I was born in Seoul, and grew up as a proud little Korean. I was one of the few students in class to hold chopsticks properly, and the first to memorize the Korean pledge of alliance. About Canada, on the other hand, I knew too little; I read about her igloos and polar bears in storybooks, but not much else. I’ve come a long way from that thanks to immigration, though: I moved to Canada in my early teens, and adapted to the Canadian culture. Now I consider myself a Korean Canadian – a proud Korean and Canadian at the same time.
My background as an immigrant is the source of my fascination with multicultural identities. My questions about acculturation processes and multiple social identities led me to social psychology, and then to Professor Taylor’s lab. I have the privilege of working with Régine Debrosse on my first honours thesis. My focus is on bicultural individuals, who identify with two cultures; I will be investigating the impact of perceived opposition between cultures on collective self-esteems.