[KS] Re: 'Memoir' defames Korean culture

Thomas Duvernay goongdo at hotmail.com
Wed Sep 6 19:11:06 EDT 2000


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> >Honhyol is in fact a word used in polite conversation by educated
Koreans,
> >even by mixed-blood Koreans themselves. The derogatory word is "tuigi."
>
> Being the father of a mighty cute mixed race little boy myself, this
> terminological question has vexed me for some time. Despite what the
author
> of the lines above says, the "honhyela" (I'm using Yale romanization here)
> word ain't exactly a warm-and-fuzzy word, and Koreans seem to use it for
> lack of a better term. "Thuki," of course, is much worse. But "honhyela",
> for me, anyway, has a rather too clinical, antiseptic, sterile, cold sort
> of feeling and obviously focusses (etymologically, at least, but it is
safe
> to say most educated Koreans know the characters) heavily on modern
> Koreans' hang-ups about bloodlines, pure blood (vs. mixed/adulterated
> blood), etc.
>

Many years ago, when my wife (Korean), son (just a couple of years old at
the time) and I returned to Korea, a young (late teens/early twenties) girl
asked my wife if my son was a 'tuigi'; my wife was furious and stormed away
from her.  I've never heard the term used since.  Although my wife said, at
the time, she preferred the term 'hon hyeol ah', I never heard even that
used in regards to my son.

My son, now 13, is a handsome, bright, very likeable young man.  His
'senior' year in elementary school, he was the student body president; he
was extremely popular among the students (all the previous years, he was
class prez).  We have been home schooling him since his graduation and, this
summer, he passed the 'geom jeong go shi' and is now, technically, a high
school student.  Even so, he still meets with his former classmates weekly.
He is also a member of my Korean traditional archery club (mostly
middle-aged to older Korean men) and is not only accepted, he is considered
a valuable member.

The point being, I think the conditions in Korea for mixed children is
changing, slowly.  The child will have a good chance of acceptance depending
upon who the parents are and his/her own personality.  Of course, it also
depends upon location.

Thomas







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