let me make it clear more info on Koreans and Africans

We have a brand new co-worker, a Korean woman, Alice, who has been hitched up to a Pakistani for the previous 6 years. Alice spent some time working with foreign instructors before and has now provided tales beside me about them along with her very own personal tale to be hitched up to a foreigner.

Alice said about her Canadian African co-teacher (whom hated being labeled “black”). He lived in a flat building where he had been possibly the foreigner that is only. Apparently, whenever he rode the elevator, Korean tenants into the building would log off if he had been inside.

Once I asked Alice why Koreans have this mindset towards African people, her response blew me away. (please be aware that this is not an expression of her viewpoint, but compared to Korean people generally speaking).

I became told that Koreans fear African people because “they can be crooks” or “they may harm you.”

“Koreans think these are typically just like the mafia.” When I questioned Alice where all this work comes from, she replied, “From TV and films.”

With this true point, i ought to let you know there are a amount of Nigerians in Korea. It is known that most are right here as English teachers (illegally, as Nigerian passport holders are maybe maybe not permitted to be English teachers). Some Nigerians have nightclubs in Itaewon, while some do menial work with Koreans.

Therefore, fundamentally I became told that when compared with white westerners, Koreans regard Africans as having a ‘low status’. If a Korean woman had been up to now a foreigner, it will be more appropriate if she ended up being having a man that is white.

My brain raced and I also questioned further, “Why is Oprah and Tyra Banks therefore popular on Korean television if Koreans don’t favour black colored people?” Well the clear answer is very easy. Famous brands Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks, Beyonce, Barack Obama and even our very own Nelson Mandela hold a particular style of status and energy on earth. Whatever they state is gospel…and, “Oh! These are typically rich!” I became told.

Alice confessed to being ostracized from her friends and family after she married her husband – a man that is pakistani happens to be doing work in Korea for almost a ten years. She tells me sadly, “It’s for 2 reasons. He’s not Korean. And he’s a Muslim.”

Koreans and Muslims

Amir is Alice’s husband. Being a businessman in Korea for a good portion of years|number that is great of , he talks Korean very nearly fluently. He’s experienced his very own share of racism among the community that is korean. Alice related an account if you ask me whereby Amir had been cutting a small business cope with a man that is korean. In Korean, the person rudely thought to Amir, “Hey you! Come right right here!” – the same tone one would simply take whenever conversing with a kid. Needless to say, Amir could appreciate this and asked questioned the person. Often, whenever Koreans recognize that foreigners can realize also a little bit of their language, their mindset can change very quickly. I’ve experience this very first hand – particularly when cab motorists want to cheat me or rig the meter!

Whenever driving to get results into the morning, both Amir and Alice are met with intense glares from tollgate employees. Alice tells me that folks question her without beating concerning the bush, “Why did you marry him?” After which there’s a few whom stare at him, however in reality are admiring their ‘exotic’ features.

Therefore now that I knew where in fact the racism towards black individuals descends from, I happened to be inquisitive to understand in which the underlying hatred towards Muslim individuals arrived from. Alice place it just in a single word, “Terrorist”

Broadly speaking, Koreans liken Muslims to terrorists. And where does “this” come from? Of course – TV and films.

This reminds me personally of a class not long ago i taught. We explained to a course of Grade 5s that I happened to be South African. We proceeded to state that I became Indian. A lot of them mistook it for a Native United states. Once I explained that I intended Indian from Asia, the very first effect from their website ended up being, “Curry!” So as young as these are generally, my pupils are usually in a position to connect racial and social teams to something which they could be linked to, or rather that which we understand as ‘stereotypes’.

rap culture sweeps over Korea

There has also been a revolution of hip hop culture that is bought out Korean youth. It has influenced Korean music, music videos as well as fashion. I’ve always told my friends that being in a club that is korean me feel just like I’m in the group of a hiphop music video clip. Hip hop and rap designers (a few of African lineage) have become popular in Korea at this time, that leads me personally to genuinely believe that this whole racism hoo-hah is predicated on the mind-set of older Koreans. Appropriate? Wrong!

Me, she disagreed saying that younger generations are also racist towards other races when I asked Alice to confirm this for. Therefore also it remains just that – music and fashion, and has nothing to do with the artists race though they mimic Beyonce’s Single Ladies or try to dress like P Diddy.

Well, I’ve stated much more than we initially designed to, however the subject is quite interesting in my experience and it is positively one that’s evolving on a regular basis. Located in Korea for over 2 yrs, my head is broadened therefore much and I’ve learned to see the global globe through lots of pairs of eyes – whatever the competition they belong to!

I’d want to understand your thinking and viewpoints about it!

* Sheetal Makhan is really a South columnist that is african writer, that has been living and working in Southern Korea for the previous two years. She published this piece for Grubstreet in reaction to the past post. Follow this link to visit Sheetal’s web log or she can be reached by you at email protected