Migrant Workers Fest to Promote Multiculturalism

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

``Jjambbong'' is one of the most widely consumed local dishes, but it is neither Korean nor Chinese. The seafood noodle soup literally means ``mixture.''

The Migrant Worker Film Festival (MWFF) celebrates the jjambbong spirit in the cultural context. ``It's about cultural jjambong or multiculturalism, mixing together. We need to recognize foreigners as being part of the Korean social fabric,'' Mahbub Alam, a laborer-turned-cineaste and MWFF festival director, told The Korea Times in Seoul, Thursday.

The foreign resident population surpasses 1 million while the number of migrant workers exceeds 520,000. However, many South Koreans seize upon the outdated notion of the country being homogenous, save for the native speaker English teachers at local academies and occasional news reports or documentaries spotlighting exploited migrant workers.

``The press often portray us with a pitiful eye, but that makes people feel uncomfortable and avoid us more,'' said Alam, who has been living in Korea for 10 years and is married to a Korean.

``I feel how people treat me differently every day, on the street, the subway. Of course some people are just here to work temporarily and don't care to integrate. I'm not the representative for migrant workers, but I just wish that Koreans would recognize diversity,'' he said in impeccable Korean.

The MWFF was launched in 2006 to raise awareness about not just human rights but more importantly to promote jjambong or integration of cultures. The fourth edition opens this weekend in Seoul, presenting 22 films from 14 countries that show diverse perspectives of both professionals and amateurs.