[Friends of Korea] Returning to Korea to serve in Peace Corps
Posted : 2021-01-12 18:53
Updated : 2021-01-12 18:53
A couple of students from Sam Chun Po Boys' Middle School in 1973 / Courtesy of Bruce Kim
By Bruce Kim
My grandmother immigrated to Hawaii at the turn of the 20th century. She and her family signed up to work on a Hawaiian plantation and suffered many hardships. Like others in the Korean diaspora, she focused on surviving and keeping her family intact. I am sure she despaired over the plight of her homeland and the family she left behind.
Children were born. She kept her family together and adapted to her new island home. As the years passed, returning to her homeland seemed more and more remote. She left the plantation and moved to the city of Honolulu, where she established a new life. Through hard work and her own indomitable spirit, she raised her children and even prospered.