Invitation to Camp Korea

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by Grace Cho

Earlier this month, I happened to catch the final round of the CanWest CanSpell National Spelling Bee, broadcast live on TV.
I had watched the students get selected from their schools, move on to compete against other brilliant spellers in the province, and finally compete against even more brilliant spellers in the country. So, I knew the last five finalists were exceptional.
I focused immediately on a girl named Soohyun Park. I knew she was Korean by her very Korean name. After an intense half hour, and many bizarre words (some that I had never heard of even as an English major), Soohyun won!
I’d never met this girl or even heard of her before, but I’d been cheering for her the whole time and actually cried when she won. Mind you, I had also just finished watching an emotional movie, but I genuinely felt happy for her. I felt connected to her because of our shared cultural background. I also found myself leaving a message about this good news to my mentor, who taught me that embracing my identity as a Korean Canadian is a wonderful thing.
I didn't always feel good about being Korean Canadian. 
I had an average life in Korea until I was 12-years-old and shortly after I turned 12, my family moved to Canada. Of all the places that we could have picked to live, we moved to Amherstview, Ontario. I never say that I lived in Amherstview, because no one knows where that is, especially if you are not from Ontario. I always just say that I lived 3 hours from Toronto. We only lived in Amherstivew for five years, but those were the first five important years of my adolescent life as the only Korean girl in my school.
I managed to fit in pretty well and, up until recently, I thought I had done a good job immersing myself into Canadian society. I learned how to speak English, crave "Canadian" food and hung out with "Canadians." I thought being a successful Canadian meant that I had to be less Korean.
I met my mentor last year. I work as a teacher in Coquitlam, and I was surprised to find another Korean-Canadian teacher in the same school. Even though it has only been a year since I met her, it has been the most valuable year of my life. She not only helped me feel proud as a Korean Canadian, but allowed me to meet others like me. Whether or not we call ourselves “bananas” (yellow on the outside and white on the inside), most Korean Canadians have learned to deal with living in two, very different cultures. My heart goes out to the next generation of Korean Canadians who may feel burdened by their background, rather than lucky.
This year, I will be serving as the camp director for Camp Korea, an educational camp focused on Korean culture for young children. C3 Society, its volunteers and advisors have already started preparing for this year’s camp. Planning for it makes me think about my Korean background and how I got to where I am.
If I had been told about Camp Korea a few years ago, I may have had mixed feelings about it, because I was more interested in learning about Canadian culture. But I have realized that not all Korean children who live in Canada have the opportunity to experience or to remember their Korean roots. I find myself fortunate to have had a childhood in Korea, and I now want to share my memories. I want to be able to become a friend for those Korean-Canadian children who may feel frustrated while trying to figure out their own dual identities.
I believe every culture has something unique to offer to this world. Our families moved to Canada, hoping for a better future, but that does not make us inferior to its society. We become part of the Canadian society with our Korean background.
This August, children from all different cultural backgrounds will be attending Camp Korea for the second year in a row. There are limited opportunities to experience Korean culture here in the Lower Mainland, so I invite you to come out and play. I invite you to come experience Korea in Canada.

Grace Cho is a 1.5-generation Korean Canadian and the director of C3 Society’s Camp Korea. To submit a column to C3 News & Views, contact Angela MacKenzie at aymackenzie@gmail.com

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