I photographed six Korean-American students in Provo, Utah. Along with each portrait is a small excerpt from the conversation I had with each individual about their personal identity as a Korean-American. These six subjects each come from a different upbringing - strictly Korean heritage, Caucasian adoptee parents, and everything in between. Some talked about their upbringing, while others discussed how college life has effected them culturally. Because the home is where we become most rooted in tradition and culture, I chose to photograph each student inside their apartment living space.
Yeri "I came here when I was twelve and lived in LA. When I was in LA I didn't have a lot of American friends. It was the middle of Koreatown and English was just for talking to teachers at school. My husband and I mix the language between English and Korean when we speak, but for me I speak more Korean because it's my first language. We actually eat more American food, like pasta, than Korean food because, for us as students, it just takes too long to make."
Emily "Because my parents aren't very good at English and moved to America when they were older, they still have all their Korean traditions and holidays and everything. I am pretty open-minded, willing to try new things, and accepting of different cultures, which makes me more American in that way. But I love watching Korean dramas and listening to Korean music and the language, I just love that side of it."
Grace "I feel like my family is pretty mixed. We eat American food and Korean food, but I like Korean food more. I don't really like American food that much. My parents, as business owners, know how to act American even though they are Korean. Out of my siblings, I think my eldest brother feels the most Korean out of all of us, and that's just because he served a mission there."
Jason "I would say that I am more 'American-Korean'. I used to feel torn, but I felt like it was a decision I had to make. You're going to be on one side or the other and when I married [my Caucasian wife], I felt like that's when I made my decision to be more American. Up until that point, it felt like I could live in both worlds. But it's a conscious decision which side you end up on. I feel like marriage within or without of the culture finalizes that decision."
Jake "We always spoke Korean in our house. If my parents asked me something and I answered back in English, they would look at me and tell me to use Korean instead. I feel more Korean when I'm around Koreans, but when I'm with Americans, I feel like I become more American. So I don't know if I'm necessarily more Korean or more American, it just depends who I'm with."
Rebecca "I was born in Korea but I was adopted when I was a baby. I grew up in Wisconsin and I am the only non-Caucasian in my family of five children. As I've gotten older and come to college, I think this has been the time that I've worked on understanding the Korean part of myself. It's still something that I'm figuring out, but it's a part of myself that I love. I've talked about this with many of my Korean-American friends, how sometimes it feels like you end up alienated, or displaced, from both [American and Asian] areas."
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