South Korean Immigrant
By Jade
LREI~LREI Today Julie Young came in on April 20th 2017 for a talk to the fourth grade in Dan’s class. She is the mom of two kids. One in Deborah and one in Dan’s. The kids are Jade and Jasiri and they are twins. The fourth grade was studying immigration and Julie came in to talk about her immigration story.
Julie is an immigrant from South Korea and an adoptee. She found her birth parents shortly after leaving college. She has been to Korea four times. She got adopted into an Italian-American family and her Korean mom is very Christian. Her American mom wanted to adopt a child and she worked for an adoption agency. The first time Julie went back to South Korea, she went with her American mom, and her husband. She had two translators because she didn’t know how to speak Korean and they were both super nice. One was a boy who was very funny and nice, and a girl translator who was nice. “I am currently learning Korean along with Jasiri and Jade.” Her Korean name is JiHyun Yoon.
Julie’s story was very interesting for many fourth graders and she got a really loud applause at the end. Then Joel asked if we could take a picture in Deborah and Joel’s fourth grade class with Jasiri, Jade, and their mom. Deborah’s class went back to their classroom to go on with their day and Dan’s class did the same except they were already in their room so they stayed put and listened to Tara’s next instructions for the day.
ADOPTEE FROM KOREA
By Ezra Mundy
NEW YORK- “I was adopted by an American family,” says 4th graders Jade and Jasiris mom, Julie, when she came in and talked to the 4th grade. What did she talk about? You’ll find out.
Julie Young is a adoptee from South Korea. She came and talked about her immigration story. Her American family thought she was abandoned by her parents because they were too young to take care of her. She had gone to an agency when she was three, while she was being adopted. She went back when she was in college and the lady that her American family talked to when she was three remembered her. “I was very lucky to find my family,” she said. “Most people don’t ever find their families.” They grow up believing whatever their American families believe happened.
Julie was very surprised to find out she had a whole family. She found out she was the oldest of four kids. “I have a very strong relationship with my family,” she said. Her family is also pretty big.
Julie was treated differently in America than she was in Korea. A 4th grader asked if she was bullied in school. “I was,” she said, “bullied because of my race.” She also said that she grew up wanting to be very white, and that it took her a while before she got used to who she really was and that she was going to stay that way. She also said that she made friends very quickly at school.
It was very cool hearing about this ADOPTEE FROM KOREA!
Julie Young
By Alden Homet
NY-NY- Even though Julie went through hard times, it was worth it. Right after the Korean war she was adopted when she was three. Her parents thought it would be better for her to go to a safer home. An adoption agency help their family along the way.
Three year old Julie did not know what was going on. When she was at her new home Roxbury Connecticut, she would cry for her family. Especially her older sister, that she would call Uni, the Korean word for older sister.
When she was visiting Korea for the first time she went back to the adoption agency. One of the workers recognized her and told her where her family was. She was to overwhelmed and happy so she did not contacted her family until she was in college. She was lucky to find her Korean family. Most kids who get adopted do not find their families.
She went through hard times, but in the end she has an amazing life and two wonderful kids.
An Immigrant’s Story
by Kieran
New York
At age 3, Julia was adopted from South Korea. Years later, she met her birth parents. Most people would not call this a typical immigrant story.
Growing up Julie knew she was adopted. She didn’t look like her Italian-American and Irish-American parents. Julie and her American mother believed Julie’s birth mother was young and had abandoned Julie. When Julie was three an agent from the Korean orphanage took Julie on a plane to America.
In America Julie was the second oldest of six children. She lived in upstate New York. She liked typical food like burgers and pizza and fries. In high school, Julie was class president of 550 students.
As an adult, Julie has gone back to Korea with her twins, Jade and Jasiri. Julie is part of a Korean adoptee group. She likes Korean food. She video chats with her Korean family.
Although she is not like other immigrants in her story, Julie blends two cultures like most immigrants.
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