[2025 하계] 청소년 3차 - '김범준' 참가자 수기(캐나다 거주)

캐나다에서 온 21조 김범준 참가자의 수기입니다.

 

 

 

Good evening everyone, my name is Benjamin Kim, and I am a 16-year-old high school student attending St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School, in Ontario Canada From a young age, I felt a deep connection to my heritage, especially with the culture and history of my country South Korea.

 

One of my most fond memories as a Korean was watching with pride as we hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and proudly watching the national team advance to the second round in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, beating Portugal in an incredible 2-1 victory. These moments filled me with pride and an overwhelming feeling of belonging, and I was able to say with pride, I was Korean.

 

However, my identity came with some challenges, living in Canada, specifically within a population of a Chinese majority, I was often seen as a foreigner. My identity as a Korean was greatly misunderstood or dismissed. I was often confused as being Chinese, and that made me feel invisible, and ignored. It was not about being mistaken, it was about being made to feel like my culture was irrelevant or invisible.

 

At the time, Korean culture was not as widespread as it is today, and I often struggled to find ways to assert my identity. I was alone in my cultural path, seeking ways to stay connected to others, whilst representing my Korean heritage.

 

This is a personal mission towards recapturing and learning about my Korean heritage that started with my mother. She studied Korean music at university and taught me everything she had learned, told me stories about our customs, and made me fall in love with Korea's culture. Through her, I grew a deep appreciation of the richness of Korean culture, something I had taken for granted or had never bothered to find out about.

 

As I dug deeper, I discovered a powerful segment of our family history that had a significant impact on my connection to Korea. I learned that my two great-grandparents took part in the March 1st Movement in 1919, a crucial step in the struggle for Korean independence. For protesting, they were arrested by the Japanese authorities. Learning about their sacrifice was emotional, but also educational. It helped me to better understand the resilience that is present in my heritage, and mine. It wasn't forced cultural pride anymore; it was now a question of honoring where I am from and carrying their tradition forward.

 

This was my second year with this program on cultural heritage, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten this opportunity. From learning about the prison where my great-grandparents were formerly incarcerated, to becoming a temporary student at a Korean high school, it was an experience that changed my life. It allowed me to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors and learn about Korea not as a point on a map, but as a living, breathing part of who I am.

 

In Canada, or at least in those communities where the Korean culture is still not yet well-represented, it's easy to feel lost or ignored as a young Korean-Canadian like me, and I know not alone in this. Opportunities like this program are scarce, and I am deeply grateful for it. It helped me not only learn about Korea's history and culture but also reflect on my identity and the importance of sharing it with other people.

In doing this journey, I have known what it truly means to be Korean-Canadian. It is possessing the heritage of those who came before me, inheriting the elegance of my culture, and battling for visibility in spaces where it's usually taken for granted. When I have undertaken this journey, it has enlightened me and emancipated me, and I desire to continue sharing awareness of my heritage and celebrating the richness of being Korean.

 

Thank you.

 

※ 본 소감문은 참가자의 소감문을 그대로 작성한 것입니다.