"The Academy Director Understands Foreigners"

I was reading the English teacher help wanted ads today. I read them every so often to guage how the industry is reacting to current events. In some of the ads I come across a phrase or sentence that gets me thinking. The sentence I often see is something like "The Director studied in the U.S. (or Canada, etc)and understands foreigners." I read that sentence this morning in a want ad for a school on Jeju. My first thought was "Oh, really?"

From what I have read, and experienced with my own extended Korean family in the U.S., Koreans that come to the U.S. "stick with their own kind." In the papers they often call Koreans "insular," or other such word, that usually means they stay with their own. I have spoken with professors and Korean students at universities in the U.S. and it always seems to be the same. From my discussions, and observations, the only time Korean college students seem to interact with non-Koreans is in an academic setting. Other than that, they only have Korean friends, only eat Korean food, watch Korean dramas, go to Korean churches etc., etc. If this generalization is accurate, which it might just be, just how does a Korean that studies in the U.S. (or other Western country) for a few years come to "understand" Americans?

If living in a Western country brings understanding then why do I constantly read stories about "gyopo's" (Korean-Americans, etc.) who come to the "motherland" for a summer being the most anti-foreigner, racist, xenophobic jerks God ever saw fit to create? From what I have read, Korean-Americans from L.A. seem to be the worst racists. They constantly complain about racism in the U.S. but when they come over here they do and say things that would make the Imperial Wizard of the KKK blush.

In my mind co-location does not equal understanding. Does a foreigner who spends a few years in Korea understand Koreans well enough to employ or otherwise shepherd them in the U.S? My thoughts are that it does not. I have been in Korea almost a decade and there are many, many things I don't understand and will never understand -because I am not nor ever will be Korean. I think it is somewhat arrogant of any Korean to say that just because they lived in say Koreatown in L.A. or the Korean area of Toronto they "understand" Americans or Canadians. Just like it is arrogant for an American/Canadian/Aussie/Brit/Kiwi etc who lived in Seoul, hung out with only foreigners, ate only Western food, etc, etc, to say that they understand Koreans.

So, in my mind, if you are looking for a job teaching English on Jeju or other place in Korea, don't let the deciding factor, on whether or not to take a job, be "Well, the Director studied in the U.S. and understands foreigners." I can say from my own experience that some of the most "understanding" Koreans I have ever met never set foot in a Western country.

Just some of my thoughts on this cold morning on Jeju.