By The story of the Indian man who was racially slurred while sitting on the bus next to a Korean female friend has now if you can believe it, made it all the way to the pages of the New York Times:
On the evening of July 10, Bonogit Hussain, a 29-year-old Indian man, and Hahn Ji-seon, a female Korean friend, were riding a bus near Seoul when a man in the back began hurling racial and sexist slurs at them.
The situation would be a familiar one to many Korean women who have dated or even — as in Ms. Hahn’s case — simply traveled in the company of a foreign man.
What was different this time, however, was that, once it was reported in the South Korean media, prosecutors sprang into action, charging the man they have identified only as a 31-year-old Mr. Park with contempt, the first time such charges had been applied to an alleged racist offense. Spurred by the case, which is pending in court, rival political parties in Parliament have begun drafting legislation that for the first time would provide a detailed definition of discrimination by race and ethnicity and impose criminal penalties.
For Mr. Hussain, subtle discrimination has been part of daily life for the two and half years he has lived here as a student and then research professor at Sungkonghoe University in Seoul. He says that, even in crowded subways, people tend not sit next to him. In June, he said, he fell asleep on a bus and when it reached the terminal, the driver woke him up by poking him in the thigh with his foot, an extremely offensive gesture in South Korea. [New York Times via the Marmot's Hole]
Here is the most interesting comment of the entire article which is at the very end:
“Our ethnic homogeneity is a blessing,” said one of the critics, Lee Sung-bok, a bricklayer who said his job was threatened by migrant workers. “If they keep flooding in, who can guarantee our country won’t be torn apart by ethnic war as in Sri Lanka?”
Over at the Marmot’s Hole comments section Robert Koehler does make a good point about how it is incredible that a drunk who makes racist comments at someone with post-colonial hangups on a bus makes the pages of the New York Times. He also makes an interesting point about how Koreans have legitimate reason for concern about the influx of foreign workers considering what is currently happening in France.
Mr. Hussain
Anyway what I found most interesting about the article is what was left out; like how Mr. Hussain likes to make his own generalizations about white people:
“It was not my first time to be subject to racial abuse. I have had many similar experiences. But this time was serious,” he said. “It wouldn’t have happened to me if I were a white man.”
White people get their fair share of crap in Korea as well to include having comments made to them when sitting next to Korean women. Granted people of darker skin color get treated worse because of the perception of them being what Koreans call “3D workers” (dirty, dangerous, & difficult jobs), but to say a drunk ajushi wouldn’t have made racist comments about a white person sitting on the bus Mr. Hussain has no evidence to support such a claim.
The moral of the story is that some drunk ajushis are a-holes no matter what skin color you are.
12:52 pm on November 2nd, 2009 1
I have noticed something.
When I consider the people recently who have cried discrimination the loudest, or experienced one social/legal tragedy after another, I found they all have something in common.
They all give the impression, through their style or action, that they are not interested in making any effort to integrate/conform to social norms in Korea.
Usually, this manifests itself with strange hair/facial hair and fashion choices. Trying to be “different” or “edgy” just looks weird to many Koreans… and maybe dangerous, too.
And this is confirmed at the first sign of bad manners or uppity-ness when a problem goes down… a problem that, many times, was brought about, in part, by the subject’s appearance and actions to begin with.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Now, are you ready for the money quote?
“Hussain came to South Korea in early 2007 as a graduate student. Although he majored in history, he soon began to take interest in the country’s labor issues. After about a year, he was given an “research professor” title at SungKongHoe University and was tasked with coordinating research on social issues. He chose racism in Asian society as the topic of his paper, which he hopes to complete in the near future.”
My sensor tells me this was a guy LOOKING for “racism in Asian society”. I detect the smell of unfocused activism… first labor, now race. And in this situation, research for his paper is almost going to do itself… A+ material here.
One wonders if SungKongHoe University supports this for publicity… or has their head in their hands wondering how they got into this mess with some uppity third-worlder in an official university position making a national issue about a drunk calling him names. Whaaa!
Let’s look at their website…
“There is no university, domestically or abroad, that has established a systematic curriculum on NGO studies, except SungKongHoe University. As the pioneer educational institute that emphasizes the role of the third sector including NGOs, NPOs, and other civil organizations in the future, in supervising and counterchecking both the first sector, i.e., the government, and the second sector, i.e., the market and the business entrepreneurs, SKHU has made initiative efforts to cultivate NGO leadership, by providing students with a systematic construction of the philosophy, activities, and prospects of civil society organizations.”
Ho, ho, ho! They put him up to this.
One wonders what he came to study as a graduate student…
“Currently, the university has two graduate schools(the Graduate School of Theology and the Graduate School of Civil and Social Welfare)”
The only remaining question is how big of chip was on his shoulder when he arrived… or if he is mercenary enough to do whatever it takes to get his degree and an impressive resume… and then move on to one of those cushy NGO jobs.
When the story sold to me is about an innocent foreign professor accosted on a bus and I find the real story to be a semi-staged event to complete a graduate degree, get some NGO street cred and bring attention to a university, I start to suspect there are few pure motives involved.
Where can I send money to the drunk ajoshi’s legal defense fund? Between the university, the media, the politicians and the stinker, he seems to be the only one telling it exactly like it is.
Korea does NOT need this kind of professionally-orchestrated in-your-face divisive crap that has become an industry in the United States… which insures perpetual separation and hatred instead of selective respect and natural mutual assimilation.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Lots of Indians smell “different” then what some consiter good. Smell like curry, dirt, poo or Pakistanian. I have met many Indians that smell like they are from Pakistan. I think we should give the Korean racist another chance. Maybe this was just a cultural misunderstanding because the Indian smelt like dirt or poo.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Very illuminating. Wonder who his professor was at SungKongHoe, and where he/she was trained.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
His professor at SungKongHoe was Prof. Cho, Heeyeon. Cho, Heeyeon was did his Masters and Phd from Seoul National University!!!!
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November 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 am
I wouldn’t go that far — from most accounts I’ve read, he’s just a racist asshole. Harassing someone on a bus is quite uncool… for any reason. But:
Amen.
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1:28 pm on November 2nd, 2009 2
Didn’t someone just post a bus incident on another thread recently? I don’t think it was as bad as racial slurs; something like this should be prosecuted.
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3:36 pm on November 2nd, 2009 3
I recently had to ride on a 14 hour flight to Korea next to a couple of curry munchers. Both nice and pleasant people — BUT–
Soap. Water. We have it. You can use it. Please do. Thank you.
Of course, it was nothing next to a grandma across the aisle from me who kept coughing, hacking, retching, sneezing, and blowing snot for the entire flight. Lovely…
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November 3rd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Next time I see those guys I’ll give them your message
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November 4th, 2009 at 2:35 am
you’re another reason why korea will always be a 3rd world nation
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7:17 am on November 3rd, 2009 4
So the headlines on newspapers say a man was called bad names on a bus, so therefore entire Korea is a mean racist country. Great logic there.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 am
I live here in Korea, I hear racial slurs all the time.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 8:52 am
When in Rome Tom, that’s how you koreans think, unless it’s not to your advantage then we have to see you all as individuals..
I’ve heard for years how America is racist because it has the KKK and other similiar groups and how it’s so hard for koreans to live there and elsewhere. I think I’m going to cry!
AGAIN! You want to see the true racist nature of koreans, look how they allow biracial koreans to be treated. Just ask the Metropolitician!
Not even Koehler or Kushibo can make an arguement/apology for the koreans on that issue.
This is something korea deserves. How long koreans did you think you could act like assholes to America and other people and not expect what you dish out to other people to come back on you? You brought it on yourselves and it’s what you deserve!
Again, get a biracial Korean who was born and raised in korea for their opinion on racsim in korea. Next, compare what they went/go through in korea to that of a biracial who was born and raised in another country-say America, Australia or Canada.
What do you suppose they’d say Tom?
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November 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Not even Koehler or Kushibo can make an arguement/apology for the koreans on that issue.
Wow, JohnT, I didn’t realize you had such a stick up your arse about me that you’re writing about me in other forums where I’m not even participating.
In fact, not only would I not make an argument/apology for Koreans on this issue — one that affects me in ways you wouldn’t even begin to fathom — I have addressed this issue repeatedly in ways that are highly critical and in no way apologetic.
Of course, the difference between me and you on this issue is that I actually care about this issue and the plight of the people who are affected, whereas for you it’s just one more thing for you to bash Korea with.
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November 16th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
And although I wouldn’t presume to speak for him, Robert Koehler’s attitudes on this issue are in no way apologism either.
9:56 am on November 3rd, 2009 5
This one incident may be anecdotal but most of this NYT article was about other examples of racism in Korean society. And there’s a lot more they could have touched on.
I’ve lived in Korea for a year and a half and I love it. But I’m not sure I’d feel that way if I weren’t a white man. When my school hires foreign English teachers they always explicitly refuse non-whites, I see my students shun their foreign-looking peers, and It seems everyday I’ll hear something from someone that would make Glen Beck blush. I could go on.
I don’t want to judge people, especially Koreans who are otherwise extremely friendly people. But for a people who are so concerned about outsiders’ perceptions of them, they would be wise to pay attention to this article and others like it.
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2:56 pm on November 3rd, 2009 6
Now drop this drunken Ajushi nonsense now … it doesn’t take the debate anywhere. The prosecutor’s office have already mentioned in the indictment that Mr. Park (41 years old not 31 years) was not drunk. You can verify this by calling Incheon Prosecutor’s Office or googling in Korean.
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November 4th, 2009 at 12:57 am
So he was a sober, racist ajushi and that makes it ok? Doesn’t matter if he was drunk or not, and in fact it’s worse, because, as you were so quick to point out, he was sober.
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1:41 am on November 4th, 2009 7
I think Koreans smell nasty. I hate when I get on the train in Seoul and I get a whiff of moth balls from all the adjummas, or some adjussi with a chemical hangover is sweating kimchi and soju from the night before and he just ate a whole bowl of mackerel and kimchi for breakfast and didn’t brush his teeth. Man, I hate when I have to sit next to that guy on the Seoul Metro.
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2:11 am on November 4th, 2009 8
[quote]So he was a sober, racist ajushi and that makes it ok?[/quote]
How on earth are you taking that from his post
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November 4th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Dammit, you think I would’ve figured this out by now
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November 4th, 2009 at 6:26 am
You need to use
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November 4th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Sh!t… do a search for how to use “blockquote” in wordpress boards. If I post how it actually appears, it’ll show up like the post above.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:11 am
The only mentions of Wordpress here are in a sidebar and at the extreme bottom of the page where I never had any reason to scroll, thanks for the tip though
2:25 am on November 4th, 2009 9
FYI: this statement is flawed:
“Anyway what I found most interesting about the article is what was left out; like how Mr. Hussain likes to make his own generalizations about white people”.
He made no generalizations about white people. If there are any generalizations it is against South Korean bigots who have a racial preference for white people over Indians. And as you said, it isn’t that far-fetched to think that white people are discriminated against less in Korea by Koreans.
I think it is excellent that this sort of news is out in public, and now Korea is starting to deal with the racism that does exist within its borders. Opportunity knocks … hopefully, as usual, Korea will quickly face this issue, and deal with it, and turn the page.
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3:59 am on November 4th, 2009 10
I’m guessing that a lot of you still don’t get it.
None of this is about getting yellow and brown and white brothers and sisters to live joyfully together in loving harmony.
It is about ambition, control, attention, idealistic agendas, political maneuvering, and eventual financial gain.
The end result is going to be angry pushy brown people demanding special treatment, whiny indignant white people trying to out-tolerance each other and resentful backlash-ready Koreans being legislated into acting as if every part of every culture is special and valuable and equal… all kept perpetually stirred up by an industry of professional agitators…
…kinda like what destroyed the Melting Pot mentality and is tearing away at the foundations of American culture and society now.
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November 4th, 2009 at 5:38 am
Exactly, racism is only a problem if you draw attention to it
Thank god somebody gets it
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November 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
CHICKENHEAD, are your comments copyright, or can I quote them on the web. Nothing like hitting the nail on the head, you seem to have a knack for it.
If we could only get some one in Congress or the media to start beating this drum, I think most people would agree.
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5:47 am on November 4th, 2009 11
Racism? Maybe… but getting stuck next to stinky people is annoying, especially if you can’t escape it for HOURS. I had some African bone head sit next to me on the airport shuttle one time- I was the ONLY guy on the damn bus, and this clown sat RIGHT next to me, and he couldn’t spell soap.
Some Africans and some Asians just aren’t real big on washing. I get it. It’s a cultural thing, and some of them are put off by people who use too much cologne and so on. I get that as well.
But if you know you are going to be packed in with a bunch of people who can’t escape, it’s just inconsiderate to not use some basic hygiene- and to call those of us who don’t enjoy it racist is pretty close minded.
But for someone who doesn’t like stinky people to take it to the political stage is pretty ridiculous too.
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November 4th, 2009 at 5:51 am
I don’t know who you think you’re responding to here, since nobody’s called you a racist yet…
“I had some African bone head sit next to me on the airport shuttle one time- I was the ONLY guy on the damn bus, and this clown sat RIGHT next to me, and he couldn’t spell soap.”
Look on the bright side, at least he wasn’t elderly and infirm
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November 4th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Embrace diversity!
I guess I am a “scentist” myself…
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November 4th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
As far as anyone calling me a “racist” at some point, well (yawn!) that word is now with “Nazi” as far as its maximum effect. It’s been used by the same predictable crowd too often and too long.
Old people and sick people generally get somewhat of a pass- they are old and/or sick. Doesn’t make it any nicer for the adjacent passenger.
The other butt monkeys I mentioned are able bodied and should know better. They are just inconsiderate. Not a political statement.
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2:38 pm on November 16th, 2009 12
I distinctly remember the Mr. Park lamenting how offensive Mr. Hussain smelled. Why didn’t the NYT mention the offensive smell Mr. Hussain emitted from his person?
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7:59 am on November 30th, 2009 13
By the way…
Mr. Park was fined a million won for “making discriminatory remarks against an Indian professor.”
This was in English from the BBC so it’s hard to know what the exact charge was.
“Making discriminatory remarks” is the first step down a lot of slippery slopes that Korea can hopefully avoid. This just might be rephrased with some British multicultural/diversity/politically-correct/wishful-thinking-agenda bias.
Or it might be the actual charge… in which case It has started.
As I wrote on another posting on this issue, a stinker has an equally bad effect on the public as a loud racist… except more people are offended.
If you haven’t done it, go back to the top of this post and read about the stinker’s true situation and motivation.
This guy is bringing trouble to Korea.
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6:14 pm on November 30th, 2009 14
PC overwhelms honesty and the truth of the matter I suppose. No one ever asked who the “female friend” he was riding with was. Apparently she must not have been offended by the smell. Did she ever testify in court or give any statements? Just curious, perhaps she had a stuffy nose.
All in all, it would seem the stinker was offensive and should have been aware of his smell. There is no excuse for him not to be. On the other hand yelling and calling another names is offensive as well.
Both should have been made to kiss and make up, with no fines involved.
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