Meet Susan.
Happy AANHPI & APIDA Heritage month! All month, I’ll be featuring phenomenal humans from the Asian diaspora, along with a snapshot of their creative work. Each of these friends is someone I treasure deeply and think you should know, learn from, support, and follow.
Meet Susan Park.
Living as a Double Agent
by Susan Park
Growing up as an eight-year-old Korean American girl in the 1980s, I lived like a double agent. By day, I carried a Strawberry Shortcake lunch box with a ham sandwich, Doritos, and an apple. I spoke fluent English and traded stickers with my friends. I listened to Michael Jackson’s Thriller album and wore jelly shoes. I tried to fit in by doing everything I thought a true American did.
By night, I carried a pair of chopsticks to the kitchen table to eat a delicious Korean meal. My family and I would eat spicy Korean stews with kimchi, side dishes, and rice. We watched taped Korean variety shows on the TV/VCR machine as we ate tangerines for an after-dinner dessert. My parents would speak to my sisters and me in their fluent Korean, immersing us in Korean traditions and expectations in our suburban Chicago home.
As I grew older, I began questioning my life as a double agent. Who am I? Am I either Korean or American? Can I be both? What would happen if I merged the two worlds? I couldn’t imagine bringing Korean food to school in my Strawberry Shortcake lunch box. I wondered if the other kids in my school would frown at the sight of kimbap and kimchi. One time, my identity as a Korean was “discovered” when a non-Asian friend asked me why I was trying to act American. I didn’t know how to answer her.
However, I’ve learned to embrace being fully Korean and American over the years. I gradually left my life as a double agent. I realized that being Korean American and everything both experiences had to offer is who I am. God created me to be a Korean American. I still love Doritos and kimchi. I love sharing my Korean culture and its unique nuances with my non-Asian friends. I teach my boys the importance of Korean and American traditions and to be proud of who they are as Korean Americans.
I would tell my eight-year-old self that being Korean American is a gift. Experiencing two beautiful cultures is who she is. I would share that being Korean American is the way God created her and to celebrate that truth. Then, I would pack a delicious Korean meal in her Strawberry Shortcake lunch box.
And a pair of chopsticks to go with it, too.
Susan Park is a Korean-American Christian writer. She loves to encourage women with words of hope and joy. She is passionate about how we can co-create with God in our creative work. She is working on her first novel about a second-generation Korean-American woman.
Susan was a writer and assistant copy editor for the Christian online magazine Marked Ministry. She also spoke about creativity at The Extraordinary Faith Summit and wrote for the Dawn Bible app. She has been a featured writer and podcast guest for other Christian writers.
She is one of the contributing authors of the book, “Life Changing Stories: A Devotional Collection Revealing God’s Faithfulness and Transforming Power.”
Susan lives in the Chicago area with her husband and three boys.
Find and follow Susan here:
Website:
www.susanepark.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/susaneparkwrites/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/susaneparkwrites/
Pinterest:
"Then, I would pack a delicious Korean meal in her Strawberry Shortcake lunch box."
YES! Thanks for sharing these words and your heart in this piece, Susan.