evident stereotypes, but isn’t effected because of the accepting culture of Decatur. However, the Decatur underclassmen
I’m
BY ETHAN MAGNES
ethanmagnes@csdecatur.net
I American
t’s lunchtime at Decatur High School. Tons of homework-frazzled students pile into the room. Many unique faces
rush into the cafeteria for the short-but- sweet 25 minute lunch. Tere are faces of paranoid freshmen, faces of disgust when students see whats in their torn, brown lunch bag, faces drooling from naps during AP tests, faces of spirited seniors and faces of the shock and awe one can get out of Decatur gossip. Te face of senior Faith Huh is just one of the 824 students at Decatur, but she is unique in her own way. She is a Korean- American at Decatur. Faith Huh has lived in both America and
Korea throughout her life. “I was born in Morristown, New Jersey. When I was nine, we moved to Korea because my dad got a job as a professor at Yonsei University” she said. “We moved back to [Decatur] the second half of my eighth grade year. We’ve been here ever since then.” Huh is proud to be a Korean-American
at Decatur. “Most Koreans are very pride- ful of their culture, and I think that’s cool,” she said. Huh enjoys being a part of two unique
cultures. She thinks that her mix of back- grounds adds a flare in the elaborate person- alities of Decatur. “[Korean people] have a very defined culture and heritage. It’s a very different one from the American culture. I enjoy being a part of both,” she said. According to the Georgia Department of
Education (GDOE), Decatur High School has a total of 16 Asian-American students this year. Tat is only 2% of the 824 students. In Huh’s senior class, there is a small popula- tion of Asian-American students (accord- ing to GDOE). Although Huh is proud to be one of the few Asian-American students in her school, Decatur’s small Asian-American population some- times affects the image of Asian-Americans students who attend Decatur. Because there are not many Asian Ameri-
can students, global stereotypes about Asian Americans can ironically exist in an open- minded community. “I’m sure other people don’t just assume I do well in school just because I’m Asian,” Huh said. “But I bet you it is a factor that they consider. I don’t think anyone would look down on me if I weren’t getting good grades. But I definitely do think that stereotype of Asians being smart is still there when they look at me.” The Asian-Americans seniors have a
reputation of being successful. Huh sees how the “smart Asian” stereotype is made. “Tere aren’t many Asians in Decatur, and it’s funny because many of the Asians in our grade are smart. Look at Cathy [Wallace] and Grace [Herndon]. I guess it could be easy for people in Decatur to assume and expect all Asians to be smart,” Huh said. She recognizes the
have a total of 12 Asian-American students this year. This gives the underclassman Asian students room for more individuality. Te seniors such as Huh have the “smart Asian stereotype” under their belts. Tis stereotype doesn’t seem as overwhelming to the 12 Asian underclassmen. Even though the Asian underclassmen blend in with the colorful Decatur, stereotypes of “Asian looks” are lurking in the social waters of the underclassmen. Sophomore Lily Schreier is one of the
“I think the funny thing about it is that I’ve grown into my stereotype.” – Faith Huh, senior
five Asian-Americans in her class. She was adopted from China at a very young age. Sometimes, she feels the presence of Asian- American stereotypes at Decatur. “People always make fun of Asians’ eyes,” she said. She doesn’t feel that stereotypes are affecting her life, but she knows that they are present at Decatur. “I guess sometimes I feel kind of self-conscious when I’m walking around people,” Schreier said. Schreier is proud to be Chinese-American and attend Decatur. She doesn’t think that her race effects who she is and who she wants to be. She also says that she adds to the diversity of Decatur. “I hang out with a lot of different people [of different races, cultures, etc.],” Schreier said. Huh is also ac- cepting about be- ing Asian Ameri- can at Decatur. “My friends always
joke about how I need to live up to the Asian expectations. But of course, they’re joking, and they love me for me,” Huh said. “I think the funny thing about it is that
I’ve grown into my stereotype. It definitely wasn’t a conscious thing, but knowing what most Asians are supposedly like, I ended up becoming like it,” Huh said. “At first, I hated the stereotypes and just wanted nothing to do with them. But I remember thinking at one point, if people were going to think I liked Hello Kitty, I might as well enjoy all the cuteness and buy Hello Kitty stuff,” Huh said. Overall, Huh is enjoying her life as a
Korean American at Decatur. “I’ve never experienced a time when I was uncomfort- able being Asian or Korean” Huh said. She is very content with being a Korean American. “I think I learned how to use my race to my advantage and to define who I am, rather than let it define me,” Huh said. n
DECEMBER 2011 • CARPE DIEM 13
Photo by Leela Goshorn
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