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Bitsy says that she doesn’t think they should Americanize Jin-Ho. To me, this seems like a very naïve perspective. Of course Jin Ho will be American. Her parents are American and she will live in American, how can she not become American? It is certainly important for Jin-Ho to understand and be connected to her Korean roots and culture, but Bitsy's attitude just seems unrealistic.
And what exactly does it mean to Americanize someone? Bitsy seems concerned with the highly visible representations of culture: name, clothing, food. What about language and values and history?
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Is there a true reason why Jin Ho has to be connected to her Korean roots and culture? She was adopted by Americans, she lives in America, I think she should be American as well, otherwise she'll feel out of place. I think there's nothing for her in Korea, perhaps only the place she was born. I think the Donaldsons should really adopt her, as if she were her daughter, and stop trying to keep her as a Korean in America.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing Carla! As Jin Ho grows up, she will have questions about Korea and her birth family. It is very natural to be curious about your roots and your past, and I think it's appropriate for Bitsy to help Jin Ho stay connected to her birth country. Jin Ho is both Korean and American. I think Bitsy has the right idea, but maybe not the best implementation.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. For example, take Susan's father (and I don't know if I'm going further on the book with this comment). He was Iranian, with Iranian parents, and still, when he was child, he decided not to speak Farsi anymore because he wanted to be totally american. And he had the opportunity to learn about his culture. I don't know how much could Bitsy teach Jin Ho the true Korean culture, and not only an outfit.
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