We're always observing, and we're cautious people. We really want attention, but at the same time, we're ashamed of wanting attention. All those bizarre qualities of being outside are necessary for being a writer.
Min Jin LeeRead
Koreans are worried about the Japanese right-wing people, who tend to be against foreigners. But the Koreans in Japan aren't even foreigners. They are essentially culturally Japanese. If a family has lived in Japan for three generations, it's absurd to see them as foreigners.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the absurdity of labeling long-term residents as foreigners and reflects on cultural identity.
In this quote, Min Jin Lee addresses the concept of identity and belonging, specifically focusing on the Korean community in Japan. She argues that the perception of Koreans as foreigners, despite many having lived in Japan for generations and assimilated into its culture, is misguided. This statement challenges nationalistic attitudes and encourages a deeper understanding of cultural integration and the complexities of identity in a multicultural society.
Themes
IdentityCultureBelongingForeignersJapanKorea
In practice
Example use cases
During a cultural exchange presentation, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of understanding diverse identities.
More from Min Jin Lee
All quotes →Twenty-five million people who live in North Korea are denied freedom in every respect of their lives. In short, they are hostages. Imagine 25 million hostages.
Min Jin LeeRead
My father was born on Christmas Day in 1934. He grew up in what is now part of North Korea. When the Korean War began, my father was 16, and he found passage on an American refugee ship,thinking he'd be gone for just a few days, but he never saw his mother or his sister again.
Min Jin LeeRead
I think it's not an accident that you don't have that many Asian American women writers who are breaking out. I don't think it's an accident that you don't have that many Asian American writers, either women or men. I don't think that immigrants are encouraged to become artists. That's very gendered and racialized and ethnicized.
Min Jin LeeRead
I've often felt like an outsider, not necessarily because I'm Korean, an immigrant, or female. I think writers are odd people.
Min Jin LeeRead
Education is a beautiful, liberating thing, but I think that tying in education and status, and the need to do well at every cost, is toxic.
Min Jin LeeRead
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