Hi Jen,

I found your site via mexicanpictures & have been meaning to write for a while. First of all, my mom made me eggbop all the time when I was a little kid... I remember it mostly from before&around the time my brother was born so under age 5. She also did this thing where she'd steam egg with brined shrimp in one of those little covered metal rice bowls -- just lay it on top of the rice and water in the rice cooker. I always wondered if anyone else did that.

Anyway, to make this far too long, I loved this post on being 1.5 and our kids being halfies and the irony of refusing to take Korean classes or go to Korea as a kid and not only paying to do it as an adult, but looking for Korean language and dance classes for my daughter. Just a note about the Brooklyn thing, we just moved to Kansas City after 20 years in NYC. I was ready for the unbearable whiteness of being.... BUT guess what? In the immediate blocks of our charming old tree-lined neighborhood, there are about 10 Asian & 1/2 Asian families.... 5 on our block alone. Weird. Basically, our block is 1/3 Asian families.

And maybe this is just our weird luck but at least 3 of these families are composed of an Asian male-white female combo. Anyway, I was ready for the worst but believe it or not, my daughter has more Asian playmates here now than we did in Soho. And she can walk to their houses herself!

Also, in her preschool (which is in Mission Hills, the most affluent neighborhood in KC, which I mention just b/c one might think that would indicate even more whiteness), she was 1 of 3 Asian (all 1/2) kids in a class of 16. Not bad considering. Oh and I'm even closer to a Korean grocery now than I was when I lived in NY and had to go to Hanahreum or M2M.

Just to say it seems the middle of the country, as well as suburbs in general, may be experiencing some demographic shifts and reflecting at least more of an Asian presence these days than when we were kids.
We sure don't have Korean music playgroups here though, at least not in my neighborhood. Any pointers to good recordings? I got a couple from YesAsia last year that were pretty dismal. Actually, my partner insisted I get rid of them. I felt sad reading that your son could sing Korean songs. Any help much appreciated!

Kansas City sounds really cool - your note made me realize that I tend to think of these things as uniquely local and nyc when we must be part of a larger pattern. (What made you move btw? 20 yrs is an amazing investment!)

One of my ongoing curiosities is to create a map and track KA communities - um, still working on that blog entry so it doesn't sound so obsessive and awkward like it did just now - and to be able to include a thing or two that describes them. Kind of like how most KA's where I grew up in Philadelphia were either preppy, likely to play field hockey and violin and probably helped define Banana Republic and JCrew as major brands or east coast gang-peh - so different from my years in LA observing LA Koreans.

And I like your mom's variation on eggbop btw, the brined shrimp must have added a dose of salty tang and complemented the egg flavors, yum.

For your map: In Bryn Mawr, PA, there are a lot of "new" KA's... The parents are highly educated and came recently for their kids' education and the kids really want to learn. In fact, maybe they are not KA's at all, yet. But it's all age ranges of kids, from newborns to high school students. The moms remind me a lot of moms in Korea: stick together, talk a lot, don't work, kind of flashy. But they are very nice and so happy to meet other Koreans. However, Asians are still somewhat invisible in this affluent white/european neighborhood. Strange.

My 1st son goes to Korean school 30 minutes away at a Korean church and it's been helping a lot with the language. I am more motivated to look into creating some kind of music or other group after reading the above.

For your map: In Bryn Mawr, PA, there are a lot of "new" KA's... The parents are highly educated and came recently for their kids' education and the kids really want to learn. In fact, maybe they are not KA's at all, yet. But it's all age ranges of kids, from newborns to high school students. The moms remind me a lot of moms in Korea: stick together, talk a lot, don't work, kind of flashy. But they are very nice and so happy to meet other Koreans. However, Asians are still somewhat invisible in this affluent white/european neighborhood. Strange.

My 1st son goes to Korean school 30 minutes away at a Korean church and it's been helping a lot with the language. I am more motivated to look into creating some kind of music or other group after reading the above.

In Bryn Mawr? Now that's fascinating - how'd they end up there I wonder? How do you know them?

I can't believe Ethan is not fluent in Korean with all the family around him...!

people think i am from Albania all the time - literally - actual Albanians think i am from there. maybe this will qualify me to attend your music group on occasion. lilian by proxy.
xo

i actually grew up in bryn mawr, pa....my parents moved there for the excellent schools. there is actually a large korean community in the greater philly area, esp the NE philly surburbs like jenkintown, but in bryn mawr, there weren't too many asians and most of our friends were white / jewish. happy to hear that the face of the 'main line' will be changing.

now i have made my life in brooklyn too. i would love to learn more about the local korean music group -- please email me with info! thanks!

Actually, there is a Korean American community in the Kansas City (both Kansas and Missouri). My brother lived there back in the nineties for work. He even met his Korean wife there. She was there for graduate school. I think wherever there's a cluster of universities near or in a city, you'll find Koreans (and other immigrants).

I know this is an old post but I was wondering if you were still doing this Korean music group in Brooklyn or if you knew of activity like that. My two year old doesn't speak Korean (my husband is Korean-American) although she is exposed through grandparents and cousins. I am white and don't speak at all (except for lots of food related words- I know this might be shocking but my mother-in-law is always feeding me) and I thought it would be cool if we could do a weekly activity where we both learned a little. Suggestions?

Hi.

I'm not sure if this is the same playgroup I read about in the joong ang ilbo this morning, but I'm hoping it is. I am looking for a playgroup for my daughter Zoe. Could you please contact me if there is anymore room for kids?
Thank you!