WESTANDTHEEAST

Two-faceD
S u b i n Y o o n
Livingasatwofacedbilingual

Two-faced, Two lives.

Hello? Yes. Hold for a sec, please. . ?
I am a bilingual, constantly switching from Korean to English. This code-switching comes to me
almost as naturally as getting out of bed in the morning; or brushing my teeth and I no longer
recognize that what I am doing is special in any significant way. In my international school setting,
my behavior mimics that of a typical western student. I engage in sarcastic repartee as a
consequence of my daily conversations, and am very open minded to cultural norms that might be
considered taboo back home. Then, when I am with my parents and other Koreans, I am a typical
Korean student hardworking, polite and conservative.
Being exposed to western culture, more specifically American and British, from the time of birth,
has enabled me to feel comfortable in environments that conflict with traditional Korean values.
People often question my nationality, for I am much too whitewashed to be a Korean national. I
have been called a banana or twinkie in the past more as a result of my carefree attitude than
the color of my skin. With this cultural rebelliousness came a barrage of stereotypical responses
from my Korean cohort: how many hours had I spent in academies after school? How much had
my parents yelled at me to make me so convincingly bilingual?
Perhaps surprising to my Korean friends (and certainly in defiance of the stereotype) my parents
had minimal influence on my journey as a bilingual. I was the kid with the coolest parents in class.
I never went to an academy against my will, as long as I was achieving at a certain level. My parents
never forced me to learn English like other parents; in fact, I never had an English lesson until I
was 8! I was only three years old when I first started speaking English. I was not an example of a
Gangnam child who listened to English nursery rhymes in the mothers womb. I was an ordinary
Korean child who fell in love with Disney movies and Doctor Who. I did not go to an English
speaking Kindergarten. I did not have English tutors. I did not have English flashcards. All I had
was a set of Disney movies and a video player. I would sing along with Ariel and Snow White. In my
mind, all the princesses and princes in the perfect world spoke and sang in English. Perhaps that
was when I decided to learn English in order to be like the Disney characters. Narcissism cannot
be underestimated as a learning tool!
I was different when I was in elementary school. I woke up in the morning and got ready to the
dulcet tones of Beyonc sung in English. I walked to school, singing and humming the same song
or to whoever and whatever was next on my iPod playlist. I would sing to the birds, a flower, a
fence - and even to a stranger with no thought about the learning that was occurring as a result
of my love for Disney. After school, I sang some more and learned new words from the lyrics. If I
behaved myself, my parents would let me watch an episode or two of Doctor Who on the television.
I had a Myspace account by the time I was 8, and chatted in incomplete English to other 8 year
olds. I found more TV shows to watch online and absorbed more songs.

I was also different when in middle school. I was more of an American teenager
than a Korean teenager by the time I was 13. The home page of my Internet
browser was not Naver, the most commonly used website in Korea. It was Google.
The most played music artist on my iPod was not a K-Pop idol. It was Guns N
Roses and other hard rock bands. My makeup was not simply black eyeliner,
white BB cream and red lip tint like other girls. I started from my primer, to
setting powder with nothing missing in between. I was not star-struck by the
handsome black haired, brown-eyed actor in everyones favorite Korean romantic
drama. I was busy watching Gossip Girl and Criminal Minds. Consequently, I
transferred to an International School in grade 8. My parents were not convinced
at first, but it was what I wanted. English was never a punishment or an obligation.
It was effortless for me, and this ease of speaking a supposedly unfamiliar tongue
is what has kept my passion and interest in English alive to this day.
I am still different from not only those around me who are Korean, but also from
those who are native English speakers. I straddle the line that separates two
cultures; one foot on Asian soil and the other on American. It was confusing to see
the world through the eyes of a bilingual at first and I had to come to peace with
the fact that some people might not like how I assimilated to western culture. It
has hence become a habit for me to assess an environment before I introduce
myself as a bilingual. Some people like to see the Korean side of me - and others
prefer the Western side of me.
In this modern era of globalization, I see nationality as a great tool to help people
understand culture and form a pride in their identity. I consider myself a global
citizen rather than a Korean, American, or Brit. As much as my parents would like
to tell me about my Korean nationality, I do not shackle myself to the sense of
national identity. I cannot help but let it become a part of my identity as my home
country, but it is not who I am. I am a new piece of the puzzle; the new breed of
multilingual that will hopefully lead our nations into a peaceful understanding
that we are all just people. Only borders placed on maps by politicians and
unbendable cultural beliefs separate us.

Bibliography
Ustin. <i>Picture Of Woman's Face With Professional Makeup</i>. Digital image.
<i>Allposters</i>. Allposters.com, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.