From: Tom Lane
Columbus
I am quite disturbed by the anti-Asian prejudice I see going on in our nation, and I hope not so much here in our Columbus.
I think much prejudice is from lack of understanding and awareness of those different from us.
I want to add my voice to help shift that lack of awareness.
I joined the U.S. Army in 1965, at the height of Vietnam, but I was sent to South Korea instead of the war zone. It was a blessing for me.
The blessing was not just to miss combat, but to be able to experience the Korean people for a year of my life. I was very impressed, and my experience there changed my life. I grew up in Korea.
One of my favorite stories was about my “houseboy.” Many GIs in Korea had a houseboy who made your bed in the morning, did your laundry, pressed your uniform, and cleaned the barracks. It was an easy life for about $10 a month. He and I became friends of sorts.
But the story is more about my fellow GIs who were abusive and condescending to these houseboys. My houseboy was 35 years old with a wife and two children. He was not a “boy” like we were.
What amazed me was that the Black GIs were as biased and prejudiced as the white soldiers. I sought out a Black friend and asked him, “Why do Black GIs treat the Koreans just like they are treated at home?” He just shrugged with the same disbelief I had.
One day, my houseboy asked me if I could come to his home for dinner. I met him right outside the main gate, and he walked me to his home. It was no more than a large Quonset hut. I went in and there was his wife, in her best Korean dress, long with a bow, and his two children, probably 4 and 7 or so. They stood there very wide-eyed to see an American GI in their home — a very awkward moment for all.
We sat and had a glass of wine and the kids grew restless, so they were dismissed to the dirt floor part of the house which was their play area.
I sat there talking to Mr. Kim and found out about their life, their kids, their dreams. I looked around and realized it is not much different than anyone back in the states: A family with kids and a desire to get ahead and provide for a better life.
To this day, I cannot understand why anyone can look upon those different without seeing the sameness of our living. We are truly in this living together, and when one can only see what is good for me, we miss a grand experience of living a connected life.
I grew up in Korea, and I will appreciate that forever.
