Afro-Korean Education and Solidarity Dream Come True!

Nykeah Parham Start Date: Aug 7, 2023 - End Date: Aug 6, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Seoul, South Korea

My Travel Story

by: Nykeah Parham Start Date: Aug 7, 2023 - End Date: Aug 6, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
My first memory of interacting with Korean culture was a 1997/1998 weekend family drama of which I still do not know the title. I accidentally turned my old tv to channel 18 and became hooked to something without subtitles. Growing up, I made many Korean friends, following in the footsteps of my parents' friendship with Korean-owned businesses in our neighborhood, but kept my K-drama watching a secret until college. Most people didn’t even know Korea existed unless they were Korean themselves or war veterans. However, I was part of a group of people who learned so much on their own about the country and loved deeper than the surface.

For years, I risked computer viruses to watch Korean entertainment with limited or no subtitles. I conducted independent AfroAsian research and learned that many Black leaders had connections to Asian and anti-imperialism. By 2015, I knew it was time to learn the Korean language. I studied to show the same level of respect and care as I did for my family in the Southern USA. I self-studied since I couldn’t find many resources in Boston. I then returned home to Los Angeles, for resources. In 2017, I studied at the Korean Cultural Center’s King Sejong Institute. I competed in the Hangul Day Speech Contest (in Korean) and won the Culture Award multiple times. I also started work as an English teacher to Korean professionals and students that same year.

For the past 11 years, I have showcased my AfroAsian research. I became an academic fan, or aca-fan, who aims to bridge the gap between academia and the public. Since 2021, I have contributed music analysis to HWAITING!: A K-pop Music Research Accelerator. Every year since 2020, I have spoken at the BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conferences, traveling to London, and recently, Seoul. Next year, my contribution to a BTS anthology will publish under Duke University Press. Currently, I am working on more scholarship surrounding Korean popular music and the historical-cultural exchange with the Afro-diaspora.

 

For 7 years, I dreamt of attending graduate school in Korea. Rather than learning Korean history from the American perspective, I wanted to go and experience it. After visiting for the first time last year, I applied to Yonsei University’s Graduate School for International Studies, the Korean Studies program. I will now research identity formation and the Black-Korean cultural exchange and collaboration at Yonsei. I plan to document my research and time on a YouTube channel called My2baek1 (loosely translates to my 200 won/2 cents) to help people become aware of Korean Studies as a discipline, teach the history of Black-Korean collaboration, and hopefully, combat the stereotypes and conflict-inducing misunderstandings between the Afro-diaspora and Korean diaspora. These funds would help with the international move, my degree, and the extra courses I have to take on Korean historical dance and performance I aim to bridge the gap between cultures and to recreate unity with the help of historical education and popular culture.
  • Seoul, South Korea

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