I haven’t mentioned this since moving to Korea, but I thought I would share my experience of living as a foreigner here. I have spent my life in the U.S., where I would say that being Caucasian is one of the majorities, which meant that I was average and didn’t stand out of a crowd. In Korea, obviously I am the minority because Asians are the majority. Now, for those who have never had this experience before, let me try to share it with you.

First of all, when I go to the grocery shore, or even just walk down the street, I am typically the only Caucasian person. This means that I stand out. I am aware of the stares that I get from people. Maybe they are wondering what I am doing in Korea. Do they think I am a tourist? Are they judging me because I am different from them? Or are they staring because they think I am pretty? Unfortunately, while I wish it was the latter, I think most often people stare because I am different.

Second is the language barrier. Because I am Caucasian, people assume that I only speak English. Well, they are correct in that assumption, which makes me shameful that I cannot speak Korean. I mean, I live in Korea. I should be able to speak the dominant language. While I appreciate it if someone makes the effort to speak to me in English, I do also like the refreshing change when someone speaks to me in Korean first. This usually happens when I order something or say something in Korean initially. It makes me think that they appreciate my effort to speak to them in Korean. It is a little discouraging when you are trying to learn a language and a native speaker doesn’t respond to you in their language, but speaks in your own native language.

Third is interacting with people. Of course, most of this also revolves around language, but in a slightly different regard. Most people don’t talk to me when I am out in public, because they are afraid to speak to me in English. I understand this fear completely. I don’t like speaking Korean in front of native speakers because I know my pronunciation is bad, along with my grammar skills. So this means that people don’t initiate communication with me out of this fear. I am still figuring out how to move past this barrier, but I think it helps to have Korean college students as co-teachers in our classrooms. At first, they are hesitant to talk to us, but I think eventually they become more comfortable. I am not sure yet if this will lead to more friendships, but my hope persists.

Another fact that goes along with this experience is that sometimes I wonder why people want to be my friend. Is it because I am a foreigner and they think I am cooler or more interesting as a result? Do they want to practice their English skills with me? Or do they actually like me as a person? These questions are ones that I never really considered before when I was living in the U.S.. So far, I think I have made friends because they like me as a person, but I do think that being a foreigner does make me a little bit more interesting to others, which factors into the whole equation.

I would say that overall, living as a minority in a foreign country is something that people should experience if the opportunity arises. It definitely adds a new perspective to everything you lived through previously, and changes how you will view the world in the future. I have also not had any bad experiences. Yes, there have been uncomfortable situations in which it was awkward when I couldn’t express something in Korean, and there were misunderstandings, but most Korean people are understanding and welcoming of foreigners without getting frustrated if you can’t speak Korean.

As an American, I think we should be more accepting of other people who maybe can’t speak English very well. It is the most difficult language to learn, and we don’t know their situations, so we can’t judge. I mean, I moved to a different country for a job, and I wasn’t fluent in the language either, so I think my best advice is to always be kind and understanding to others because we don’t know their backgrounds.

Thanks for reading! Stay safe, and stay happy. 행복해요.