I have 3 boys I don't talk about often. We have been parents to Korean Exchnage Students for the past 4 years. Yoo SUng is now a sophomore at Penn State, Sung is a Freshman at Indiana. Currently we have Aaron(Hae) with us. He will graduate this spring from Seabury with Phil and plans on going to Creighton next fall. This has been the most wonderful expreience for us. We have a plan in the year 2027 that no matter where everyone is in their lives they will all come to my house for that Christmas. They will bring their wives and children and we will have a huge Christmas Celebration.
The Koreans in general are a very proud and gentle population. Many have taken the attack as a personal afront to Korea and its citizens. They are in shock that one of their own could do something like this. They are greiving just as we as Americans are grieving.
Aaron came home yesterday worried that I would be mad at him because it was a Korean who did this. I assured him that I would never hold him responsible for the actions of others. He is also scared he will not be able to get his Visa renewed to come back and study next year.
Unfortunately I am hearing reports from my "sons" of anti Korean feelings towards them. Yoo Sung has said that his American friends have stopped talking to him and those who do not know him or the other Koreans at Penn State are getting many stares. It reminds me of the days immediately following September 11. What happened on that day was not the fault of the Musulim population in this country yet they were blamed for it. The same thing is happening again. Yoo Sung told me he just wants to go home so people will stop staring at him.
When will we learn that we shouldn't hold a population responsible for the acts of one?
