Blending Kyrgyz and Korean American Culture

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

For those who don't know me, my maternal grandma immigrated to the United States from South Korea back in 1970. My mom, who was 2 at the time, went with her. Over the next 40 years, she went on to have 4 more children (5 in total - 4 girls and 1 boy), teach herself English, and even earn her American citizenship after 18 years in America. Although she passed away on October 3rd, 2008, her legacy lives on within her own children, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. 

My Grandma, Grandpa, 2 of my cousins, and I when I was a month old

Growing up, elements of Korean culture were infused in every aspect of my life, most predominantly in the food. I can't remember a holiday where we did not eat Korean food. Although we always had the American classics (turkey, mac and cheese, rolls, etc.), Korean classics were also always present (kimchi, bulgogi, galbi, rice, etc...). To me, this was never something that I viewed as out of the ordinary, it was all I'd ever known. However, the older I got, I realized my friends did not share in this experience with their families. It became something to be proud of and I always relished this unique aspect of my identity. 

Another huge part of Korean culture that my grandma imparted on us was the importance of family. Until college, I had never lived more than 15 minutes from the rest of my family. In fact, to this day, the majority of my family all live in one neighborhood. With this, my cousins and I are all more like siblings. We all went to the same schools, in fact, one of my cousins and I were in the same grade, and spent most of our free time together. Two of my cousins and I went through a 2-year phase where we played Monopoly four times a week. Brandon and Caitlyn if you're reading this, just know that as soon as I get back, I'll be back to winning every game. We would also have entire family meals every two weeks growing up, week-long sleepovers at each others' houses in the summer, and went on family vacations together every year. Let me tell you, there's nothing like 20+ family members sharing one house for a week...

Some of the cousins (and "bonus cousins") on a family vacation in 2019

Being Korean American and growing up in this environment has always been an important part of my identity. I always say you don't know me without knowing these things about me. I also take great pride in being the first person to return to Asia since my grandma left Korea. With this, I knew that I wanted to be able to share this part of myself with my community in Kyrygyzstan. 

Most often it comes up when people first meet me, since the first thing Kyrgyz people ask to see are photos of my family. From there the conversation usually leads to me explaining the back story of my grandma and mom moving to America, and ends with me explaining how I am also Korean, despite being from America. To say I've drawn more than a few family trees would be an understatement. Many Kyrgyz people also love to ask what food we eat in America. I take this time to talk about how I grew up eating Korean food and the backstory behind that. The idea of being Korean American is a new concept to most people I meet in Kyrgyzstan, and most meet this new information with many questions and genuine curiosity. This is a story and part of me that I don't think I will ever be tired of sharing. 

In March, I used my week off of school to meet my mom and sister in Seoul, South Korea. This was both my sister and I's first time in Korea, and my mom's first time since moving to America as a child. We spent the week learning more about traditional Korean culture, visiting palaces, and of course enjoying all the food Korea has to offer. We also took a class on how to make Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish of spicy, pickled cabbage.

Traditional Hanboks 

The finished products of our kimchi class

Upon returning from Korea, I was determined to make Kimchi for my Kyrgyz family. They love spicy food and have always asked me to make them Korean food, so Kimchi is the perfect thing. I have made it twice since returning from Korea, attempting to make it just right. I will say it is more difficult to make in Kyrgyzstan since I can't find all the correct ingredients and have to make substitutions as needed. With it being Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, I thought it would be great to share the recipe for what I call "Kyrgyz Kimchi". 

            Kyrgyz Kimchi

        

 Ingredients Needed: Napa Cabbage, daikon radish, green onion, fish sauce, Korean chili powder, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, water

           Sidenote: I don't measure anything here, so everything is added to your heart's content!

1. Rinse your cabbage and put salt between each leaf
2. Put the cabbage in a bowl of warm water and salt for 8 hours. Rotate the cabbage every 2 hours.
3. Rinse the cabbage and let it dry for 2 hours
4. Cut the green onions and radsih into small pieces
5. Mix the chili powder, salt, fish sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar to make the sauce 
6. Add the green onions and radish to the sauce
7. Coat each leaf of cabbage with the sauce.
8. Put the cabbage into a jar and put it in your refridgerator
9. Eat within 2 weeks!

And that's it! I always thought Kimchi would be a difficult thing to make. However, it's a lot simpler than I ever anticipated. It's also served as a way to share my culture with my Kyrgyz community. One of the three goals of Peace Corps is to share your own culture with your local community. Like I mentioned before, you don't know me without knowing about the Korean side of me. I take great pride in being able to share my experiences as a Korean American with my community in Kyrgyzstan. 

Bonus picture!! Here's my siblings and I as children wearing traditional Hanboks that our grandma brought us from one of her trips to Korea. Let's just say it's hard to blend in wearing while wearing these in your front yard in Texas for all neighbors to see.