I like to keep this blog generally positive, but on occasion, something will happen that makes me say WTF Korea? Now, this is no reflection on Korean people in general, but it is definitely a frustrating aspect of my time here as a "Waygookin."
As most people know, Korea is a very homogenous culture. That's not to say that diversity isn't growing, but that's just the way it is. The other night, myself and another one of my friends, who happens to be black, were attempting to hail a cab. Now, cab drivers in Korea are notoriously smarmy, but it is actually illegal for them to refuse you service when they are available.
We weren't outrageously drunk, in fact we were quite sober at this point and just extremely exhausted from a long day of saying goodbye to one of our team mates who is heading home. My friend went to hail a cab and after a few minutes I see her leaning on the window, clearly having some issues with the driver who appeared to be swiping at her face. When I got closer I could hear her say "but why? You have to take us." His response was to point at her skin tone and say "Aniyo" (no, in Korean). Outraged, I questioned him, at which point he looked at me and said "too dark." I was honestly shocked. We exchanged a few choice words, with him using all of the English swear words in his vocabulary, before he finally got out of the car and got in my friends face, attempting to push and intimidate her. I stepped in and he backed down and got back in the cab. At this point a crowd had gathered around us, mostly Korean, some attempting to look, the rest drunken gawkers assuming we were just more reckless foreigners causing a problem.
I grabbed my friends phone and begin taking pictures of his license plate, at which point my friend requested to see his taxi cab ID to take a picture. He grabbed it and tried to hide it (also illegal) until a Korean man came over and started yelling at him. Finally, he pulled it out, but as I attempted to take a picture he put his hands in front and tried to hit us before angrily getting out of the cab again and charging at my friend. Again, I jumped in between and he shoved me in the face, before bumping me with his chest. It took everything in my body not to hit the man, but I know how Korea works. If you are foreign, (non-Korean) you are in the wrong and will be held responsible. I shoved him out of my face and told him to go away in Korean. He left and my friend and I headed to the police station to tell our story.
I didn't realize how upset I was until I got into the station and I knew it wouldn't matter what I said. Non-Korean= non important to authority figures more often than not. Luckily, a Korean American soldier was there to help us translate to the police officers, who condescended and laughed at us all throughout our report. The main officer asked if any other foreigners had seen. We said we were the only foreigners and the rest were Korean. He shrugged, smirked a bit, sucked his teeth and said "Heemang Opsoyo," (It's hopeless or is no hope). I knew it was pointless then, even after he asked for our ARC cards and phone numbers, nothing would come of it.
Situations like this (especially in a foreign country) make me feel so completely helpless. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Once at a theme park, myself and a group of rugby players (all of whom happened to be white) were told we were "too drunk" to get on a ride, despite the fact that no one was drunk. When we questioned the decision, my friends were told "well your white skin is red, you must be drunk" by a man who was apparently unaware of what sun burn was. The longer we talked the more apparent it was that they simply didn't "like the look of us." These incidents are so common that people just start to say "oh well, that's Korea for you." Even little things like the fact that foreigners are the only people required to get regular AIDS/HIV testing when none of their Korean co-workers are required (I've had students/adults tell me this is because Koreans are the superior, cleaner race).
Even now, on Korean television, we are still seeing black face as a high form of comedy. Skin whitening is shoved down our throats, we are told if we are even a little tan that we are "too dark" or "too dirty." I don't know many black/mixed/tan/multicultural teachers here who haven't heard from a student or a co-worker that they would be much more attractive if they were just a bit "whiter."
For every racist/crappy person I have met here, I have met Korean people who are equally as welcoming, just, and kind as any other person I've ever met. Like any Country (particularly my own) there are idiots and there are the good folks. In Korea, however, I find it easier to find openly prejudiced people, simply based on the fact that the culture is still quite xenophobic.
In the incident with the taxi driver, I was so angry I couldn't help but cry. My friend on the other hand, seemed completely calm and unimpressed with the situation. I asked her why and she said "this happens to me everyday in Korea, am I supposed to start being surprised now?" I've re-signed to live here for another year and there are so many things that I love about this place, but institutionalized racism,however, is not one of them. Unfortunately, that is a big part of my reality at the moment.
