정체성 다시

뉴욕타임즈에 난 기사: Adopted From Korea and in Search of Identity
Kim Eun Mi Young 씨가 자신의 정체성을 찾기까지 얼마나 힘겨웠는지를 소개하면서
주로 백인 가정에 입양된 미국 내의 한국계 입양아들이 겪는 전반적인 정체성의 혼란이
문화적인 맥락에서 쉽게 극복하기 어려운 것임을 재확인해준다.
관련하여 기사 몇 대목:

The experiences of Ms. Young are common among adopted children from Korea, according to one of the largest studies of transracial adoptions, which is to be released on Monday. The report, which focuses on the first generation of children adopted from South Korea, found that 78 percent of those who responded had considered themselves to be white or had wanted to be white when they were children. Sixty percent indicated their racial identity had become important by the time they were in middle school, and, as adults, nearly 61 percent said they had traveled to Korea both to learn more about the culture and to find their birth parents.

 

Like Ms. Young, most Korean adoptees were raised in predominantly white neighborhoods and saw few, if any, people who looked like them. The report also found that the children were teased and experienced racial discrimination, often from teachers. And only a minority of the respondents said they felt welcomed by members of their own ethnic group.

 

As a result, many of them have had trouble coming to terms with their racial and ethnic identities.

원문을 보면 간략하지만 의미심장한 다른 사례들이 소개되어 있다.
한국에서 태어나 계속 자라온 사람들이 한국계 미국인 입양아들의 어려움을 똑같이 공유할 수는 없겠지만
이들이 그러한 문제를 안고 있고 이 문제가 단순히 한국-미국이라는 이분법적 사고 그 훨씬 이상으로
복잡한 문제라는 것을 이해하는 것만으로도 
이 문제를 함께 고민하고 서로 이해하는데 있어서 중요한 첫 발자국을 내딛는 것이 아닌가 싶음.