A reader emailed me that a Sgt. Kyle McClain of Rochester Hills, Michigan was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on Aug 1.
He was 25 years old.
I offer my condolences to his family and friends.
Korean-American killed in Afghanistan
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Best quote from the article:
“People in high school would say, ‘What are you, Chinese? Korean?’ He would always clarify, ‘I’m American,’ ” said Lisa.”
RIP.
My condolences to his family.
Looking at the name I am inclined to think that he is an adoptee. It would be interesting to know how many adoptees even identify as Korean-American. This might be a title someone else has sought to put upon him.
From the newspaper article:
@ #2,
It depends. I’ve met both kinds. It also depends on their background. I know a gal who was adopted into a white dad and Korean mom family and she grew up like any typical Asian American with the strict and conservative Tiger Mom and all.
The ones that grow up in areas where there are very few Asians in the neighborhood or in the school grow up quite white. They have white mannerisms, points of view, etc. In those cases, half Korean kids who had one of their parents as Korean, view themselves as more Korean than the full-Koreans who were raised in an environment where there were few, if any Asians.
Sometimes those who were raised with little to no Asians around get rather defensive or hostile when they are put in a situation where there are a lot of Asians. I saw this with a few European adoptees. They were visiting a Korean American church and they looked very uncomfortable. They had probably never been in a situation where they were surrounded by people who looked like them, but were totally different from them as well. The young woman wore here make-up in a way that on Asian would wear her make-up, which to me looked a little strange. She didn’t know what to do with her hair or her skin probably because there was no one around her back home that had the same hair and skin.
R.I.P.
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