when I lived in America I was constantly surrounded by different cultures and
surrounded by different cultures and
surrounded by different cultures and people I lived in Miami Florida a place
people I lived in Miami Florida a place
people I lived in Miami Florida a place with a large Hispanic population I am
with a large Hispanic population I am
with a large Hispanic population I am Cuban and a majority of the people there
Cuban and a majority of the people there
Cuban and a majority of the people there are also Cuban however there are also
are also Cuban however there are also
are also Cuban however there are also many people from different countries
many people from different countries
many people from different countries like Puerto Rico to Colombia two
like Puerto Rico to Colombia two
like Puerto Rico to Colombia two countries in the Caribbean I grew up
countries in the Caribbean I grew up
countries in the Caribbean I grew up seeing this whole mix of cultures and in
seeing this whole mix of cultures and in
seeing this whole mix of cultures and in Miami it’s not hard to find one minute
Miami it’s not hard to find one minute
Miami it’s not hard to find one minute you can be walking down the streets of
you can be walking down the streets of
you can be walking down the streets of Little Havana in the next you’re in
Little Havana in the next you’re in
Little Havana in the next you’re in Little Haiti when I moved to Korea in
Little Haiti when I moved to Korea in
Little Haiti when I moved to Korea in 2013 I definitely fell out of place
2013 I definitely fell out of place
2013 I definitely fell out of place compared to my previous home there was a
compared to my previous home there was a
compared to my previous home there was a lack of cultural diversity and I barely
lack of cultural diversity and I barely
lack of cultural diversity and I barely saw any different people I remember
saw any different people I remember
saw any different people I remember walking down the streets of downtown
walking down the streets of downtown
walking down the streets of downtown rarely seeing any foreigners and while
rarely seeing any foreigners and while
rarely seeing any foreigners and while of course loved Korea when I first came
of course loved Korea when I first came
of course loved Korea when I first came here it still felt like something was
here it still felt like something was
here it still felt like something was missing when I first came I had the
missing when I first came I had the
missing when I first came I had the feeling of being stuck between two
feeling of being stuck between two
feeling of being stuck between two cultures and not really fitting into
cultures and not really fitting into
cultures and not really fitting into either of them typical of an
either of them typical of an
either of them typical of an international student when I was in
international student when I was in
international student when I was in Korea I felt that I needed to adapt to
Korea I felt that I needed to adapt to
Korea I felt that I needed to adapt to Korean culture and when I was in America
Korean culture and when I was in America
Korean culture and when I was in America I knew that it wouldn’t fit in with
I knew that it wouldn’t fit in with
I knew that it wouldn’t fit in with other kids my age who lived there I knew
other kids my age who lived there I knew
other kids my age who lived there I knew I could never fully fit in with either
I could never fully fit in with either
I could never fully fit in with either place however at first that was a big
place however at first that was a big
place however at first that was a big struggle of mine
struggle of mine
struggle of mine I knew I’d look different from my peers
I knew I’d look different from my peers
I knew I’d look different from my peers but I didn’t always want to be
but I didn’t always want to be
but I didn’t always want to be classified as the foreign girl last year
classified as the foreign girl last year
classified as the foreign girl last year I had the opportunity to participate in
I had the opportunity to participate in
I had the opportunity to participate in a soccer tournament in Seoul with the
a soccer tournament in Seoul with the
a soccer tournament in Seoul with the Busan International foreign school girls
Busan International foreign school girls
Busan International foreign school girls soccer team it was a three-day
soccer team it was a three-day
soccer team it was a three-day tournament and I was doing a homestay
tournament and I was doing a homestay
tournament and I was doing a homestay with a girl from a school in Seoul
with a girl from a school in Seoul
with a girl from a school in Seoul during it I played on a team with girls
during it I played on a team with girls
during it I played on a team with girls from Norway England Japan Korea and
from Norway England Japan Korea and
from Norway England Japan Korea and America and played against girls from
America and played against girls from
America and played against girls from schools in Japan and Pakistan sitting
schools in Japan and Pakistan sitting
schools in Japan and Pakistan sitting with the other girls on the team it was
with the other girls on the team it was
with the other girls on the team it was interesting to listen to different
interesting to listen to different
interesting to listen to different accents in different languages I hadn’t
accents in different languages I hadn’t
accents in different languages I hadn’t heard in person before everyone was so
heard in person before everyone was so
heard in person before everyone was so everyone was so nice and welcoming that
everyone was so nice and welcoming that
everyone was so nice and welcoming that I didn’t even I didn’t even remember
I didn’t even I didn’t even remember
I didn’t even I didn’t even remember that we were all different we got along
that we were all different we got along
that we were all different we got along just like any other group of people I
just like any other group of people I
just like any other group of people I wanted to share this story with you
wanted to share this story with you
wanted to share this story with you today because this is one of the many
today because this is one of the many
today because this is one of the many experiences I have been able to enjoy
experiences I have been able to enjoy
experiences I have been able to enjoy this living in Korea that has shaped Who
this living in Korea that has shaped Who
this living in Korea that has shaped Who I am today I have always been open to
I am today I have always been open to
I am today I have always been open to interacting with different people
interacting with different people
interacting with different people however I never had the chance to do so
however I never had the chance to do so
however I never had the chance to do so on the scale and living in Korea has
on the scale and living in Korea has
on the scale and living in Korea has been a much more international
been a much more international
been a much more international experience for me I see myself now as
experience for me I see myself now as
experience for me I see myself now as part of a
part of a
part of a global community rather than just as a
global community rather than just as a
global community rather than just as a member of the country I am in living
member of the country I am in living
member of the country I am in living abroad and traveling has changed how I
abroad and traveling has changed how I
abroad and traveling has changed how I view the world and my place it in I not
view the world and my place it in I not
view the world and my place it in I not only have a stronger connection to other
only have a stronger connection to other
only have a stronger connection to other cultures but an appreciation and not
cultures but an appreciation and not
cultures but an appreciation and not only have a stronger connection to my
only have a stronger connection to my
only have a stronger connection to my culture but an appreciation in
culture but an appreciation in
culture but an appreciation in connection to cultures other than my own
connection to cultures other than my own
connection to cultures other than my own for much of the time I have lived in
for much of the time I have lived in
for much of the time I have lived in Korea I would have never dreamed of
Korea I would have never dreamed of
Korea I would have never dreamed of doing half of the things I’ve been able
doing half of the things I’ve been able
doing half of the things I’ve been able to experience about two years ago I want
to experience about two years ago I want
to experience about two years ago I want an exchange trip to Guangzhou China and
an exchange trip to Guangzhou China and
an exchange trip to Guangzhou China and it was the first time I had traveled
it was the first time I had traveled
it was the first time I had traveled without my family and the first time I
without my family and the first time I
without my family and the first time I had participated in an exchange I got to
had participated in an exchange I got to
had participated in an exchange I got to live like a local in a city I had no
live like a local in a city I had no
live like a local in a city I had no previous knowledge of and that’s what
previous knowledge of and that’s what
previous knowledge of and that’s what made the experience so memorable for me
made the experience so memorable for me
made the experience so memorable for me I enjoyed having an authentic experience
I enjoyed having an authentic experience
I enjoyed having an authentic experience rather than sightseeing and I got to
rather than sightseeing and I got to
rather than sightseeing and I got to learn a lot about Guangzhou that I
learn a lot about Guangzhou that I
learn a lot about Guangzhou that I probably wouldn’t have been able to
probably wouldn’t have been able to
probably wouldn’t have been able to learn if I hadn’t done the exchange
learn if I hadn’t done the exchange
learn if I hadn’t done the exchange living under the same roof as a local
living under the same roof as a local
living under the same roof as a local from the city made it very easy for me
from the city made it very easy for me
from the city made it very easy for me to experience all aspects of the region
when I ignored my discomfort to immerse
when I ignored my discomfort to immerse myself in a new culture or even be
myself in a new culture or even be
myself in a new culture or even be exposed to it I was able to enjoy
exposed to it I was able to enjoy
exposed to it I was able to enjoy enriching experiences that I remember
enriching experiences that I remember
enriching experiences that I remember for the rest of my life I realize now
for the rest of my life I realize now
for the rest of my life I realize now that I don’t need to force myself to
that I don’t need to force myself to
that I don’t need to force myself to belong to anywhere and that I can still
belong to anywhere and that I can still
belong to anywhere and that I can still be a part of a global community while
be a part of a global community while
be a part of a global community while staying true to where I come from five
staying true to where I come from five
staying true to where I come from five years later as I look back at who I was
years later as I look back at who I was
years later as I look back at who I was when I first came to Korea I see a
when I first came to Korea I see a
when I first came to Korea I see a different person than Who I am today
different person than Who I am today
different person than Who I am today thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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