Language & Culture Story by

INTRODUCING JEANNIE BAE

joyceeehan — 2021-06-03 23:36:12 UTC

Jeannie Bae (19 years old) was born in New Jersey in 2001, 10 days after 9/11. She has one older brother.
Her father is a software engineer and her mom is a housewife.
She loves fishing, bowling, playing guitar, and taking photos of flowers.

joyceeehan — 2021-06-03 23:48:05 UTC

joyceeehan — 2021-06-03 23:49:47 UTC

TIMELINE

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:16:47 UTC

2001 - 2002: New Jersey 
2002 - 2004: Alabama 
2004 - 2005: Nevada 
2005 - Present: California

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LINGUISTIC/CULTURAL BACKGROUND

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:21:54 UTC

- Second generation Korean-American (parents immigrated to America in 2000)
- Grew up in a very traditional, Korean household

watching Korean shows, eating Korean food, patriarchic, family-focused

- Attended American public schools
- Korean was first language, then learned English in kindergarten

"Learning English in kindergarten wasn't the best experience. My teacher would sit me out in the hallway floor to practice the ABC's by myself while everyone else was having fun inside."

KOREAN AT HOME

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:22:22 UTC

Initially, Jeannie's mom purposefully didn't teach her English because she wanted her daughter to retain their heritage language. She believed and was hopeful that Jeannie would still grow and succeed in American society without starting off fluent in English.

JEANNIE'S ADVICE TO FUTURE EDUCATORS

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:22:25 UTC

1. Don't call students out if they're not proficient in English.
2. Help these students more subtly, so they can learn in support rather than out of fear or ostracization.
3. Pair struggling students with other excelling students so they can learn through modeling. Sometimes it's less intimidating to learn from a peer than an adult.
4. Show sincerity, genuine care, and empathy.

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BELIEFS ABOUT LANGUAGE, CULTURE, & EDUCATION

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:48:43 UTC

- Initially found bilingualism/multiculturalism to be the source of much frustration and stress.

"It was a hindrance, especially in writing. It was so confusing to translate between Korean and English in my mind. Sometimes there would be no English word equivalent to the Korean word I wanted to convey."

- Now she realizes how growing up in a traditional Korean family and community gave her the ability to see society from a different lens. It gave her the skills to expand her toolbox. She now has different ways to deal with various situations and challenges.
- Coming to a diverse school helped her see how she can use her bilingualism and background to her advantage and reach out to certain people.
- Strongly believes current education system needs to be more open and inclusive of multilingual and multicultural students. Had conversations with other immigrant students who have taken English-learning classes/interventions–their experiences were mostly negative and filled with discrimination and inferiority.

IDENTITY AND SENSE OF SELF

joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 00:51:46 UTC

- Underlying deep fear that she would never be proficient in English
- Thought being Asian-American put her at a disadvantage and had to try twice as hard as those who are just American
- Gained confidence as she grew to realize that bilingualism is a sought-out skill in the workforce and is a huge advantage
- Significantly grew in Korean patriotism and pride, feels very emotionally tied to her roots

Proud of the fact that Korea is becoming one of the fastest-growing and respected nations, especially with the KPOP and technology boom as of late

- Helped her develop intentional relationships

Was able to bond with an African American peer who was wearing a t-shirt with a KPOP group on it; was so happy to meet someone else who knew Korean culture
Also able to bond with others who relate to her Korean-American experience

"There's this inner connection with others who are Korean-American. It expands the scope of our conversation and shared experiences–not just being American, but being Korean-American."

- Took pride in the Korean lunches and Korean barley tea that her mom packed her, which other students were interested in
- Felt like her background made her more knowledgeable in a global sense, especially because the North/South Korean tension is a global issue; it's not simply an international issue but a personal issue

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joyceeehan — 2021-06-04 03:52:33 UTC

"I loved most of my teachers, but I still remember one teacher who always called me her sunshine. She told me I would be a sunshine everywhere I would go. I wanted to move on with school despite my language and social struggles because I loved hearing that from her. She made me believe I make a positive impact."