African Students Say They Experience Discrimination in South Korea
The Joong Ang Ilbo has article published about the difficulties that African students are having in South Korea:
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Karen, Lanre and Fatima are all black students from Africa living in Korea and studying at different Korean universities. They have asked to withhold their identities as they worry that they could face a backlash after speaking out about their experience of studying in Korea. All three students agree that just being black in Korea attracts a lot of attention and discomfort.
Joong Ang Ilbo
“When I ride the subway, people look at me and never want to sit next to me unless it is the last seat available,” Karen said.
Lanre described how once, while he was out walking, “a little girl saw me and then went to hide behind her parents while looking at me as if I wanted to hurt her.”
This kind of reaction seems to be common and could come from a lack of education on racial issues.
Fatima also noted that some cultural features like braids, which are worn by some Korean rappers for a hip-hop look, are appropriated, and used in a different way than their original meaning.
“Before doing it, you try to learn what is behind it and why these people are doing this, you don’t just do it for the style” said Fatima.
Lanre also said that some of his classmates in Suwon kept repeating that Africa was very poor, and even asked questions like, “Do you have cars?” This type of behavior can continue to convey a lot of clichés, prejudices and preconceived notions about African people.
The issue is not only a lack of education on racial issues, but also seems to extend to the culture in some schools and universities.
Karen arrived in Korea in 2014 and went to study in a Korean high school once she finished learning Korean. On her very first day in school she sat in the front row and, “the teacher came up to me, took my hand, and asked me if I was dirty or if I was just black.”
You can read more at the link.
Frankly, these students seem rather racist and completely uneducated to me. Should they not have had at least the courtesy of learning local customs before they arrived?
As an American businessman in Seoul, Inchon, and surrounding areas, I often encountered behavior like this. I did not think of Koreans as racist. I educated myself on Korean culture before, during, and after my business trips. As I did so, my unpleasant impressions ceased. Well, except for those folks who were irritated I didn’t buy what they were selling
I would expect the students to have greater access to resources than I had; but perhaps YouTube channels like “JOLLY” and “영국남자 Korean Englishman” can provide them a great deal of information about how not to be a gormless narcissist when visiting South Korea.
Or they could try moving to Beijing. I hear the CCP has conquered prejudice, poverty, and COVID completely.
For example, what size ego must a STUDENT have to go to another country and demand they follow your way of thinking…
“When I ride the subway, people look at me and never want to sit next to me unless it is the last seat available,” Karen said.
…and every white person said as well.
…and every Chinese too… and they are Asian.
“a little girl saw me and then went to hide behind her parents while looking at me as if I wanted to hurt her.”
…said Lanre as she projected her person insecurities into the mind of a child who has a perfectly natural reaction.
‘This kind of reaction seems to be common and could come from a lack of education on racial issues.’
…or awareness of violent crime statistics in America, Africa, and around military bases.
‘Fatima also noted that some cultural features like braids, which are worn by some Korean rappers for a hip-hop look, are appropriated, and used in a different way than their original meaning.
“Before doing it, you try to learn what is behind it and why these people are doing this, you don’t just do it for the style” said Fatima…
…as she wore shoes, attended a university, and shat in an indoor toilet for her own selfish reasons without learning the history, understanding the motivations, respecting the people responsible, or paying tribute to the North American Indians, the Italians, or the British. Nope. Cultural appropriation.
‘Waaaa they said Africa was poor.”
Has she even been to Africa?
I fully understand where she is coming from.
The only question that never got answered is if she is dirty or just black?
But who cares about the professional victim class.
Elon Musk set the world’s expectations of Africans much higher than these lazy cry-bullies wanted, I guess.