Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)

Project Description

“Chuseok” is a story about the loss of cultural identity in order to gain another, aka “cultural gentrification,” or to a greater extent, “cultural euthanasia”. It is imperative now more than ever for Asians to stay rooted in their culture and not let racial marginalization and societal conformities deter them from being their authentic selves in this country, as Asian and American. After reading Cathy Park Hong's book, MINOR FEELINGS, I was inspired to write this story based on my own experiences as a child growing up & being programmed into American assimilation. When I was a child, Korean was my first and only language because I was raised by my grandmother, while my single mother worked full time. Once I entered the American school system, my teachers used to call my mother in after hours to express that if I didn't speak English soon, I would be held back. After that, it was only English in the house. My mother tossed all my Korean children's books, videos, and toys - she took the extreme route in fear that her daughter might be considered "behind". The pressures of the American (school) system essentially stripped me of my identity, the freedom to be exactly who I am, Korean.

Project Images

image by Jason Raish

I chose this image because I think this is how most Asian kids growing up in America felt at lunch time - alone.

Tags

animation, 3D, film

Additional data