Who stole my language and my culture?

I used to like singing before being assimilated.
1977: 15 months after my arrival into my adoptive family, I could still speak and sing in Korean.
my A-mom told me to sing in Korean:"... as a souvenir for the day you won't speak Korean anymore" I didn't understand what she meant at that time.

I don't speak Korean anymore and I don't like singing. Who stole my language and my culture?

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Korean
• adoptee
• forced
• assimilation
• international
• intercountry
• overseas
• interracial
• adoption
• transracial
• culture
• language
• abduction
• brainwashing

[myungsook777]

I didn't intend to talk about abuse in my a-family here, although it happens in many adoptive families, but I was answering to an ignorant commenter who think adoptees should be grateful. What I wanted to show with this video, as the title says, is that I have lost my mother tongue and culture that were once part of me because of international adoption.

[myungsook777]

I was 10. I was adopted at 9

[beegirlny]

@RainStorm69 What a cruel & ignorant thing to say. No one should be grateful for being taken away from their native country and culture. It's not easy to relearn a language that you were forced to give up. Her adoptive parents should have encouraged her to maintain her ties to her culture, that is part of the responsibility of adopting a foreign child. If you don't like it, don't do it. It has nothing to do with love. It has to do with them wanting a child & making that child conform to them.

[elzoog]

That's very sad. Language and culture is a very deep part of a person. If you have a university degree I highly recommend you come to Korea and teach English as a gyopo. You would get paid ok and you would have a chance to reacquaint yourself with your original language and culture.

[Myvizslas1]

Miss Myung Sook, Wishing you happiness, remembering you in prayers. God bless you

[TheGameRaven]

@myungsook777 Part of me wants to say "quit your whining", but at the same time I can relate. Be grateful you at least have a culture and language you can go back to. Native Americans for example dont even have that. There is nothing wrong with international adoption, and culture is a silly word often used for pride or the grass is greener on the other side mentality. Sorry you had to go through bad events though, not every international adoption is bad and many are necessary. Life is never fair

[BitchinnShoes07]

@beegirlny So if I took you out of a place where you were in danger of being shot every day youd get all sad twenty years later because you don't like the fact that you were saved?

[sindyk117]

Dear Myungsook, I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I do feel your pain and sorrow for your misfortune. Not only you were adbandoned by your own people but also abused by your adopted family....It is hard to accept this but try to turn around and make value with your situation. I know life is unfair. Perhaps, you can help and make awareness in Korea that adoption to overseas is not the best option for orphans. My heart goes to you....I found Buddahism help me to cope...

[nomorefunds]

@RainStorm69 She should not have been adopted. They should leave these kids in the orphanages, in their own country, so they won't grow up missing out on their wonderful culture.

[myungsook777]

I was adopted because there was money to make from making my adoption. I was adopted without the consent/knowledge of my parents and siblings. I was adopted because a couple wanting a child badly but couldn't, so they decided to have someone else's child

[myungsook777]

I don't live in US. I was adopted into a country where people often debate the issues of identity and autonomism on national level, and fights hard to preverse their culture and language, not to get assimilated by the sourrounding English countries. Those same people see no problem in assimilating others who have zero say.

[myungsook777]

The ones who gave birth to me took good care of me the first part of my life despite poverty, and they loved me.

They ones who adopted me, because they couldn't have their own and had money to pay to fulfil their desire, abused me. My A-father abused me sexually, and my A-mother beat me instead of protecting me form him.

[ChiTownLiz]

RainStorm, you should be grateful you weren't adopted. You didn't have your human rights violated. How fortunate you are.

If you really think it's so great, then give up your own child forever, and see how it feels.