Oh snap, here we go. When I first decided to come to Korea, I admit I was absolutely terrified about how I was going to be received because of my skin color.
Of course, there are two sides to every coin and whatnot, but the general consensus from what I have seen is that pale skin is more popular. There have also been many different cases of racism and stereotyping when it comes to people of color by Korean celebrities and regular people alike. Whether this is simply from ignorance or the fact that people here genuinely see black people in a certain light, these questionable moments have happened, and knowing they have happened made me extremely wary before I even stepped off the plane.
There were basically a million foreigners storming the streets of this village like town while the natives were also out in full force, staring us down. Of course, now my reaction seems a little silly, but at the time I almost had a genuine panic attack in the midst of such a crowd goggling us like we were a TV show.
I would mumble out an apology and physically shrink into myself like I was about to be hit. Now, back home, this reaction would have been beyond strange for me. Or when they only have Obama or hip hop videos as reference to what they think my life is like in America. Unfortunately, I know this cannot be said for all of my friends here in Korea. Especially when the Ebola virus broke out, even in Korea, thousands of miles from anywhere that had anyone who was infected, started panicking and looking suspiciously at all black people.
That has been the only event that has truly stuck out in my mind as obviously negative. Of course, this is just my take of things because I know others have had different experiences. I feel as accepted as if I simply moved somewhere else in the States. Man is always moved by what he hears and sees. With the experiences of others, one can decide on steps to take. Those are the key factors that one would think about before the idea of visiting South Korea matures. I would love to know more about how South Koreans accommodate other race and how it affects an individual from enjoying his stay.
