[KS] Re: Korea-mania in China

[Ross King]

I'm not sure how related this is, but I was surprised this summer when most 
of the Hmong teenagers attending Concordia Language Village summer programs 
on scholarship --  nine of them -- from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. 
Paul, Minnesota, signed up for the 2-week session at the Korean Language 
Village (i.e., they chose Korean out of 12 possible languages in the 
Language Village system).

These Hmong kids knew more about South Korean pop stars, actors and 
rock/rap/etc. singers than most of the predominantly college-age Korean 
staff -- and could sing many of the songs, even though they didn't know 
what they meant. They were also some of our most motivated and eager 
villagers. I learned later (in the words of one our adopted Korean staff 
members from Minnesota) that the Hmong teenagers in Minnesota and Wisconsin 
are famous for 'wanting to be Korean'. So, South Korean pop culture has 
pretty impressive reach, I would say, if it is the scene of choice for 
inner city teenage children of Vietnam War-era refugee mountain people from 
Laos!

Ross King