Week 2: The Diary of a Black Sheep in a Homogenous Society

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The Diary of a Black Sheep in a Homogenous Society

Like any millennial, I did extensive research into South Korea before I arrived, which just means I watched a lot of YouTube videos and read many blog and reddit posts. As someone of African descent, I was worried that Koreans would not be as welcoming to people that looked like me. So, I made sure to watch videos or to read blogs that specifically detailed the African-American/African experience in South Korea. I found a lot of varying accounts, some good, some bad and some downright terrifying. Although I kept all I learned as a precaution, I did not let it deter me from pursuing an exchange program in Korea. I understood that everyone has their own experiences and that no two experiences are the same, so I kept an open mind and hoped for the best.

Korea is a homogenous society with only a small number of non-Koreans.  I knew that I would stand out in Korea and I  mentally prepared myself for this, or so I thought. I was not prepared for the stares. I donโ€™t mean glances or short stares, but rather intense, non-blinking, long stares. These are staring competition, gold medal worthy stares. The first week I was here, the stares made me feel self-conscious, as if I was doing something wrong. Whenever someone stared at me, I wanted to curl up into a ball and just disappear. In the U.S., Iโ€™m just any other person, so I rarely dealt with staring, but this experience really showed me that I was in a foreign country.  However, after the first 10 days, I noticed the stares less and less and, nowadays, I donโ€™t notice the stares at all (unless itโ€™s an intense stare). Also, from what Iโ€™ve observed, there is no ill-intent behind the stares I’ve received, just curiosity and wonder.  Some people have even smiled and said hello to me, so itโ€™s not a negative experience.

I hope that my experience doesnโ€™t deter anyone else who hopes to study in South Korea. To be honest, the stares are only from a small group of the population and I sense no ill-intent from those who do stare at me. In fact, I have had a lot of positive experiences here and most of the Korean natives I have met are very kind and attentive. Also, a benefit of not fitting the societal norms (physically) is that I donโ€™t have to worry about the pressure of beauty standards here. Oddly enough, I feel freer here in Korea than I did back home. Free in the sense that I can dress up as I please and not worry if others think Iโ€™m โ€œtrying too hardโ€. Almost everyone here pays great attention to their appearance and, although it sounds odd, it gives me the freedom to try certain dress styles and looks that I may not have felt comfortable trying in the U.S.

 

Korea
Photo with Line Store bear.