Oh no, another late update! I sincerely apologize for that. There were actually a number of reasons for this particular comic being delayed. I actually had to rewrite it a few times, and even had to deal with some resistance of posting the whole thing.
For many of us living in Korea, I’m sure we’ve grown pretty familiar with the seriously not cool “The Shocking Reality About Relationships With Foreigners” news report. If you’re not familiar with it, feel free to look it up. I can assure you that there is no shortage of blog posts and YouTube videos surrounding the whole issue. I actually found the video somewhat ridiculous, but was very saddened to find out that there are still people who believe it as the truth.
While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I’ve always had a bit of a personal issue with anyone who has not been very accepting of interracial relationships (or any type of relationship). Feel free to continue reading if you want to hear my boring story regarding the whole thing.
Growing up in a Korean family, I often had to deal with old fashioned Korean mentalities that constantly clashed with my more westernized beliefs. This obviously sparked up a lot of drama, especially when it came to my taste in guys. One of the most difficult periods in my life was when my choice to date a Carribbean/African-American ended up with more consequences than I could ever imagine. Due to the racist mindset some of the people in my life had, I managed to lose friends and even got kicked out of my own home (which is why I never finished college). While people suggested that I end my relationship for the sake of keeping the peace in my family, I chose to stand for what I believed was right and faced whatever negativity we had coming our way. Almost seven years later, he and I are still together with absolutely no regrets. To top it off, my loved ones finally saw how pointless and destructive their hate was, and have accepted my guy as a member of our strange little family.
While my situation is pretty different from what couples here are facing, I feel as if I can relate. I too was warned that I was just a victim to the evil desires of non-Korean males, and was guaranteed that I’d be left alone with nothing but regrets. There will always be less than ideal people on both sides of any argument, but my personal situation has given me hope for a better, less hateful future. If someone as hard-headed as my mother can accept someone she once believed was a gangbanger druggie as a member of the family, then anything else should be possible. Who knows? Maybe I’m just being overly idealistic.
For the past week, I was told not to post this comic (or this rant) out of fear that it would change how people see me or my art, but screw it. If there’s anything that I’m trying to get across, it’s that love is a beautiful thing, and people of all backgrounds should be treated with respect. If you disagree, then I apologize for any offense I may have caused.
I think I may have gotten a little too random here. I need to stop writing these things up at odd hours of the night. Anyways, see you next update!