12.
“I grew up in Southern California but went to Tennessee for college. I’m half-Korean, and growing up in such a diverse area, I never gave it a second thought. Most people (especially other Asians) could tell I wasn’t fully Korean, but that was not the case in the South. I can’t tell you the number of times in Tennessee I received comments like, ‘You speak perfect English; I can understand everything you say.’ Like, cool, it’s the only language I speak. I would also get questions asking where I’m from, but when I told them I was from California, the follow-up question would always be, ‘No, where are you ORIGINALLY from?'”
“In summary, my culture shock was experiencing racism and stereotyping as an Asian American for the first time in my life. Overall, I love the South, though! There’s great food, fun things to do, and mostly great people — even if they’re a little misguided.”
—TK, 35, California