Fitting into Korean society through reporting

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Vong Canh Va, 23, a married immigrant from Vietnam, is a guest reporter for Mapo Newsletter, the monthly newspaper in the northwestern district in Seoul.

On Tuesday, Vong came out to cover a Korean language class held at Hapjeong Community Center. The four-month class started in August and runs through mid-December, teaching basic Korean for married immigrants from Vietnam, China and Japan. The course is supported by Mapo Health Family Support Center.

Among nine students, she interviewed two Vietnamese students, using both Korean and Vietnamese. She eagerly took notes of their words. “When I asked about best things of Seoul, they said they liked public transportation system such as subway. There is no subway in Vietnam,” Vong told The Korea Times at an interview Tuesday.

The Mapo Center also offers visiting education for married immigrants ― Korean language and child rearing.

“Korean language course is quite popular among new immigrants as the instructors visit them personally. For those who delivered child, we teach them how to raise the child,” said Kim In-young of the center. “Groups with more than six members can request for Korean lecturer for beginning level. The Intermediate and advanced courses are offered at the center.”

Though the program is not always operated in an ideal way, it is a big help for immigrants who are getting adjusted to new life in Korea.

“Some married immigrants ask the instructors to teach Korean to their children, not for themselves. This is not what the education aims for. We want the mothers to learn Korean and teach their children by themselves,” Kim said.

Vong also took notes of Kim’s remarks for her story. “This one is not going to be easy as some of the students were from shelter and didn’t talk much and wanted to keep their name closed,” she said.

She became the guest reporter for the newsletter in May 2009. “My first story was about a married immigrant from Vietnam who was preparing for her first visit to maiden home after wedding,” she said. “She was very excited and bought presents for family back in Vietnam.”

By then, she wrote first wrote story in Vietnamese and then translated one by one to Korean with dictionary. “I still am not very good at Korean. My husband and the district office people review my story and correct it. I feel much grateful,” she said.

Life as a married immigrant

Vong came to Korea in 2007 after marrying her husband who works for a logistics company and is a mother of a three-year-old girl now. She graduated from a middle school and was working when she married her husband.

“One of my cousins married to a Korean man and she introduced my husband to me. In Vietnam, people tend to marry in their early 20s, so I was in the marriageable age then,” Vong said.

When she first arrived in Korea, she was stunned at the strange country. “It was hard to make myself understood and I felt heavy at the unfamiliar circumstances,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone except for my family and I couldn’t express my emotions.”

She has troubles with her mother-in-law, as most of Korean daughters-in-law also do. “There are cultural differences and sometimes I don’t understand why my mother-in-law asks me to do certain things. Korean women are quick-witted, but we Vietnamese are not good at pleasing someone's humor,” she said. “But we get along well at the other times. She takes care of my daughter when I go out to study.”

Her husband cares about her a lot. When she writes article for the newsletter, her husband reviews her writing. “I explain the gathered news materials and he helps me organize them into a story,” she said.

She is very busy as she does all house chores as well as studying Korean language and culture and raising her daughter. “I started multicultural instructor position earlier this year. I visit local nurseries and tell children about the culture and history of Vietnam and introduce traditional costume and games.” she said. “At first, I was nervous and made mistakes. I was confused and misused honorific expressions or forgot what to say. But I was thrilled to be complimented by students and other people.”

She wanted to share her culture with her daughter, too. “I sometimes read Korean and Vietnamese fairytales to her,” she added.

Vong also takes Social Integration Program for migrant to be a naturalized Korean. “Tomorrow is my last class and I have a test on Sunday,” she said. “I am nervous. What if I fail?”

Bracing multiculturalism

Park Hwa-kyung, 51, a Vong’s colleague, also writes for the district's monthly newsletter. She came with Vong to the community center Tuesday to assist her reporting.

"Vong doesn't seem to need my help today. She speaks Korean really well, doesn't she?" Park said.

She has been writing for the newsletter for four years by now. "We were awkward when the four married immigrants joined our team last year, but I soon became intimate with Vong as we seat next to each other at our monthly meeting," Park said. "I try not to treat them in particular. It surely takes time to get familiar with each other, but I don't think they are much different from us."

She became interested in expatriates living in her neighborhood when she saw Nepalese attending services at her church.

She said Vong has changed a lot after becoming a guest reporter. “She was shy and looked somewhat gloomy, but after a year, she is a different person now. She talks a lot and laughs much more,” Park said.

"I think we have to brace the diversity. Korea will be a whole multicultural society in some 20 years," Park said. "I have a son attending university and I might take foreigners as my daughter-in-law someday. I will cherish her as my family despite of her nationality."

Park also emphasized the importance of preserving and passing down culture and tradition of immigrant people. "They should keep their own culture and convey it to their children, which would make our country truly multicultural," she added.