The Sigur Center Asia Papers Korean American Literature edited by Young-Key Kim-Renaud R. Richard Grinker Kirk W. Larsen Previous Issues 20. Korean American Literature 7. Trends in China Watching: Observing the PRC at 50 Young-Key Kim-Renaud, 2004 Bruce Dickson, ed., 1999 19. Sorrows of Empire: Imperialism, Militarism, and the 6. US-Japan Relations in an Era of Globalization End of the Republic Mike M. Mochizuki, 1999 Chalmers Johnson, 2004 5. Southeast Asian Countries’ Perceptions of China’s 18. Europe and America in Asia: Different Beds, Same Military Modernization Dreams Koong Pai Ching, 1999 Michael Yahuda, 2004 4. Enhancing Sino-American Military Relations 17. Text and Context of Korean Cinema: Crossing Borders David Shambaugh, 1998 Young-Key Kim-Renaud, R. Richard Grinker, and Kirk W. 3. The Redefinition of the US-Japan Security Alliance and Larsen, eds., 2003 Its Implications for China 16. Korean Music Xu Heming, 1998 Young-Key Kim-Renaud, R. Richard Grinker, and Kirk W. 2. Is China Unstable? Assessing the Factors* Larsen, eds., 2002 David Shambaugh, ed., 1998 15. European and American Approaches Toward China: 1. International Relations in Asia: Culture, Nation, and Different Beds, Same Dreams? State David Shambaugh, 2002 Lucian W. Pye, 1998 14. Assessing Chen Shui-bian’s First Year: The Domestic & International Agenda Conference Report, 2001 13. Reflections of “Misunderstanding” in China Allen S. Whiting, 2001 12. Christianity in Korea Young-Key Kim-Renaud, and R. Richard Grinker, eds., 2001 11. The Political Economy of the Asian Financial Crisis Stephen Haggard, 2001 10. The US Factor in Cross-Straits Relations Conference Report, 2000 9. The International Relations Theoretical Discourse in China: A Preliminary Analysis Ren Xiao, 2000 8. Creation and Re-Creation: Modern Korean Fiction and Its Translation Young-Key Kim-Renaud, and R. Richard Grinker, eds., Single issues are complimentary; additional copies are $5.00. 2000 *available through M.E. Sharpe About The Sigur Center Asia Papers The Sigur Center Asia Papers are a series of occasional publications written by the faculty, visiting scholars, and affiliates of The Sigur Center for Asian Studies. The series provides the informed public and policy community with engaging analysis and context for issues of Asian Affairs and US-Asian relations. The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors. The Sigur Center for Asian Studies is an international research center of The Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. The Center’s institutional goals include increasing the quality and scope of scholarly research and publication on Asian affairs; promoting US-Asian interaction; and preparing a new generation of Asia students, scholars, analysts, and policy makers to assume leadership positions in a world in which Asia and the Pacific Rim is of ever increasing importance. The Center, founded in 1991 out of the former Sino-Soviet Institute, is the largest such institution in the Washington, D.C., area and among the strongest in the United States thanks in large part to the world-class Asian Studies faculty of The George Washington University. The Center’s programs include research projects, study groups, conferences, and lectures concerning Asian political, economic, and security issues. In addition, The Center coordinates a Visiting Scholar/Visiting Research Associate Program, which brings eminent scholars and top policy planners to The Center from universities and government organizations around the world. The Sigur Center for Asian Studies 1957 E Street, N.W., Suite 503 Washington, D.C. 20052 Tel.: 202-994-5886 Fax: 202-994-6096 http://www.gwu.edu/~sigur/ Table of Contents Preface.............................................................................................................................................. i Roots and Wings: An Overview of Korean American Literature 1934-2003.......................................................................................................................................... 1 Elaine H. Kim The Future of Korean American Literature....................................................................... 19 Heinz Insu Fenkl The Language of Stories............................................................................................................ 27 Nora Okja Keller Uncle Tong: Or, How I Learned To Speak for All Asian Americans............................... 33 Don Lee Commentaries: Is It Okay to Laugh Now? A Response to “Roots and Wings” and “The Future of Korean American Literature”............................................................ 37 Patricia Pei-chang Chu Pursuing Korean American Literature................................................................................. 45 You-me Park Profiles.......................................................................................................................................... 49 Preface 003 was a memorable year from many different aspects for those of us engaged in Korean studies at The George Washington University. First of all, it was the centennial of Korean immigration to the United States. Secondly, it was the 20th anniversary of the Korean Language and Culture Pro- 2gram at GW. Finally, it marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of Hahn Moo-Sook, the namesake of this colloquium series. Since the first group of 102 Koreans arrived in Honolulu on Jan. 13, 1903, aboard the S.S. Gaelic, Koreans, known for their resilience, have not only survived myriad hardships but they, their descen- dents, and their compatriots who arrived later have also been making their presence known in Ameri- ca, in Korea, and in Europe by their artistic and scholarly accomplishments. The theme we chose for the year’s colloquium was literature, as Hahn Moo-Sook was a writer. We decided to discuss “One Hundred Years of Korean American Literature” to commemorate the achievements of people of Korean ancestry in the United States. After a long gestation, Korean American works are appearing, as if they cannot be contained any- more, winning awards and recognition through headlines. The increasing pool of Korean Americans represents a very diverse population. Distinguishing themselves from their predecessors, who were simply transposed Koreans living in America, more and more Korean American writers belong to the so-called “1.5 generation,” including those who immigrated to the US when they were very young or were born in the States, many of whom are in fact products of international and interracial marriages. Many Korean Americans, particularly those belonging to this generation, are eager to define their own place. For some, this means defining themselves as independent of ethnicity. Yet, it is their sensibility and vision of life, drawn from their particular experiences, that moves the readers. As the late Hahn Moo-Sook used to say, “[t]he way to be most universal is to be most specific.” The papers by the writers in this volume help us appreciate the beauty and creativity inspired by each Korean American author’s specificity. Korean American writers’ works are no longer limited to biographical accounts. Many are deeply thought-provoking products dealing with all kinds of human conditions, not limited to Koreans or Americans. One thing that is common in all types of Korean American literature, however, is that, through their stories and songs, we learn about both Korea and the United States, even when authors try not to be concerned with the question of identity and ethnicity. This is why Korean American lit- erature should not fall through the cracks but must be included as an authentic part of both Korean and American literature. Korean American literature brings into focus some of the key issues of our time in the highly mul- ticultural context in which we live. Korean Americans are a central part of modern processes involv- ing diaspora, new hybridized ethnicities, language change, inter-generational conflict, and the global flow of ideas, media, and money. Korean Americans represent these changes in brilliant literature that captures in all its complexity the historical, societal, and political situations of Koreans and Korean Americans, as well as immigrants in general. The conveners of the HMS Colloquium felt that the time was ripe to present a program on Korean American literature. Two organizations, the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Program (APAP) and the National Museum of American History, Behring Center, both of which had entertained ideas similar to that of the HMS Colloquium, agreed that the project deserved collaboration to more effectively mark this special year. The result was a two- part program. On Friday, October 24, on the eve of the HMS Colloquium, the Smithsonian Institution’s Korean American Centennial Celebration took place at the Carmichael Auditorium of the National Museum of American History. The event featured readings by Elaine Kim, foremost Korean American and Asian American literary scholar, and three Korean American writers that Elaine Kim calls “eminent icons of the present”: Heinz Insu Fenkl, Nora Okja Keller, and Don Lee. On Saturday, October 25, the 10th Hahn Moo-Sook Colloquium in the Korean Humanities was held at The George Washington University, with the same authors presenting their views on Korean American Literature, approaching it from two slightly different angles. While Elaine Kim and Heinz Insu Fenkl gave a historical overview and their assessment on what the future might bring, Nora