Danny ChaiI’ve said this countless times but yeah, my extended family is really different from almost any other Korean families I know and I wonder a lot how that affected me. We got together with some relatives on my dad’s side this weekend and I was just struck by that again. I’ve mentioned this before, but one odd thing about my family is that people in it married Caucasians. The unusual part is, these people aren’t (just) in my generation or my parents’ generation; they’re in my *grandparents’* generation. And this is on both sides of the family. So both my mom and dad have cousins who are half. How many people can say that? I dunno, I think that’s kind of cool.
So one thing maybe related to that is this – almost everyone in my extended family is very competent in English. Not all 100% fluent, but comfortable, if that makes any sense. And again, I think that’s unusual. Some peoples’ parents are pretty good, but their great-aunts and great-uncles? Jieun always finds it hugely bizarre. But yeah, that’s what I grew up with.
How did that affect me? I’m not sure. One thing is, I know what Thanksgiving is supposed to be like. And believe you me, there is no kimchee involved. And that is one thing to be thankful for.