Two interesting articles about Korea and Korean Americans in New York Times recently.Thomas Friedman writes that the world needs more American leadership, extensively quoting from Korean officials. The Korean wholeheartedly agrees.Second generation Korean Americans are coming up with interesting Korean fusion food that is gaining in popularity. The Korean is actually a purist when it comes to Korean...

Mongolian Spank Marks

Dear Korean, A friend mentioned that many Korean children are born with a blue birthmark located at the base of the spine. He said it was from a genetic trait from Mongolian invaders centuries before. Is this true? UnsignedDear Anonymous Coward,No, it is a myth. In fact, it is a very good example of how two pieces of truth...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Pre-Figuring Mixed Children

Dear Korean,My mom is full blooded Korean and my dad is of Irish and Canadian heritage. My girlfriend and I have been talking about having children at some point. We wonder what our future kids might look like. This is where my question for you comes from. My girlfriend is a full on red head. Bright red hair (I say orange, but that ticks her off), pale white skin, freckles... a Ginger-American....

From Attorney General Eric Holder:Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans,...

Ask a Korean! is featured on January's issue of KoreAm Journ...

Ask a Korean! News: Nationalism (and Americans' Not Getting it)

The Korean absolutley loves the NBA and his Los Angeles Lakers. So he was not going to miss any part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, including the Dunk Contest. Among the contestants was the first European player ever to participate in the Dunk Contest, Spaniard Rudy Fernandez of Portland Trailblazers . Check it out.Pretty sweet dunks, and the Korean thinks the judges underrated him. But the point that...

Ask a Korean! News: Yet Another Case for Immigration

Look at the assimilation of this Korean cow! It learned to surf!Many thanks to Marylee S. for the link.Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.c...

Korea-Japan Relation Saga, Part V - Contemporary Korean Nationalism

Dear Korean,Do most young Koreans still hate the Japanese with a vengeance, and if so, what do they do when they meet a Japanese person? (And yes, I am well aware of the all too recent dreadful atrocities the Japanese committed in Korea and continue to disgracefully deny.) A Japanese friend’s husband said that young people...

Excellent op-ed from Thomas Friedman at New York Times, about how immigration can help deliver America from the current recession.The Korean's own preferred immigration policy is quite radical. Immigration policy is one of only two areas in which the Korean supports a completely extremist and unrealistic idea. (The other is complete ban of all civilian ownership of firearms except hunting rifles,...

Interesting article about immigrants' kitchen in New York Times, featuring a Korean person among othe...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Rec Soccer Leagues in Korea

Dear Korean, I'm moving to Korea to be a English teacher in February. I'm interested in joining a club or rec soccer team, preferably one that might be more suited to someone who doesn't speak any Korean. Can you tell me how I can find information about joining one of these leagues? JonDear Jon,The Korean does not know, but he bets his readers do. The Korean knows that there are many rec soccer...

Ask a Korean! News: AAK! Won Some Awards, and So Did You

The good folks over at Hub of Sparkle held a contest for Korea-related blogs, and Ask a Korean! was duly nominated in multiple categories. Without doing any pimping for votes unlike some people, AAK! swept all categories in which it was nominated, emerging with two wins and one tie.The one tie came from Best Post or Series in a Korea Blog, and the winning piece from AAK! was its collaboration with...

Bonus Football Question -- Can Koreans Play in NFL?

Dear Korean, I pay nearly zero attention to football, but judging from what I remember of the game in junior high, my hunch is that any East Asians who end up playing will either be half-breeds or scrubs unless there's a large contingent of kimchi-eating hulking ogres that I don't know about. Where, exactly, are teams anywhere...