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| Illustrations: Gooks |
Posted by
Domkitten on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 04:08 AM PST
"Waygookin-ashi," says the elderly Korean lady as she walks past me on the street, going to god knows where, and bent more than double with the gigantic load of dried seaweed that is nearly twice her size.
"Me-gookin-ashi," says a group of Korean schoolboys recently out of one school and one their way to their fourth academy of the evening.
I get into the cab and I might hear the driver mutter either of these under his breath as I tell him were I want to go. Way-goo, Me-gook, they are practically the same thing most of the time.
You have perhaps at sometime in your life heard the word "gook". Perhaps it was in a retrospective of the Vietnam era. More likely it was a red necked next door neighbor talking about some poor Asian family that made the poor choice to move, live, eat, and or breathe in what the red-neck considers to be it's space. Perhaps you were simply looking for something nasty to call someone and that's one came up.
Unlike Japan, which has managed to sneak quite a few words into the English vocabulary, Korea can really only be credited with two additions to our language. Kim-chi, the spicy red-pepper covered fermented vegetable, usually cabbage, is the first. Kim-chi, I will have you know, is a word naming a food that is as different and varied in Korea as snow is for Inuit tribes in North America. At last count there were literally 200 different kinds that I've tried, and a few that I'm a little squeamish to get near. The other language credit that is Korea's claim to fame is the word "gook" as a derogatory word labeling those of Asian descent.
Of course, unlike kim-chi, gook, is rarely associated with Korea, but more often associated with Vietnam, rather unfairly I might add, as Korea really does deserve the credit. The origins of "gook" vary from one source to another, but to understand how it all began one must look at the state of Korea after the second World War.
The Americans forces had occupied South Korea, in much the same way that the Axis forces occupied West Germany and for the same reasons. Korea was a part of Japan at the beginning of the Second World War, and unfortunately for Korea, it was split in half, one half going to the Reds, and the other to the more democracy minded Americans (the island of Japan was allowed to remain whole).
Americans had been in country for a bit before the Korean War, and the origin of the word "gook" took place after the Second World War during the initial American occupation. This occupation allowed numerous soldiers the chance to mingle, in the various different ways that an occupying force will, with the natives of the land. Experiencing varying aspects of the culture, the food, the women, and the language.
As some people know, and less people know than one would suspect, America was involved with the Korean War during the 1950's, before the longest military standoff in history (that being the current state of Korea, which is technically a country at war). After the North invaded south Korea in Way-gone (a city only 20 minutes from where I type this) South Korea called on the help of the American force in a conflict that lasted three years and ended with the armistice treaty that we have today, a 50 year standoff that has not yet ended in a peace treaty.
Now, Koreans, contrary to the many popular myths, are actually a fairly outgoing people, and are at least willing to try to hold down a conversation with you. Truth be told Koreans are perhaps some of the nosiest people in the world, they love to find out anything at all about anyone at all, and they are not deterred in the least by a little thing like a language barrier.
In the language of Korea the country in which I live is called Han-geuk. This ancient name comes from the fabled Choson dynasty period, and translates roughly to "land of the morning calm". The people of Korea are called the "Hangeuksaram". Koreans, as they were exposed and came into contact with varying cultures from varying lands gave those lands different names. China for example is Cho-geuk. Thiland is Te-geuk. Any foreign person in general is usually refered to as a Way-geuk. And by some magically syllabic twist of fate America was dubbed Me-geuk.
Americans stationed in, or visiting, Korea would have had very adventurous Koreans, wandering up to them, and asking "Me-geuk!?" This, of course, would sound slightly familiar and at the same time foreign, but served as an explanation to many Americans. "Me gook?!" "Yes, you gook." Of course, the Americans had no way of knowing the Yu-geuk actually meant Europe, so many of our adventurous Korean conversationalists would not have taken too much time to further explore their question, having had it answered. And, as troops rotated and tourists came and went, "gook" was carried out of Korea and used as the definitive label for our "slant eyed" brethren.
Many of the Americans who carried the controversial word "gook" back to the new land, however, may never have heard the mumbled swear under the breath of some frazzled Korean, "ah, Me-gookin-ashi" and so would not have realized that the particular translation of that invective is "fucking American".
For many of us currently living in Korea, waygook, megook, or otherwise, we have accepted as our fate the title of gook. I frequently find myself referring to my status as that of a "Waygook" and life in Korea as being "Waygooky". Foreigners tend to hang out at "Waygook bars" and we like eating "Waygook Foods". We realize the mistake made by our predecessors and we have chosen not to make it again. Although we call ourselves gooks day and night, I've yet to hear any of the other foreigners here refer to our hosts as "gooks".
That little old lady bent double by her load, of course, thinks nothing of referring to me as a "fucking foreigner". Some days, too, I don't give it a second thought. As far as she is concerned most of us "gooks" never learned enough about her people or her language to have any idea what she was saying anyway.
And some days, when I'm feeling sensitive, I hear myself saying right back to her "Han-gookin-ashi". On those days her eyes will gleam as she looks up into mine, and we share a fleeting moment of complete understanding before moving on.
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| Gooks | Login/Create an account | 13 Comments |
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Re: Gooks
by pandoras_choice (-)
on Feb 21, 2004 - 01:10 PM
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What a great insight! I had never heard of the word "gook" or "geuk" before, but I still enjoyed learning its true history. Thanks for the post.
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Re: Gooks
by callei on Feb 21, 2004 - 01:20 PM
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I think this is the best thing you have sent in. a dash of history, a pinch of humour, a massive dose of reality, and the chance to learn something interesting.
I wonder what other wonders and oddities you could share if you found the time to write somewhere in the midst of your hectic sched.
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- Re: Gooks by Domkitten on Feb 21, 2004 - 08:30 PM
Re: Gooks
by Anya on Feb 21, 2004 - 01:52 PM
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My mom and my Vietnamese relatives were always called gooks. After reading this article, I chuckled because I didn't know that the racist individuals unintentionally spoke Korean. Thanks for enlightening us on the term(s).
PS: I tried kim-chi before. I love it when it's mixed with cabbage and onions.
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- Re: Gooks by Domkitten on Feb 21, 2004 - 08:34 PM
A Slight Difference of Opinion
by Monolycus on Feb 22, 2004 - 01:30 AM
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Thank you for the article, DK. When I first arrived in South Korea, the casual use of the word "guk" bothered me a great deal more than the ubiquitous swastikas. I used to cringe every time I had to say it or heard someone else use it. I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who had some baggage over that particular thing.
What I disagree with, though, is your observation that Koreans are, by and large, "outgoing" or "inquisitive". My experience has been precisely the reverse and the natives of this peninsula have been proud to call themselves "The Hermit Kingdom" for the last 200 years. While I have met very few Koreans who won't spend all day telling you about their own culture, I can count on one hand the number who will listen to anything about anyone else's culture. Whenever (as frequently happens), they do something destructive to their own intent, they fall back on the standard cop-out that "It is a cultural thing." or "You don't understand Koreans". I understand what they are doing and why perfectly well; I just think it is stupid and don't want to listen to them blaming everyone else in the world when they inevitably do not achieve their desired results.
I can not tell you how often I have been appalled by their lack of curiosity about the world around them and their unwillingness to listen to anyone else's ideas. As a small illustration of this point, in one of the kindergarten art classes I teach, I have seen numerous fistfights over possession of a red crayon. Students are taught in primary school that the sun is coloured red and they will not draw a picture of it any other way. I drew a picture of the sun and coloured it blue just to see how they would respond and to provoke them into asking questions. The kindergarteners shook their heads at me and the "Miguk-saram ashi" they were all thinking was practically audible.
I also disagree with your observation that kim-ch'i is edible. But hey, we're all entitled to our own opinions. Unless we are in Korea, that is.
~M.
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Re: Gooks
by anayansi (lyra_belaque@hotmail.com)
on Feb 22, 2004 - 03:34 AM
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this was great. one day, if i work really hard, i'll be able to write like this, to hold the reader's attention from the first word and give them the name of a new food they must ask their oriental friends about all in one fell swoop. uber impressive accomplishment!
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- Re: Gooks by Anonymous-Coward on Feb 22, 2004 - 08:40 PM
- Re: Gooks by Domkitten on Feb 22, 2004 - 08:45 PM
Re: Gooks
by MystryssRavynDarque (A1Mandi04@aol.com)
on Feb 24, 2004 - 09:31 AM
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I'd only heard the word "gook" once before, it was used by my neighbor. Hahaha, my redneck neighbor to be exact. I also saw Kim-Chi for the first time the other nite in a Hawaiian Pidgin dictionary online. It was used as if someone had "kim-chi" breath, or really bad breath. My dad explained what kim-chi really is to me. Thanks for the info. You did a really great job with this DK.
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