Korean culture has been formed and founded over centuries of style changes and practices that vary from traditions, to modern styles. Many things have changed, but in some aspect, many traditions are still intact and are solidified in Korean culture and history. Korean culture is something that has interested me ever since I was a young child. Many of my friends were Korean, and their different lifestyle always intrigued me. I wanted to learn more about their culture because it was so different from mine. I would always ask them about their lives; what they did, what they ate, their belongings (even though they were the same as mine, I found that since they were simply made in Korea meant that they had a superiority to mine),and even their clothes and hair. As I grew up, that interest faded for me as I focused on other activities, and I almost forgot all about my interest in Korean culture until one day towards the end 6th grade, we had an assembly announcing that Korean would now be offered as a language choice for 7th and 8th grade. Knowing that my school would be offering Korean language classes immediately re-sparked my interest in Korea and Korean culture. I signed up for the class as soon as I could!
The following year, in 7th grade, I started the class. I immediately noticed I was one of two non-heritage students in the class and I knew it would be difficult because everyone around me had some degree of prior experience in the language. But I was determined to learn this remarkable language. To my surprise, it was fairly easy to learn how the Hangul alphabet worked and how to structure sentences. I was also excited to find out that we would be learning the culture of Korea as well through this class. I learned many aspects of Korean tradition; from the clothes they wore, to holidays, and even proper table manners. I was exposed to a completely new way of life that I fell in love with. Eventually I figured out that learning Korean was more than just a simple class, that it could expose me to many opportunities as well, especially as a non-heritage speaker.
I was able to experience Korean culture first hand, and was able to embrace it. For example, I was able to go the Korean Embassy in New York city, and see an exhibit on traditional korean paper called “Hanji”, which is made out of the mulberry plant. I was also able to learn how to make traditional dishes such as kimchi, kimbap, and discover many other traditional dishes such as bibimbap, which I also was fortunate enough to make. Along with this I was also exposed to some more modern forms of Korean culture, and watch many Korean movies, as well as learn about many K-Pop stars, one of which I have seen first hand as an opening act in a concert. In my more recent endeavors, I was able to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on 5th avenue, and see a special exhibit on Korean art titled, “Diamond Mountains: Travel and Nostalgia in Korean Art,” This gave me a first hand view on the landscapes of the Diamond Mountains in Korea, and how they truly are known as the most beautiful mountains.
Aside from the fun I have had with experiencing and learning about Korea and its culture, learning Korean also has a practical aspect to it, especially being a non-heritage learner and speaker. When I first started learning Korean, my school was one of 2 in the state of New Jersey that offered it as a language; and amongst colleges, that makes me very unique. This sets me apart from other students applying to same colleges as me that take more common languages such as spanish or french, especially when I still have more plans in store to continue with my Korean speaking by taking the seal of biliteracy test, as well as continuing on to Korean 5 honors next year.
With this I can grab the attention of deans of admissions because of my unique accreditations. Moving past college opportunities, by learning Korean, I also open my horizons to job opportunities. With Korean brands such as Samsung and LG dominating the technology industry, they are expanding their companies by building branches in the US, some of which that are 10 minutes away; and as an aspiring engineer, learning Korean with these corporations so close to me could not be more perfect when applying for a job. Since they are such big companies that are constantly expanding, they are always looking for employees that are bilingual, speaking English and Korean. Lucky for me, as previously stated, being a non-heritage speaker makes me stand out against other candidates.
Out of all that I have experienced through my journey of learning Korean, and Korean culture, the one opportunity that I have valued the most, was being able to visit our towns kindergarten school, and teach them about basic Korean tradition during the lunar new year. We were able to go down to the school, and set up many different activities for all the kids to enjoy. We dressed up in Korean traditional dress known as “Hanbok”, and had different activity stations for all the kids to enjoy. I was in charge of traditional crafts, and we taught them how to make paper fans, for the kids to take home, while other stations were in charge of traditional games, instruments, and calligraphy. All the kids had so much fun, even if they weren’t able to grasp everything that we were teaching them. However, there was one girl who caught my attention, as she was so excited to make a fan, and be there learning everything she could. She reminded me of how I was when I was a little kid, excited and wanting to learn about all aspects of Korea. I was able to give back to the community that originally gave Korean to me, and it felt good knowing how I was able to give back in the same way to someone else who was just as bright and eager.
Even though it is just a language, Korean has been able to open up so many doors for me that I didn’t think was possible beforehand. It’s exposed me to a new light, and has made me a more well-rounded person because of all I was able to experience from it, and has really helped me see Korea in a different, and prosperous light from all it has given me. I could not be more thankful for the experiences that this language and culture has been able to provide for me. These memories will be ones that I will never forget.

<Nicollette Cruz／11th Grade Ridgefield Memorial HS Ridg>