Korean Festival

Cultural Immersion 1
Latifah Larry
11/2/2013

This document contains a brief summary of one of my cultural immersion experiences at the Korean Festival.

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Korean Festival On November 2nd I attended the 5th Annual Korean Festival in Suwanee. Minutes leading up to this event I viewed the experience as just another class requirement, but by the end of the event I was looking forward to attending the next event. I had never imagined this experience being anything other than boring. I did not think that I would be able to even converse with anyone due to language barriers, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Pre Event Perception Prior to attending the Korean Festival I did not have an interest in Korean culture. Aside from Korean restaurants and stores, I had no direct exposure to Koreans. I have always believed that Koreans were not fond of Americans because they viewed us as being lazy and useless. Surprisingly, they were more pleasant than I had anticipated. I am aware that I may have got caught up into stereotypes and was unable to separate facts from myths. According to (2009), Stereotypes are proven to have a major impact on the way one group responds to another group. Although these preconceptions are not always factual, they can cause division among groups. Activities The event began with a karate skit by Jay Ho Kim of Kim martial Arts. Jay demonstrated the Korean defense against Japanese, followed by a hip-hop performance by a group called Kid Robot. Their performance was nothing like I imagined it would be. I thought the event was going to be tradition based, but it was the total opposite. The young adults appeared to be pretty Americanized, as was expressed in the rap lyrics that played loudly in the background. To my surprise, they were being cheered on by the older Korean adults in the crowd. As I walked across the grass, I was invited to play a traditional Korean game called Tuhno. The object of the game is to throw six arrows in an attempt to land them into a large vase-like jar with a narrow neck. Follow by a game of standing seesaw that required me to maintain my balance while jumping up and down in hopes that your opponent loses their balance and falls off. Post Event Perception Following this experience, I learned a lot about not only Korean culture, but I also learned a lot about me. Prior to attending this event I didnt acknowledge my cultural basis and preconceived conceptions. Although I have heard many things regarding other cultures, I did not realize how much those things had clouded my judgment over the years. This event allowed me the replace those negative myths with positive memories. Interview While attending this event I met a middle aged woman by the name of Xi Kim. She shared her views on the event and the people in attendance. According to Kim, things have changed a great deal over the years, especially regarding diversity. Reflecting on past events, she recalls a time when everything was based on tradition and other races were rarely in attendance.

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To see the youth embracing hip-hop music and performing on stage with other races was something that just did not occur. She expressed how good it was to see people of all walks of life come together for the Korean festival. Increased Cultural Competency I have definitely been inspired by this event to expand my knowledge regarding Korean culture. There are many things that I would like to explore such as the food, music, and traditions. I also plan to study abroad in the near future, which will provide me with an even broader perspective on other cultures. According to Goldoni (2013), argues that recommendations for pre-departures experiences should be required prior to studying abroad to help to prepare the student for situations the may be faced with. Conclusion In closing, overall this was a great experience. I have already gained a great deal of knowledge regarding myths and the history of Korean culture. I plan to be in attendance next year at the 6th Annual Korean Festival, until then I will seek out other events involving this particular group. This was by far a remarkable experience.

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References Goldoni, F. (2013). Students' Immersion Experiences in Study Abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 46(3), 359-376. Kim, J., & OE, T. (2009). Meta-stereotype as an indicator of intergroup attitude: How Japanese perceive they are viewed by Koreans. Japanese Psychological Research, 51(4), 279-285. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5884.2009.00411.x