Korean Food Journey

Ahn’s “Home Run: My Journey Back to Korean Food” is a touching narrative about how Ahn became reconnect to his native roots again through food. As he tells his story he states, “During my teenage years, after we moved to Los Angeles, I chose to downplay my ethnic roots” (24). I feel a lot of kids with a different ethnicity choose to do this at some point in their lives. I have witnessed it first hand with my brother that Ahn is not alone in this act. Not only have I noticed it within him, I, too have been guilty of downplaying my ethnic background. As a teenager, being in high school can be stressful enough that most just want to blend in. Just like Ahn, I was born in Seoul, South Korea. My father is American and my mother is Korean. At age
I felt bad that he let the kids who would pick on him growing up bring him to such an alone state of mind. He felt that it was better to be alone than to have to worry about anyone else judging him for his ethnicity. I, on the other hand, grew to not care or let any negativity about my nationality affect my feelings. I suppose you could say I became a little callous. I did have friends though, but not many in my school. I made friends through my first job as a pizza maker for Papa Johns. I met a friend who was half Pilipino who understood what it was like to feel left out and looked at
She seems to have changed some key qualities about her that didn’t set well with Jimmy and I. She seems more willing to be open and honest about the past. So after regaining her respect, we both enjoy conversing with her and having occasional get-togethers. She even took us out to a Korean restaurant in Houston where she lives, for our first taste of our culture’s food. Just like Ahn, we struggled with the menu and decided it was best to let her order for us (23). We had bulgogi and kimchi, which seem to very popular dishes in Korea. It was a peaceful dinner that not only reconnected us as a family but also with part of our heritage and culture. It was definitely a memory that I will carry with me for the rest of my