Thoughts about Virginia Tech

After the shootings at VT, people here and Koreans in the U.S. are worried about a backlash. While I really hope that is unlikely, this serves as a big reminder that racism in America is not gone, and that East Asians are not exempt. An interesting article here shows how much fear there is. When it was released that the shooter was an Asian, all the communities prayed "let it be some other Asian." I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, to see how worried even sober-minded Korean-Americans (like a friend of mine) could get over this. We have to, yet again in America, decide to judge individuals rather than groups.

But it is interesting to note that it is a deep trait of Korean culture (and perhaps East Asian cultures generally) to judge groups rather than people. In the New York Times a Korean-American named Joseph Park is quoted as saying: "As a Korean, I apologize...I feel I need to apologize because innocent people were killed by someone from my same nation." 'Nation' in Korea means blood even more than land, and Koreans see themselves as a big family (e.g. they use the words 'little brother' or 'little sister' for all children, and 'grandpa' or 'grandma' for all old people).

I can never, never be a Korean, even if I learn the language and live her for years, and even, I suppose, if I managed to get South Korean citizenship. But a Korean can, I think, become an American. I love this about America. Or is America more exclusive than I realize? New York is wonderfully inclusive: even if there is sometimes violence and often hatred, everyone has to live together. But this, I know, is not typical of the rest of the country. What is the right way forward? How are we, in the U.S. and all over the world, best able to live together? How can we be both a nation and an individual?

It is customary to think of the U.S. is a nation of individuals. Koreans don't commit school shootings; individuals do. Perhaps Cho finally became American in carrying out this thing.