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“Facing Poverty With A Rich Girl’s Habits
In, “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl’s Habit’s,” South Korean writer, Suki Kim, points out that even as an immigrant in a totally new country she could not separate herself from the status quo of “Koreas rigid class hierarchy.” (Roen, Glau & Maid, 2011) Ms. Kim, has to adapt and cope with a fall from the upper class when her millionaire father had to flee Korea because he lost everything when his company failed. Physical, emotional, and educational survival in new country that was a totally different lifestyle than she enjoyed was sometimes an overwhelming challenge for a 13 year old. Suki endured the shock of going from the luxury of being a millionaire’s daughter with a mansion and servants, to sharing the upper floor of a dual family Brownstone in Queens’, New York. In addition to being labeled due to her status changes, Suki did not know English, nor did she have the governess or maids that normally did everything for her. She not only had to get use to a new school and customs but a totally new way of life. She discusses, in this essay, the challenges she faced growing up in America as teenager daily. Kim describes being ostracized and being the object of jokes because of her nationality. She felt like an outsider even in her English classes with fellow student that spoke the native language Korean. At one point in her essay, she describes the first English word she had learned. It took Kim getting a good grasp of the English language before she realized that being, “fresh off the boat,” (Roen, Glau & Maid, 2011) was a crude joke on her.
Ms. Kim describes the differences between schools in Korea than in America. She points out the humility and respect afforded teachers in Korean schools, describing how it is customary to bow to teachers and the wearing of slippers to prevent marking of floors. Additionally
“Facing Poverty With A Rich Girl’s Habits
In, “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl’s Habit’s,” South Korean writer, Suki Kim, points out that even as an immigrant in a totally new country she could not separate herself from the status quo of “Koreas rigid class hierarchy.” (Roen, Glau & Maid, 2011) Ms. Kim, has to adapt and cope with a fall from the upper class when her millionaire father had to flee Korea because he lost everything when his company failed. Physical, emotional, and educational survival in new country that was a totally different lifestyle than she enjoyed was sometimes an overwhelming challenge for a 13 year old. Suki endured the shock of going from the luxury of being a millionaire’s daughter with a mansion and servants, to sharing the upper floor of a dual family Brownstone in Queens’, New York. In addition to being labeled due to her status changes, Suki did not know English, nor did she have the governess or maids that normally did everything for her. She not only had to get use to a new school and customs but a totally new way of life. She discusses, in this essay, the challenges she faced growing up in America as teenager daily. Kim describes being ostracized and being the object of jokes because of her nationality. She felt like an outsider even in her English classes with fellow student that spoke the native language Korean. At one point in her essay, she describes the first English word she had learned. It took Kim getting a good grasp of the English language before she realized that being, “fresh off the boat,” (Roen, Glau & Maid, 2011) was a crude joke on her.
Ms. Kim describes the differences between schools in Korea than in America. She points out the humility and respect afforded teachers in Korean schools, describing how it is customary to bow to teachers and the wearing of slippers to prevent marking of floors. Additionally
Cited: Roen, Duane., Glau, Gregory R., and Maid, Barry M. The McGraw-Hill guide: Writing for college, writing for life. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011. Print