Interview with Tai Shin
The purpose of this project was to interview an individual that has had the pleasure, or under unforeseen circumstances, had the chance to immigrate to the U.S. The focus for my project was to interview somebody from an older generation and did not need to search any further than my own grandfather “Tai Shin”. Him and many others within his generation have many stories that have been untold to the public, much of which is unique across each individual. My grandfather, Tai Shin, is a Korean-American who immigrated to the U.S. without any of his family members. Like many other young Koreans at the time, Tai wanted to establish a better life for himself and his family back home, taking the brave leap to venture into unknown territories.
Being my grandfather, it is safe to assume that it was extremely easy to schedule a time for the interview, in fact there was a sense of joy and excitement flowing from him when I called about the topic. All the years I have spoken with him, we never touched on his experience immigrating to the U.S.; it never crossed my mind because he seemed to be engulfed in the culture here, though he still keeps his Korean roots very dear to him. As we began the interview I also had a sense of excitement, it was as if I were about to dive into a new side of my grandfather. Rather than talking about the same topics for almost eighteen years, there was a sense of a new character development. Being that it was my grandfather, we felt extremely comfortable with each other. I had a guide that I was intending to use, but as the flow of the conversation began I decided to leave it behind for the sake of the “raw” material that was flowing into my mind at the time. It only felt burdensome to have a guide while I was talking to my own grandfather. Even in the beginning of the interview, there seemed to be no sense of wordlessness, thoughts were pouring from his head with a break. I would only ask him simple questions, but he seemed to be excited to tell his story and the pride that he takes in it. There was never a dull moment. There were points into the conversation where I felt as if I was a child again, being engrossed in his stories and just staring, falling deeper into his words. It was almost bad for the conversation in fact because when he would be waiting for the next question, I would lose track as to what I had just asked him. I was surprised as to how excited he was to share his story, from my first impressions, I thought he would have encountered a harsh welcome to the new culture, but in reality, he felt that his stay was greeted with warm hands and curiosity, even more warmth than from his hometown in Korea which I found fascinating. His experience was so great, it seems that he could not make any connections back home in Korea, other than his family members. He was truly enjoying the American lifestyle. I only asked him questions regarding his family dynamic back in Korea, as well his daily life routines. I wanted to make that connection to his experience here in the U.S. whether they were similar or now. Other questions I had asked were along the lines of how was the initial response of his “American colleagues at school?”, “what group helped you assimilate the most?”, “what were your first jobs like?”, very simple and straightforward. It was shocking to see how invested he was in these topics. I had never seen him so involved in a conversation, it almost made me see him as a whole different person. Hearing his excitement, made me just as excited, and I also felt as if we both discovered a new light to his past.
My grandfather, Tai, grew up with a large family in a small house right outside the southern province of South Korea. Shortly after the Korean war, much of the country was left in ruins. It’s government was still new and the economy had been struggling to stay afloat. Like many young Koreans during the time, many sought for a new life elsewhere. The main consensus at the time was to bring wealth and respect to their country by achieving a better education elsewhere. As a result of the war, there were not many options elsewhere. This would become a major push factor for my grandfather Tai. In a household with no electricity nor running water, he was determined to go to America and bring wealth back to his family and country. Although, his particular story may stray from many other Koreans in the fact that he immigrated to the U.S. at a much younger age, this being in his early teens. The only support he received from his family was that they paid for his travel expenses, but the rest of his journey was left to himself. Upon arriving in the U.S, he was in a state of shock in the beginning but was able to assimilate quite easily due to his hard work effort and many American students who welcomed him warmly. He attended the University of Illinois and what was interesting was that, it was not a community of Koreans that helped him assimilate into the new culture, but rather other American students. At this time he expressed that there were almost no other Koreans in the state at the time, but he felt that this was not a problem because of how welcoming everyone else was. In class we learned about how immigrants in Harrisonburg were able to group together and create their own micro-community, helping one another to get accustomed to the daily routines of life; but in the case of many Koreans at this time, it was almost impossible to create this same relationship. My grandfather feels as if their warmth came from curiosity. They almost felt bad for his country, knowing the horrors of the Korean war, they helped him with most of his needs; but this did not include his first jobs he acquired in the U.S. Many of his early jobs were manual labor, working late shifts and trying to keep his head afloat while studying in a foreign country. I then presumed to ask him what his biggest struggle was moving to the U.S., he responded that learning English was the biggest issue. His lack of English skills allowed his grades to drop and restricted him from many daily routines. In addition to this obstacle, there was also the fear of being sent back to Korea if he did not perform well in college. With all of these pressures, he still found colleagues that pushed him through these issues. He expressed that his family was fearful for his well-being in the U.S. His mother would cry for him most nights knowing he was working manual labor occupations and knew that his grades were dropping. It was in his best interest to rush his studies, receive his degree and return home to Korea. Out of pure grit and determination, Tai Shin was able to overcome these pressures and obstacles and receive his degree at the University of Illinois, but what was unexpected was that he decided to stay longer due to his fiancé and after landing a secure job at a bank. In this point of time, he owed much of his achievements to the community of Illinois. He said at this point in time and even now, he identifies himself more American than Korean. He even continues to say that he feels more comfortable speaking English than Korean. It is not a confliction whether he feels the sense that he has lost his native culture, but rather he adapted so well to his new surroundings, he grew to love his new home and community. He can proudly say that he is a U.S. citizen due to his hard work and dedication. Amazingly, according to my grandfather he never felt “foreign” while staying in the U.S. While he was at this high, he decided to settle down in the U.S. He rarely travelled back home to Korea after having children and finding his home in Richmond, VA. After achieving his dream, he felt that a huge load had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt as if he pleased his country and family at this point. By the way he was expressing his feelings, there seemed to be little to no regret about his studies in the U.S. From this experience, he feels that he owes this country a lot more. It gave him another chance at life, from growing up in the rural farmlands of Korea, to landing a stable job in the U.S., he felt as if he achieved the American dream. I often asked him if he could picture himself in any other country, but he would always shake his head almost immediately. He truly felt that the people in his community would have been unmatched anywhere else. Though he was feeling these emotional highs, he presumed to explain that there were many moments of feeling homesick. Not in the simple form of missing his usual cultural ties, but rather he was in constant fear of disappointing his family. As I mentioned before, his mother would always call him out of fear that he would not perform as well. This put a tremendous amount of stress on him. Although my grandfather’s immigration is unique in the sense that his community welcomed him openly, what he shares with many other immigrants is the characteristic of “selflessness”. He and many other immigrants came to this country to not only find a better life for themselves, but also for their families. He only wanted a better life for his family who had supported him all throughout his life.
In conclusion, Tai Shin was able to look past his life in Korea and overcome his obstacles through pure determination and with the help of his community in Illinois. Without the support from the community already residing there, he felt that he would have been lost. As mentioned before it was very interesting to hear that most of the support was not from any other immigrants, but from American citizens. He took this leap of faith to later become a banker, a professor at the college of VCU, and a father of two children. His story helped me better understand what life may have been for a Korean immigrant at this period in time. 
Andrew
Okay. Can you guys hear me still?
Tai (Grandpa)
yes.
Andrew
Okay, so I guess to start off this interview, could you guys introduce yourselves and say where you guys were born, and just kind of tell me about what your kind of lives were like in Korea. Before coming to the US?
Tai
Uh, well, I was born in 1934, that makes me 86 and a half and I graduated grade school. My name Okay, my name is Tai S. Shin. S-H-I-N, and I came to this country at age…in 1955, a young age and to study at a college in Oklahoma City, and that time, there wasn’t much educational opportunity in Korea and because of the Korean War. And I had to come here to obtain my education. And
Andrew
Uh can I stop you there for a second. So I think before that, can you kind of tell me like what your family dynamic was in Korea, were you close to your parents or did you have any brothers or sisters that you talk to. What was it like living in Korea at the time before the Korean War.
Tai
Well, before the Korean War, Korea was really a poor country and we didn’t have electricity at home we didn’t have running water and we had outhouses and things were totally different than today and… but fortunately, our grandparents and parents were fairly well-to-do in the community and we did live a little more comfortably more than some other people in the community. But in general, Korean condition was really poor and we didn’t have much at all. And uh I have uh six brothers and sisters. I’m the oldest one. And when I left, of course, all of them were still going at school and I have seen them only once or twice since coming to this country and, or, more than 60 years ago. And I really as I told you before I don’t know much about Korea as an adult. I don’t have that kind of experience. Your grandma has a lot more to tell you about her life, early life, before she came to this country but I really don’t really have much to tell you about Korean way of life when I was there
Andrew
Oh that’s fine. So I guess then, we can kind of transition to what actually made you want to come to the US? What made you want to immigrate here? What were some factors that made you want to come?
Tai
Well, the main reason was to obtain advanced education, because which was not available in Korea that time. You know, Korea was devastated during the Korean War. Uh, the Seoul, certainly doesn’t look like today. There was nothing there. All the buildings were bombed and destroyed and nothing was there. Let alone educational institutions. So the only way I could continue my education was to come to US. And that’s why I decided to do something about it. It took more than one year to go through the process. But I didn’t tell my parents that I was doing that until just before I left the country. They were really surprised that I did that all alone when I was really young. So, one main motivation was to continue my study, which was not available in Korea then.
Andrew
Did you have any support by family for you to come to the US?
Tai
Uh, you mean, of course I had a lot of support from them morally but not financially much at all. They, uh, my parents gave me money for the transportation, airfare, and a little extras so that I can live a few months after coming to come into this country. But I could not continue to receive any financial support from my parents, because Korean government was so poor. They did not allow any person to send the money overseas. So I had to uh earn money while going school, I did all kind of odd jobs and dishwashing and pumping gas and uh you name it, I did almost everything so I would earn enough money. Of course I had, thanks to US university, I received a scholarship, but certainly that was not the full scholarship so I had to earn money for other things to continue my education.
Andrew
So, from that process, when you first arrived to the US, what was your initial reaction to the culture? Was it was it a big shock to you or…how was how was integrating to the new country?
Tai
Oh, so for me certainly it was a shock all right. And when I came there, because I was very uh popular…I wouldn’t say popular but people were curious about me because everybody knew about how miserable Korean War was and they had a great deal of sympathy for Korean people. So they, when I came here I was in the news, a local, in one of the city newspaper about me and I became instant celebrity and all those people asked me to come. Give speech and talk and so on. And I remember uh telling those people one of those interviews that when they asked me what was the impression of US. I said, I US was paved by gold. They were laughing at me. But, uh, I drove to Oklahoma City from LA on Greyhound bus. It was first of all, cheaper, and also I thought I would want to see the countryside. But I, did I make a mistake. In Korea, small country, you know bus ride will be just few hours but here it was 4, 5, 6 days to come to Oklahoma City. And that was a real experience and I didn’t know how to count to money, and while we stopping for dinner or something at bus stop, I would just take all those money coins out and hand them to them to pick the money out. I don’t know how to count it. That’s the way I started my journey and I thought US was, as told you, was paved with nothing but gold. But I, of course, was exaggerating a little bit, but I got a big laugh from that, you know. But other than that the US was so different than Korea because Korea was – everything — you know, opposite of US. And another thing I noticed was US streets was so wide and the cars are driving in, you know, in orderly way and which wasn’t possible in Seoul, Korea at that time. But anyway, I was so impressed with the opportunity to come there and study. I really enjoyed. And, of course, I had all kinds of hardships and trying to catch up with other people, other students in the class. and I had very little sleep because I had to stay up until one, two, or three in the morning to study. And, uh, so it wasn’t easy but uh well I’m going stop there and you ask some other questions to Grandma or other questions.
Andrew
So for the most part, do you guys feel welcome in the US, you felt welcomed here?
Tai
Oh yes, they certainly did, they certainly did. Uh, they, we were welcomed, really welcomed. I don’t know, the reason maybe because of students, or maybe other immigrants may have faced some different situation but, we as students we were welcomed wholeheartedly and we didn’t feel any, any problem at all. Matter of fact, when I was going to school they there I stayed with an American family, and church, church and university arranged that and stayed with that Garrett’s family, you know. I stayed with them for a number of years when I was going school.
Andrew
That’s interesting. So I guess from that, I guess, you can kind of talk about then what was getting a job like, your first job. Moving to the US or how is, how is trying to get your first job there, how is it integrating with other people from the US, how is it like working with them?
Tai
Well, I didn’t have, course, full time job while going school. And like I said before I washed dishes during the summertime to earn enough money. And I one summer I worked at a large, large fried chicken restaurant and everybody there had to wear you know paper hat, you know, and people working in the kitchen and bus boys and so on. So I wore one also and helped wash dishes. Now while I was doing that a local newspaper reporter came to interview me. Ha ha. That I thought was funny you know. But anyway, that’s one job, another job that whole summer, because I didn’t have enough money and I ate bologna sandwich, all summer long. Every day, every day. And I was so sick and tired of bologna sandwich, afterward I didn’t even want to look at them. But I think I survived with bologna sandwich whole summer. Uh, another time I worked at doughnut shop help making the donuts. And I worked in grave shift, starting working six o’clock in the evening and until five six in the morning. And after that work one summer I just didn’t want to look at doughnuts for some time. I just was so tired of eating and looking at those doughnuts. And, yeah, there were other job. Now one thing I remember, one summer I was working at the local public school textbook distribution warehouse. And one of my coworkers was older than me, but he was assistant principal at the local grade school or junior high, I believe. And he, he was being nice and we get along very well. He invited me to his house and he let me wear a cowboy hat and boots took pictures and so and so. And uh, I remember those days when I was trying to call and talk to my mom and dad, the long distance, you know, initially apply for long distance, had to wait hours to be connected. Once you get connected then you have to really shout. Otherwise, you cannot be hear. They cannot hear you and I cannot hear them. And my mom was not too happy and crying because I was working at a restaurant washing dishes and working at the book distribution center as a laborer. So I remember I was trying to explain to mom, don’t worry mom. One thing I found out after coming to this country was there was no good or bad jobs in this country, everything is respectable job. Then I mentioned my coworker is the assistant principal at the local junior high school. And during the summertime, uh, he had same job as me. So that is unimaginable in Korea. You know in Korea, I mean, respectable people are supposed to respectable work and that kind of job, certainly not educational, you know, officials are not supposed to do that but I explain don’t worry about it. Here, there is no such thing as good job, bad job, important job or not important job. Every job is important. And nobody tells you that that job is no good, why are you doing it. So I remember vividly explaining to mom and to console her.
Andrew
No. Yeah,
Tai
Next question. Yeah.
Andrew
Yeah, I guess from there, can you kind of go more in depth about what it was like going to school? Because you said that you wanted to come here for a better education. So, what was it like coming here, going to school, to an American University, and how is it…how were the other students? Were they welcoming to your introduction to the US or how is how was your initial reaction?
Tai
Well, the American students were very, very kind to me and they were very nice to me and they tried to help me anyway I, you know, thy can, and whenever I needed help. Uh, I didn’t feel as I was in you know hostile situation. They took me to places, especially this was a Christian University you know. And we used to go to church services Wednesday night, and also they have pre- ministry students at the University. So some of them are part time ministers in the small rural town where the full time ministers are not available. So, these people would take me with them to their churches, part-time church on weekend, and I really enjoyed those kind of fellowship. I remember once going to an Indian church, American Indian. There are a lot of Indians in Oklahoma. An Indian ministry students took there and uh we really enjoyed that. And my experience of going college was great, no regret and, and everything was happy and everyone was trying to be really helpful to me. Except that I had, I had trouble because keeping up with the work because so hard because of language problems. First semester, I remember my grades were not that great. And I was so worried about it, and I worked so hard and, day and night trying to improve my grades. But finally, next year… first year, my grade was really bad. I was afraid that I may be kicked out of the country because those days there weren’t too many, there weren’t too many Korean foreign students studying in this country, and the Korean government, really very, very tough in checking on those students. If students were goofing off and doing not their work and not studying seriously, they would kick them and take them back to Korea, you know, and I know some friend of mine got called out and got called back home and I remember one friend in Arizona. And they, he was goofing around and had been involved in a car accident, so and so. Well, he kicked out and had to go back to Korea. But I was worried when my grade was not good. And also, every, every semester, you know, my grades were supposed to be reported to the Korean embassy. So I was very concerned about that. But I worked really hard and you can imagine how hard I work, and beginning second year, I improved my grades a greatly, nothing but A’s and B’s and, uh, otherwise I would not have been able to go to graduate school, you know.
Andrew
So you would say that you had more pressures to perform well from the government, more than your family.
Tai
Well, government, well I wouldn’t say it was, there wasn’t any pressure except that government wanted that you to know Korean students were doing what they’re supposed to do, you know, and study hard and then don’t goof off. And don’t try to do something, you know, other than studying. Now you may call that pressure, but really I felt the pressure because I had to do well, you know, so that I don’t disgrace our country. You know. But my parents, of course, didn’t give me any pressure at all and they didn’t know too much about what I went through and. So, well that’s about it
Andrew
You know, so I guess I guess since you were saying that there are not many Koreans already in the US, you said that most of your help came from US citizens then, is that right? Maybe in terms of helping you learn English or helping you get involved with the community, it was more, was it more American students, rather than other Koreans that were already there?
Tai
Well, there weren’t too many Korean students period, in the whole state of Oklahoma I was about a few, And in the whole state of Oklahoma there were maybe less than 10 Korean students that time, maybe for 5. And Oklahoma City University, there is a one, one student that time when I came. I was the second student. So, on the whole state of Oklahoma, there were just few. So when we got together for Christmas party, or Thanksgiving party, and we got together about five of us, four or five of us, and each was assigned to call to a different part of the state and some others, some outside nearby states to pick up some other students. So, what I’m trying to say if there weren’t too many Korean students back in 1950s, very few. So we were sort of pioneers, you know, first generation Korean students.
Andrew
So, I guess, then what was your experience learning English for the first time then?
Tai
Huh?
Andrew
How is it learning English then? Was it hard in the beginning? Was it… how was that experience?
Tai
It was, well, I had all kinds of problem with English of course especially the, you know, classwork and I was a little bit late coming to the semester and my professors, uh, selected five courses for me to take and of those I can remember, American history and American politics and speech. Then I don’t remember what else but anyway. Imagine, with limited ability to speak and read, understand. You know and studying American history, American government is so strange because those names were so strange to me. Nothing like a Tai S. Shin– Lincoln, George Washington you know all these names are strange to me that time right so hard to remember any of those, you know names — and Gettysburg Address and…I never heard of those things before, you know. And the US government you know so different, political structure is different and everything is hard and tough time understanding lectures, Professor lectures. And so all I did was I couldn’t understand any of those lectures and then I went back home and started with the book, you know, so hard. And some English was really hard, English, I remember once I had, not once, quite often I was invited by a different local group come speak to them about Korea. I remember one local ladies group invited me to come to one of their house in wealthy neighborhood, I remember. Those days when I went to give a speech, I just copied everything out of Korean book I brought you know about Korean history. So I wrote it down on a piece of paper, I went there and stood there and read them. So my English really poor and that’s why I had some time getting those classes to get through, you know,
Andrew
Uh huh, and while you were here, did you, were you in contact with your family a lot or were you mostly on your own.
Tai
In those days, you mean?
Andrew
Yeah, those days.
Tai
Well, I, only way I could really communicate with them was by writing letter. Because as I mentioned earlier, trying to talk on the phone was so hard. Not like, nothing like today, all you have to do is just dial and you pick up the phone that you hear the phone as if you’re talking to someone next door. But that was not the case. In order to get the international phone, phone, you apply first, then you wait one or, more than one hour, and then finally you get connected. And you have to shout to hear each other. And so with that kind of thing. How could you call too often, you couldn’t. I couldn’t talk to them too often, maybe once a year or so, but mostly they communicate with them by writing later.
Andrew
Hmmm. So I guess. I think we heard a lot from how you’re integrating to the US but I guess I want to ask you, how did it feel to, I guess, feel like a US citizen after that, did you feel when you came to the US after you went to school and started working a little bit. Did you at that point feel more American at the time or did you feel still more Korean, if that makes sense?
Tai
You mean at the time I uh became American citizen, is that what you’re talking about?
Andrew
I just said time, that time included or maybe that time in between, trying to get your citizenship and becoming more involved with the American culture. Did you feel like you were becoming more American or were you losing your Korean ties?
Tai
Well, well, uh whole purpose of coming to this country to get education was to return home. That was the main objective. I never dreamed to stay in this country you know this long. And certainly my intention was as soon as I get my education and return home. And my parents had earmarked for something for me. They asked me to run for congress or do this and that. But, but that was my intention. So uh after I got my master’s degree, I felt I had to get masters after little bit, because I felt I needed a graduate degrees before I go back to Korea. So I was determined to go back Korea after I did my master’s degree. Then, I, I met. I met that around that time, I felt that I needed to work experience too. I’m going to work about two or three years and working for American company, and use that experience when I return home. So that was my plan. Then while I was working at the bank in Chicago. your grandmother came to study in this country, University of Illinois, same university. So I met her, and we went out and decided to get married and uh your uncle came along. And certainly a few years after your mom came along. So things were getting more difficult to return home, but we were still planning on going back home until, even 1971, we wanted to go back home and that time called family. Me and grandma and your uncle and your mom. We went to Korea and stayed there whole summer– two, three months. And I was offered a number of very important jobs. And that time, you know, not too many people, uh were highly educated as we were. And so, we were really tempted to accept those positions in Korea and stay there permanently. But something happened, your uncle got sick, and he was very sick and we have to come back to US and to take care of that. After that, we felt that, well, uncle and your mom were able to communicate well with their cousins, and we were wondering, beginning to wonder whether they will be able to assimilate in Korean society. So we though about that, in spite of those attract job offers and we finally decided to become American citizens. Matter of fact, we were eligible to become American citizens for a number of years and we decided not to apply for one because our intention was to go back to Korea. So when we went back after your uncle got sick, then we decided, well, we cannot, we can no longer postpone the decision to become citizen. So we decided to become citizen that time.
Andrew
So you would say that during that time though, that you did go back to Korea, frequently or just a couple time…to go visit Korea.
Tai
I think that that time, 1971, was the first time in 27 years. And we went back to Korea
Andrew
So that was a while, then
Tai
Yeah. After that, see after that, then we went back a few more times. And in my case I had professional, you know, conferences and seminars and speaking engagements. So many times I went back to Korea alone and stay there just a week or so and came back. But as far as whole family visit in Korea was two times. Last time, whole family visited was back in…. when was that…about six years ago, you know. And me and grandma and your mom and you you, four of us went back there. That was the last time we visited Korea.
Andrew
So I guess then when you’re in the US, most of the learning experience was just completely un yourself then right… just try to integrate into the culture, right?
Tai
Yeah, well, yeah. Well after all these years, the way were thinking and behavior, I think is more like Americans now, because, like we may, we may not notice, notice that, you know, people from Korea, or, you know, new immigrants, we look like, you know, act like, talk like Americans. Actually speaking English is more easier than Korea more comfortable than speaking Korean now. Ha ha. after all these years, you know.
Andrew
So you would identify yourself more as American then now, rather than.
Tai
What? What?
Andrew
So you would you would identify yourself as more American or feeling more American then as a Korean righ now. Is that correct?
Tai
We do, yeah, Grandma and I these days we feel more like Americans, but we don’t forget our roots, our roots of Korean heritage. And we think about that but we just don’t feel that we, we have, you know, more loyalty we used to have, now our loyalty is with US. But, you know, I remember when your uncle and your mother were growing up, when they were born, we were still talking mostly Korean at home but as they were growing up and start speaking English and we had to communicate with them English so for a while until they finished college I think we were talking about 50 and 50 percent Korean English at home. But, whether you believe it or not these days, now more than 90% we speak in English at home, between Grandma and me.
Andrew
I know, kind of going back and forth a little bit but I guess going back to the integration process, what would you say would be the biggest struggle that you encountered, the biggest obstacle coming to the US?
Tai
Immigrations?
Andrew
Yeah, what was like, what was the biggest obstacle that you faced when you were in the US. When you were already in the US.
Tai
Uh, obstacle of becoming a US citizen?
Andrew
Um, yeah, we can start with that.
Tai
Uh we, we didn’t have any obstacles, of course, I can think of to becoming American citizen, you know.
Andrew
No I guess then uh what I’m trying to say is, what was the biggest struggle, or the biggest…yeah, I guess, obstacle that when you were already in the US was there any like, I guess in the beginning, biggest language barriers or was there anything that you encountered that was troublesome for your stay in the US?
Tai
Well, in the beginning, when we were younger, earlier years, of course the language barrier that was the main thing. And, but also you know food, you know, thee food, Korean food we still enjoy. You know, having Korean food and we don’t have such problem here now, because there is a big Korean immigrant community here in DC area. And we have no problem, you know, having Korean food, whenever we want it to. But the most difficult part of living in this country was mostly in the early years, when I was going school when we were going school. And it was our language problems and trying to survive financially and when kids were growing up and those are the things, you know. Uh, but as we got older and those are no longer the problem, you know. Let Meema talk a little bit about her experience here about you know her.
Andrew
Yeah.
Keun (Grandma)
Hi
Andrew
Ha Ha. Hi
Tai
Let me, let me say a few things though. Unlike my problems, you know, back in 1950s, uh when I had to earn my way through college because of no supports were coming from Korea because of government restrictions and because at that time we were going undergraduate there was no such thing as assistanceship or fellowship. We were not in graduate school, you know? So when grandma came here, she graduated from college in Korea, and she received the fellowship, which is 100%, full financial aid from University of Illinois. That’s how she came and she had no such problem like I had, hardship. Ok let Meema talk to you.
Andrew
Yeah. Yeah
Keun
Hi.
Andrew
Hi.
Keun
Okay, what is your question?
Andrew
Ha ha. Yes, I guess what was what was your experience then moving to the US?
Keun
Oh, compared to Peepa, I had a lot less problem. Like I said, my living expenses, you know school expenses all paid, full scholarship
Tai
Fellowship
Keun
Fellowship. That’s living and also, you know, tuition everything so I had a lot less stress, and then I met your grandpa. Then he took care of a lot of difficult things, so my experience in this country is a lot less stressful than him. I guess.
Andrew
So, I guess, when you went to school as well. Was it harder to learn the English language or did you have a lot of help from US citizens?
Keun
Uh, I didn’t have that much problem really. So I mean my school problem wasn’t one of my biggest problem. Getting adjusted to culture, otherwise, socially that was more problem than my schoolwork, I had been okay from the beginning. And also, like, Peepa said all my tuition was all paid so I didn’t have to worry anything about money, so that was big help to have less stress than a lot of students.
Andrew
Yeah. Well, I feel like we got most of the questions out of the way that I wanted to cover about coming to the country, membership and just the integration process so I think, I think we pretty much covered everything. I think we’re done.
Keun
All right.
Andrew
Okay.
Keun
All right, thank you.
Andrew
Uh Huh. Okay, bye bye.
Keun
Bye bye
Tai
Ok, well good luck to you, Andrew.
Andrew
Okay.
Tai
Have successful completion of your school.
Unknown 39:19
Ha ha. Okay, Thank you. Bye bye
Keun
Bye bye.
Tai
Bye
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