From newly adopted Korean children to American adults, accounting sophomore Ji Han helps Baton Rouge residents adjust to a new culture.
Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Han moved to New Orleans when she was 9 years old. She spent three years as a tutor for a Korean center in New Orleans while in high school, and she currently works at the Korean Language School of Baton Rouge where she teaches both English and Korean.
The school has roughly seven to eight classes grouped by age, Han said. She typically teaches 5 to 8 year-olds who are biracial or recently adopted from Korea. Some of the older classes taught at the school educate Americans dating Koreans or those simply interested in learning about a new culture.
“I have a strong cultural identity,” Han said. “I want to motivate them to know the importance of learning about the heritage. I really enjoy it.”
Han’s sister previously worked at the language school, which helped Han get the connection, she said.
For Han, it’s about immersion. She attends a Korean church every Sunday where the entire service is celebrated in Korean. She also watches Korean television.
When working with the children in her class, Han looks for different methods to connect with them because some of them only speak English at home while others are native Korean speakers. She said the language barrier makes teaching difficult, but she uses games and activities to keep students engaged.
When Han first started teaching at the Korean Language School of Baton Rouge, she was shocked by the number of adults who attended because Baton Rouge has a small Korean community. She said she didn’t expect so many people to be familiar with the culture.
“They can kind of speak Korean, too,” Han said. “They’re really friendly about it. A lot of them watch Korean dramas.”
The Korean community in Baton Rouge is not as large as the one in New Orleans, Han said. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the Korean community made up 0.11 percent of Baton Rouge’s population. Koreans made up 0.1 percent of the state’s population in the same sampling.
The community in New Orleans may be larger, but it’s still small compared to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities, though each culture is supportive of the others, Han said. While participating in a fundraising competition, Han was shocked to see the Korean community out-donate the others.
“Korean people are supportive in some parts, but here, I don’t think they’re as supportive of their community,” Han said. “I’m sad about that.”