A History of CS, in Brief
I’ll be expanding on my past in great detail as I blog along, but as it will take a while to divulge all of my embarrassments and awkward stories, here is a “quick” summary of my Asian, American, and adopted life.
Me = Korean
Mother = Polish/Croatian
Father = Mixed European and a sliver of Native American
1985:
- My conception involved two cousins in Kwangju, South Korea getting their groove on, for whatever reason, and was quickly put up for adoption.
- Years before my mother learned that she was unable to have children. My parents finish their paperwork this year and received approval to adopted me.
1986:
- I WAS BORN. \o/ Four months later I arrived in my parents’ arms with an undeveloped left hip and an ear infection. They insist I was perfect.
- I grew up in Central Washington, which at the time was mostly white with some Hispanics living in the area. Most of my friends until college were varying degrees of white.
Early Childhood:
- My parents made it clear that I’m adopted because, well, it’s hard to pretend that your very Asian child came from two very white parents without some kind of outside assistance.
- In preschool a boy pulled his eyelids to the side and said he looked like me. Our teacher immediately took him aside.
- During one of my many hospital visits, the front desk refused to believe that my father was indeed my father and asked that he bring my legal guardian to them.
- In the mall, people would often walk between my mom and I, effectively separating us, as they didn’t think we were together.
- One of my classmates was from Japan. At the time I never made the connection that we are both Asian.
- Fell in love with Japanese cartoons thanks to Voltron and Sailor Moon, as well as the Power Rangers.
2000:
- Met an adopted Korean from a different middle school and forged a temporary friendship.
- During a game in my homeroom’s end of the year party, my classmate couldn’t remember my name and announced me as “Asia.”
- Began studying German in high school.
2004:
- Made friends with an actual Asian whom immigrated from Taiwan.
- Made friends with an adopted Korean boy.
- Entered my first relationship. All of his friends referred to me as That Asian Chick.
2004 - 2007:
- Started community college. For the first time people asked me what country I’m from, if I speak the language, and many other questions that brought upon my very first identity crisis as I realized I wasn’t white.
2007 - 2009:
- Moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington for English Literature and Language (as well as study Art History and general Western history — my studies were mostly about white people and the development of Western culture). I was no longer that One Asian Kid.
- An Asian guy tried to pick me up while speaking Korean. He promptly turned away when he found out I wasn’t a “real” Korean.
- A Japanese student told me I have a very American name.
I’ll be expanding on my past in great detail as I blog along, but as it will take a while to divulge all of my embarrassments and awkward stories, here is a “quick” summary of my Asian, American, and adopted life.
Me = Korean
Mother = Polish/Croatian
Father = Mixed European and a sliver of Native American
1985:
- My conception involved two cousins in Kwangju, South Korea getting their groove on, for whatever reason, and was quickly put up for adoption.
- Years before my mother learned that she was unable to have children. My parents finish their paperwork this year and received approval to adopted me.
1986:
- I WAS BORN. \o/ Four months later I arrived in my parents’ arms with an undeveloped left hip and an ear infection. They insist I was perfect.
- I grew up in Central Washington, which at the time was mostly white with some Hispanics living in the area. Most of my friends until college were varying degrees of white.
Early Childhood:
- My parents made it clear that I’m adopted because, well, it’s hard to pretend that your very Asian child came from two very white parents without some kind of outside assistance.
- In preschool a boy pulled his eyelids to the side and said he looked like me. Our teacher immediately took him aside.
- During one of my many hospital visits, the front desk refused to believe that my father was indeed my father and asked that he bring my legal guardian to them.
- In the mall, people would often walk between my mom and I, effectively separating us, as they didn’t think we were together.
- One of my classmates was from Japan. At the time I never made the connection that we are both Asian.
- Fell in love with Japanese cartoons thanks to Voltron and Sailor Moon, as well as the Power Rangers.
2000:
- Met an adopted Korean from a different middle school and forged a temporary friendship.
- During a game in my homeroom’s end of the year party, my classmate couldn’t remember my name and announced me as “Asia.”
- Began studying German in high school.
2004:
- Made friends with an actual Asian whom immigrated from Taiwan.
- Made friends with an adopted Korean boy.
- Entered my first relationship. All of his friends referred to me as That Asian Chick.
2004 - 2007:
- Started community college. For the first time people asked me what country I’m from, if I speak the language, and many other questions that brought upon my very first identity crisis as I realized I wasn’t white.
2007 - 2009:
- Moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington for English Literature and Language (as well as study Art History and general Western history — my studies were mostly about white people and the development of Western culture). I was no longer that One Asian Kid.
- An Asian guy tried to pick me up while speaking Korean. He promptly turned away when he found out I wasn’t a “real” Korean.
- A Japanese student told me I have a very American name.
- My hairstylist apologized for my family being in the internment
camps when I said my parents were born in the US. When I told this story
to the Sales Manager at Blockbuster, she laughed saying internment
camps didn’t exist in America.
- I read My Year of Meats, a fictional story about the meat industry in the 80’s and 90’s of America, but also largely about the cultural divide between America and Japan, and a half Japanese-American woman’s struggle with her identity.
- Experienced many college men succumbing to Yellow Fever.
- My friends took me into a back street Chinese grocery store. Eep.
- I read My Year of Meats, a fictional story about the meat industry in the 80’s and 90’s of America, but also largely about the cultural divide between America and Japan, and a half Japanese-American woman’s struggle with her identity.
- Experienced many college men succumbing to Yellow Fever.
- My friends took me into a back street Chinese grocery store. Eep.
- In order to partake in a trip to Peru that never happened, I applied for a passport. The representative assured me that the American birth certificate I was issued at adoption was sufficient for documentation. The Department of State disagreed and contacted me later asking for my naturalization papers.
-My friends whom immigrated to America commiserated together about the citizenship process they experienced as teens, and were surprised that I never went through the process.
- My friend's boss made a joke about preferring to adopt children because he won't need to care about them as much as they aren't actually "his."2011:
- Began dating an American born Chinese guy with very Chinese parents. Hilarity ensues.
- Korean adopted boy calls me up at 2am to first congratulate me for finally accepting that I’m “Asian” by dating a Chinese guy, and then later cuss me out when I said I’m American. He then proceeded to shit talk all of my white friends before pleading that I defriend him on Facebook.
2012:
- I’m asked if I am my boyfriend’s sister.
- At my Taiwanese friend’s wedding, attendees from the groom’s side ask if I am a family member of the bride’s.
- My Korean coworker is surprised that I do not know of popular phrases and cultural myths from Korea.
- Boyfriend's parents expect that I become Chinese so they don't have to go through the trouble of verbalizing their expectations to me.
- Korean adopted boy requests to be my friend on Facebook. This is what starts the idea of blogging about my life.
- Korean adopted boy requests to be my friend on Facebook. This is what starts the idea of blogging about my life.
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