Re: Racism, death threats and kimchi

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One of the best parts of editing the Expat Living section is reading your reactions to the issues of the day.

All issues and topics are on the table. One week we had to correct another English newspaper on what the most beautiful places in Korea were. Another week we worked with Brian Deutsch to take a look at a website the government made for expats, but was written in the most incomprehensible English ever concocted.

Integration into Korean society is another important topic we will continue to discuss. Community building is also a central topic. Rob Ouwehand, Joe McPherson and others are making great strides here (check out www.chatjip.com, 2s2community.blogspot.com)

Two of the most popular article requests are travel and restaurant selections. So every week we try to have at least one restaurant review and one travel article.

Some weeks it`s much more serious: rape, racism and death. Your letters on these issues run the gamut. Some debate, support or deny. Others insist that expats don`t deserve an opinion.



"Rape victim speaks out" reminded us that rape happens everywhere and you should never lower your guard or embrace a false sense of security. "Family fights to save burns victim" demonstrated the danger of living in the basement or first floor if the windows are barred, which they almost always are. They`re death traps. (After that story broke I bought two fire extinguishers and tested my fire alarms.)

Then there was the Anti-English Spectrum story a fortnight ago: "Blurring line between hate, free speech." The group stalks foreigners without evidence they have committed a crime. They have distributed material calling Korean women that date foreigners "white men`s groupies," and worse, they use improvised AIDS statistics to successfully lobby lawmakers.

And more recently "My crusade against discrimination" chronicled Bonojit Hussain`s saga, from verbal and sex attack, through national and international media attention, to the final court case when the attacker was fined 1 million won. It was the first time a charge had been applied to an act of racism.

But because of the diverse and mostly fragmented foreign community, it can be hard to strike a balance in content for businesspeople, overseas Koreans, foreign language instructors, other migrant workers, migrant wives, tourists, etc. There are dozens of expat communities. And most have different content expectations. Creating content for these communities is challenging, to say the least.

And to be fair, most of those communities do not count the Herald as a primary source for information (since most don`t even speak English). The most common misconception among expats regarding English media here is that expats make up the bulk of our readership. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our readership is overwhelmingly Korean. Because of that misconception, some letters I receive charge the Herald with "under representing" the foreign readership. Expat Living is trying to change that.

As always, if you have any story ideas, or have an opinion you`d like to express, e-mail me, mattlamers@heraldm.com

Following are all the letters I have received over the last week, good and bad (okay, a couple were not printable).



Re: My crusade against racism



Joaquin Menchaca

SEOUL -- Bonojit Hussain`s case was much of a surprise. Even though I am white, I have faced discrimination in Korea, and so have other students. In Yonsei KLI for example, two students were singled out and denigrated in front of other Asian students. I have found Korea this time be closed and more xenophobic than ever.

When I was here in 2001, it was very different. People were very shy, but speaking a little Korean helped smooth out relations. I found people to be open minded and curious, as long as you respected the culture. I had a great time, with many close friends and generous people. These days, I do not see that. I find people to be cold, closed, and even discriminatory.

I suspect this is due to sensationalizing that foreigners are somehow criminals in the mainstream media. I really don`t understand how it got to be this way today.



RE: My crusade against racism



Hali Possa

SEOUL -- Social workers and other human and culture organizations must work hand in hand to help foreign wives as well as their husbands understand each other better.

Some foreign wives from other Asian countries are emotionally and physically abused by their husbands and human decency says they deserve more support. All women have the right to be happy and respected. Building a good family is building a good nation. Korean men who are married to foreigners must have better knowledge of their wives` cultures, and vice versa. And not only should the wives know, learn and love Korean culture, but husbands, too, should make a better effort to learn about their wife`s culture.

Marriage is an equal partnership.



RE: My crusade against racism



Anwar Khan

JEJU ISLAND -- I am originally from Pakistan, but am now a naturalized Korean. No matter the color of our skin, we all experience racism-related problems in Korea. And what most hurts me is that I experienced it not only outside, but also inside my own family.

I am Korean now. My kids were born here, but they were already treated differently in kindergarten by other kids. We took them home and never sent to any kindergarten again. We can`t afford international schools, of course.

If I were to act like Bonojit Hussain, I would sue at least two people every week. My wife is Korean and every time we are outside I feel the staring eyes on us.

There are more instances. Another time an old woman tried to spit on my face while I was walking alone early in the morning. Another time a man tried to attack me and my pregnant wife at subway station and nobody did anything to stop him.

I know that not all people are racist, but the more I live here, the more I feel I have to push myself to love this people and country. I hope Lee Myung-bak can move the country to a more open-minded approach.



RE: Korea, the media and the scapegoat



Sean M. Witty

GAINSVILLE, Florida -- I get what Burgeson is saying about the term "foreigner," but, for a number of reasons, I don`t think introducing "expat" as an alternative is any better. For starters, the three morphemes in "oegukin" mean "outside," "country," and "person" combine to mean "person from an outside country," which is a rough equivalent to "foreigner," a combination of the Latin word "foras," meaning "outside," and the agentive suffix "-er." Although, as a noun, "expatriate" (Latin "out of native land") can mean "one who lives in a foreign country," it also carries the meaning "one who has renounced his or her native land," which is the general association in Japan, is accepted throughout the English-speaking world, and is something that long-term residents of Korea, many of whom are veterans or former Peace Corps members, would want associated with them. Thus, while the negative meanings of "expat" might be in line with the intended usage of "foreigner," I don`t see how giving Koreans a more appropriate derogation will make Burgeson`s point about long-term residents being more than just "outsiders."

The more important issue is the Korean mindset regarding non-Koreans, and the expectations these two groups have of one another. Essentially, there is no level of commitment to the culture and the country, no degree of fluency in Korean, and no legal status (including permanent residency and citizenship) that will change the fact that non-Koreans are almost universally regarded as temporary visitors and are not a part of society. Thus, it is not that surprising when Koreans ask permanent residents why they want to work in Korea during interviews; or that certain citizens, who happen to be non-Koreans, show up on TV, dressed in hanbok, to espouse their love of kimchi every time Chuseok rolls around.

Without doing anything to change the prevailing mindset regarding non-Koreans, convincing them to use a different term, no matter how innocuous, will result in the substituted term taking on whatever pejorative connotations are currently associated with "foreigner," and not greater respect for our contributions to Korean society. In fact, this wouldn`t be an issue if "oegukin" had not itself undergone some pejoration to get from its original meaning to the negative connotations that Burgeson wants to address. Nothing will stop this from happening to "expat"; nor will a new term stop Korean children from pointing and yelling "oegukin" or the myriad other examples of prejudiced thinking that we, as non-Koreans, are faced with on a daily basis.

For sure, there is a difference between long-term residents and back-packing English teachers. That difference, however, is something we carry around in our hearts and isn`t dependent on whether Koreans are multicultural enough to make that distinction. Advocating some sort of "privileged foreigner" status will do more to reinforce the idea that we are separate members of Korean society rather than long-term partners in building a better future for everyone who chooses to call the country home.



RE: Korea, the media and the scapegoat



Matthew Tulloch

SEOUL -- Just read your most recent article about Burgeson. I`m not a big supporter of news media, however I think it`s time I gave you some kudos. I think you`re doing a great job here and I think the things you write are a positive and honest influence. Thanks for all your hard work. I wish the rest of the English media in Korea were working on your level.



RE: Death threat leveled at ATEK president



Brendan Taylor

Why does your paper have to constantly provide a platform for ESL teachers in Korea? I`m pretty tired of their whining and the disproportionate amount of space your paper provides them. Why do I have to read their slipshod analyses on how to improve Korea?

Back in Canada the Globe and Mail wouldn`t provide more that a footnote to these "University" grads.

The section is called Expat Living -- so go out there at speak to some real expats.



RE: Death threat leveled at ATEK president



Chris Patton

I find all my students motivated with a passion towards their best possible future. Thus, complex activities, like publishing books and debate coaching, in addition to a strict curriculum, is what I bring to their tables.

I therefore hope that ATEK and other groups can develop better, more intelligent agendas to benefit Korea. If they cannot or do not have the foresight to properly address their differences then they will simply become media and governmental headaches. I am myself a member of ATEK, but am considering revoking my membership if better leadership and accountability is not provided.

I value your article and work and would like to offer my thanks for what you have helped me think about this Sunday afternoon.



RE: Building bridges and making kimchi



Christan Thomas

BUSAN -- I`m pretty tired of foreigner-making-kimchi stories. But this was at least an example of expats that have been here for along time trying to make an effort to participate in Korean society.

If more "foreigners" in Korea did things like this, there might be a time when we won`t automatically be called "oegukin."



RE: Blurring line between hate, free speech



Lee Byoung-Hee

I must ask the Korea Herald to be objective and unbiased when reporting on social issues. The article titled "Blurring line between hate, free speech" was quite biased in favor of foreign teachers.

After reading the article, I made a visit to the Anti-English Spectrum cafe and this is what I`d like to tell people.

Anti-English Spectrum clearly announces on the main page that it works mainly to help prevent possible problems caused by illegal foreign teachers in Korea. It also says upfront that some extremely racist language and propaganda posters have nothing to do with Anti-English Spectrum staff members. All racist materials within the cafe are posted by passers-by or people who try to degrade the cafe`s credit.

In the article, most quotes from the foreign teacher`s group or the foreign professor are not true and totally misguided. The foreign professor seems to have heard of Anti-English Spectrum from acquaintances indirectly. While his comments about racism are valid, they were not committed directly by Anti-English Spectrum. Walsh should have dug deeper into Anti-English Spectrum before regurgitating quotes from those foreign English teachers.

Regarding the statistical analysis showing that the foreign teacher crime rate is far lower than the Korean crime rate, it is also meaningless. Anti-English Spectrum has not generalized all foreign teachers as being in the wrong. This statistical analysis is a rather illogical attempt to crack the credit of Anti-English Spectrum, with the ultimate aim of closing down the cafe.

As far as foreign crime goes, whether the rate is small or large, the cafe will not stop. In my view, until all illegal crimes and misbehavior by foreign teachers stop, anti-English Spectrum will not cease its activity.

The article also should`ve explained what positive things Anti-English Spectrum have achieved and how those achievements have enhanced Korea by helping detect illegal drug crimes by foreign teachers here. That is far fairer.

Last but not least, (two weeks ago) there another drug crime by foreign teachers in Korea was uncovered. I am very sorry I could not read about this news on the Korea Herald`s website.

In uprooting illegal drug crimes by foreign teachers, citizen`s voluntary participation like Anti-English Spectrum`s is essential.

As a Korean, I applaud Anti-English Spectrum`s hard work.

The Korea Herald should correct the biased article "Blurring line between hate, free speech" and stay objective and fair as a trustful newspaper.



RE: Expats and HIV -- stop the stigma



David Thiessen



I have been reading your expat section for a bit now and I am really tired of just seeing one side of the story always being told and little to no honesty present in these articles. You should know like all Westerners that there are always two sides to every encounter and it seems to be unfair and hypocritical to present the expat side in the same manner that they complain the Koreans are doing.

I am no fan of Ben Wagner and I am still wondering why he is not minding his own business. Last I checked, he was an E-1 and a university professor not an E-2 English teacher. It would be nice if people like him stopped creating problems for everyone and adhered to the regulations.

It would be best if you went after the Westerners and their attitudes and get them to change, instead of trying to change the Korean people. Korea belongs to the Koreans. One does not go into the owner`s house and criticize or make demands.

The very same things that the Westerners complain about here in Korea takes place in the Western countries on a daily basis, though this does not make it right, it should provide understanding and extract the proper response.

The Korean government gets to make the rules in this country. They get to implement what they want in their own country regardless of western likes or dislikes. It is time for the Westerner to learn their boundaries and get their act together, for Korea cannot guarantee 100 percent protection for the Western worker, that is just impossible and it is unrealistic to expect such.









By Matthew Lamers