminated because you are Korean, or Chinese, or..Vietnamese
The person who does that is the problem, that person is mentally unstable
they are in the WRONG
You are totally the normal person, so don't be ashamed, don't lose your confidence,
I always remind myself like that
I get messages like, you are afraid to travel because you are scared of racism,
But don't be scared
There are idiots everywhere
Anyway, yeah!
And also lastly,
ask yourself: Do I have any ethnicity I judge automatically?
Don't forget to check yourself
Check if you consider your ethnicity to be 'better' than others, because that's racist
Check if you do racial jokes that might condescending to others
Gotta rethink about yourself too!
Like my teenager year!:I hated white people in general and didn't admit I was being racist
BUT if you look at people and treat them like different individuals, your heart will open up!
For you guys who are traveling, or are studying, or moved overseas
Chin up! You are strong! If someone tries to let you down, ignore, and be courageous!
So yeah.
See you next time! Bye!
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