[Lie]

Originally Posted by sleeper

but you do have more interest in that than you do in, say, israel-palestine or whatever other troubled region, right?

I would say that right now I have more interest in it, yes, but that hasn't always been the case. It's only fairly recently that I've really had much real interest in it, to be honest.

why would that be if not because you are part korean?

Well, I can think of lots of reasons, most of which could apply to anyone, as you can see yourself...

granted, the two koreas are way more interesting to me personally and im not korean, but i would just naturally assume that theres something else going on there with you.

Yes, there is definitely something, but again, quite recent.

consciously or otherwise, i guess is the point
i mean i dont really think about armenia often but, for instance, i was reading some book recently and came across a paragraph on armenia and it kind of instantly piqued my interest despite myself. i just think people naturally have this interminable desire to understand their roots or where they came from, and its hard to not feel as though its a part of you. like do you think all germans, no matter whether or not they have any direct lineage to anything nazi, dont think about the holocaust of hitler at all? its really hard to escape these thoughts. or maybe just for me, i dont know

Well, Germans living in Germany, I assume you mean, sure. So I think it's more a matter of culture than genetics. Genetics are a completely different, mysterious thing, and because of people leaving their roots and immigrating to first world countries there are all these other levels of culture created, and eventually, new genetic pools.

And obviously if we're talking about the Holocaust, I think most people who are educated enough to KNOW about the Holocaust end up thinking about it no matter what they are. But I assume you mean in sort of a guilty or responsible or cautious way? I only feel cautious in terms of my actual family roots and the genetics or learned behavior therein. It has very little to do with whole cultures or historical events.

I mean, I'm more interested in Korea because my father grew up there and obviously that affected him, than because of Korean history and how that applies to me. I won't deny that there is some genetic and historical interest, but that's mostly a fun, curious, for the hell of it kind of thing. I identify much more with certain racial and cultural dilemmas in being American and of obvious minority descent, which is overall an incredibly American thing, since being just about anyone in America, has, at one time or another, produced certain racial and cultural absurdities pertaining to the gap between culture and ethnicity, and for me that sort of racial absurdity resonates stronger than any kind of actual cultural identification. I've been numbed to the concept of race and culture identification, which is probably the reason I've only recently taken more of an interest in the Koreas.

stuff about the Koreas

Yeah, I have been following it, though it's really hard for me to feel much about it either way. If anything, it's more interesting than the Israel-Palestine conflict because there's a sense of possible progress.

What it all means, I have no idea. I'm just very curious.