Korean Culture vs. American Culture

Jane is from a very traditional Korean family. Though Jane and her brother were born in the United States, both of her parents were born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Her parents made the decision to move to the United States after they got engaged. Though Jane was born in Georgia, she continuously felt like she was living a double-life. Her family members expected her to live a traditional Korean life, while living in America often pilled her away from their views.

When Jane was a toddler and too young to attend pre-school, she stayed at home with her grandparents when her parents went to work. Grandma only spoke in the Korean language and disciplined Jane the way any child in Korea would be raised. A couple of years later, Jane entered pre-school. Little did she know that this was the beginning to her double-life. Jane was only four years old when she first went to school, so she did not fully understand what was going on. She didn’t notice the differences between her and these children. As years passed, she entered into elementary school and loved to interact with the other children. She had wonderful friends and was always on top in her class.

When Jane turned 11, she entered into sixth grade. Though she wasn’t old enough to comprehend everything, she was old enough to see the outer differences from herself and her peers. As time went by, she slowly began to realize that she was different from her peers. She had different morals, her parents weren’t continuously involved with her teachers at school, and the most distinct difference was her facial features. She often heard rude remarks about her race, and many kids teased her because she was different. Being the only Asian in her whole school was difficult, and though she seemed like it didn’t bother her on the outside, deep inside it crushed her. For years this continued, and as Jane grew older, she wondered why she was different; she questioned why her parents chose to move to America.

Now, a high school senior, Jane has noticed the distinct differences in the Korean and American cultures. The main difference that she sees is the family life at home and how she was raised. Her parents were very conservative and taught Jane to be extremely respectful. Growing up, she had limited time on the computer, and was rarely allowed to watch the television. She was only allowed to sleep over her friend’s house on very rare occasions and on the weekends, she was expected to help her parents with work. She noticed that many of her American friends’ parents were more laid-back. Often times, Jane wished that her parents could be more lenient and be more like these American parents. Her outer appearance was also different in her parents’ eyes. At school, her friends often complemented her on her curvy figure. In the American culture, it was normal to have a figure.
i'm not quite done yet. i have the whole paper.. just major corrections i need to make.