Local heritage meets multiculturalism
Published: 12 Oct. 2009, 00:46
Children from multicultural families load up on dishes eaten in the home countries of either their mother or father at Vision Village in Yeoju, Gyeonggi on Oct. 9. Provided by Gyeonggi Inoori
“We use 10,000 won bills every day, right?” the tour guide explained, holding up some bank notes. “Well, this is King Sejong on paper and in person.”
With dragonflies buzzing overhead and the leaves on the trees starting to yellow, over 300 multicultural families - one parent from Korea, one from overseas and with kids at an elementary school here - were getting shown around the royal tomb of King Sejong the Great in Yeoju, Gyeonggi on a highly auspicious day: Hangul Day, which fell last Friday.
The ever increasing number of such multicultural families in Korea has prompted the government to provide opportunities for children from multicultural families to learn about Korean culture and history.
The problem is that if either mom or dad has trouble communicating in Korean, the kids might not get the necessary encouragement to learn about the country they live in.
Gyeonggi Inoori, an affiliate of Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, invited the 300 multicultural families from across the country, including Gyeongsang, Gangwon, Jeolla, Gyeonggi, Seoul and even as far away as Jeju Island.
The schedule included a night and two-day long program that took in cultural heritage and provided opportunities for families to get to know each other.
Over 3,200 multicultural families have benefitted from the program since it began in March, according to Gyeonggi Inoori officials. Participation is free thanks to support from the corporate world.
There are a variety of trips on offer in Gyeonggi, including excursions to Everland Resort, the DMZ, the birthplace of Empress Myeongseong, Gwacheon National Science Museum, the Nam June Paik Art Center and a Korean folk village.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Lee Jung-hyun, the executive director of Gyeonggi Inoori.
“[The kids] learn about King Sejong and Empress Myeongseong through history textbooks at school but they haven’t had a chance to visit these sites.
These trips will give them the opportunity to learn more about Korea’s historic figures.
“Many multicultural families unfortunately don’t always have that many opportunities to take their kids to amusement parks and heritage sites and the program is a perfect match for kids who really want to see these places.”
Jose I. Diaz, a Spanish freelance journalist who recently covered the International Delphic Games in Jeju, met his Korean wife in Spain.
They settled in Jeju five years ago after living in Spain and the Netherlands, because he wanted to spend time in Jeju.
“I think [the trips] are very important for the integration for foreigners married to Koreans and especially for our children,” said Diaz, who joined the program with his 12-year-old daughter Dazil and his wife, Oh Kyung-ae. “At first foreigners don’t know much about Korean art, culture and history, and it’s very important to learn about them.”
His daughter, a sixth grader, admitted she wasn’t too interested in Empress Myeongseong, but she had the chance to find out more that day.
“Also, I can’t forget the scene of the Dutch village at the Everland Resort I visited on the first day of the trip. The houses looked just like the ones we have in the Netherlands.”
Oh, the head of Seogwipo Foreign Culture Center, said that multicultural families in Korea need the kind of support that Gyeonggi Inoori is offering.
“I know many local governments are hosting festivals promoting famous agricultural products in their regions,” Oh said.
“But they should shift their efforts to multicultural families. My children speak fluent Korean, English, Dutch and Spanish, but the government still does not have an appropriate system to nurture such global talent.”
Shin Eun-seon, a nine-year-old elementary school student in Seoul, came on the Gyeonggi Inoori trip with her classmate and her mother because Eun-seon’s mother is scheduled to give birth soon.
Born to a Korean father and Japanese mother, Shin said she was delighted to meet friends who share similar background with her.
“I want to come here again,” Shin said. “I met many friends here.”
Lim Byoung-soo, CEO of Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, said it was important to nurture childhood memories.
“Gyeonggi Province has the largest population of multicultural families in Korea and we want the children of these families to feel that they are part of Korea and more importantly they are the future of Korea. We want them to have a bond with other families and get a chance to learn more about historic and heritage sites in Gyeonggi.”
By Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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