Tag: six feet apart

In the beginning of 2021, Mr. Baik and his family made the decision to close down their drop store in Midtown, NYC. March 26, 2021 was the last day. It’s been a year since we followed Mr. Baik, videotaped by his daughter, Deborah, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second and final part of their story.

I rarely felt beautiful growing up. Maybe it was because of the painful red bumps that would erupt on my face overnight. Or the clunky metal braces stamped onto my teeth.

When Anne Frank was about my age, she documented her life hiding in her attic from 1942 to 1944 in her diary. During the horrific World War II time, she was not only confined to a small space but lived in fear. Getting flour for a birthday cake was a luxury and she had limited supplies of everything.

For our final episode of Perilla Diaries, we asked Thomas and Andrew where they got the resilience to carry on throughout all these pandemic challenges. Without hesitation, they pointed to the strongest people they know – their mothers. We asked the two restaurateurs to phone them for a short interview about their respective journeys starting new jobs and lives in America.

When our son Bart was only three he voiced emphatic dislike of his handsome Asian face. He wanted to ‘fit in’ to the Caucasian world he’d known since arriving home at age five months. His message was loud and clear, that even at a tender age, his self-esteem was wrapped up with his adoption, Korean heritage and being a “stranger in a strange land”.

The first email was innocuous enough, considering that faculty on the community college at which I was an assistant professor had been following the news about the first confirmed case in New York. His daughter had been attending school not too far from our campus, and in the days following that discovery, we would ask, “Do you think anyone on our campus…?” The sentence would often go unfinished.

During the COVID-19 quarantine, many people have tried new things while stuck at home, like baking sourdough bread or crocheting. Of course, it’s hard to be productive 100% of the time when you can’t leave your house, so the most popular quarantine activity by far is probably binge-watching TV. When we first started self-quarantining in our apartment in the Boston area, my fiance and I were already halfway through the k- drama Itaewon Class on Netflix.

You were born on the first day of spring, the sign of something new. I remember holding you to my chest to cherish your very existence. If ever there was a time when love could be touched, it was then.

The highlight of my coronavirus quarantine has been the appearance of the H Mart logo on Instacart’s homepage. It showed up one day, an unassuming red and white logo, in the midst of other primary colors, with the word “Ethnic” underneath. The minute I saw it, I did a little jig at my end of the kitchen counter and announced the discovery to my husband at the other end.

Being an ally means spreading awareness, signing petitions, donating if you have the means to do so, and calling out racist behavior. Being an ally as an Asian American means doing all of the above, while also looking at the specific ways in which we have either perpetuated or been compliant in allowing racial injustices towards the Black community to continue. Now more than ever, it is important for us to step up in support.

아빠 곁에 떠난지 벌써 4년이다.
It’s already been 4 years since I left your side, Dad.

The question often brings a smile to my face and it also makes me a bit confused. Are you asking about my nationality or what team I root for during any sport’s season?

As a second generation Korean American, I grew up in Chicago with a single father that had a love affair with alcohol and the American dream. My mother committed suicide when I was too young to understand.

Julian Kim is an editor, producer, filmmaker, and father of Ian, his 20-month-old son. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have experienced a dramatic change within their household when it comes to parenting, especially for those with young children.

Almost a quarter-century ago, our dad became a “Gireogi appa.” Gireogi appas, or “wild goose fathers,” evoke both the migratory expanse of geographic distance and traversal of unknown emotional terrains that many Korean families experience.

KC Kye is the founder of K-Mama Sauce, a Korean hot sauce company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. KC initially was preparing to go into ministry but pivoted into starting a business after a conversation with his mentor and pastor, Reverend Dr. Jin.  Like many small businesses, KC and his team faced challenges and had to adapt to new rules and restrictions due to COVID-19. KC has found much love and support from his church and hopes that K-Mama Sauce will continue to grow to support the greater Minneapolis community.

On May 31st, 2020, many stores in Chicago fell victim to looters and vandalism following the murder of George Floyd. Venus Fashion, a women’s fashion store, was one of them. Owner Dae O Yang has operated the store in the south Chicago area for over twenty years and had already made plans to re-open since the COVID-19 lockdown but in the blink of an eye, everything was taken away from him. 

Late May, Downtown Chicago took an unexpected hit from the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. When things started to get violent near Perilla, Thomas and Andrew were left trying to figure out what to do next. With concerns for the safety of their staff in mind, they subsequently paused delivery services and boarded up the restaurant’s windows for protection.

New York City was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late May, we interviewed three Korean American medical professionals (Nancy Kwon, Ben Hong, and Karis Cho) based in some of the hardest-hit hospitals in New York. Each doctor leads us through their lives during the current pandemic and what keeps them going.

To pass the time, I have started doing Pilates, taking frequent naps. For three weeks, Tom insisted I watch Pulp Fiction. I’ve eaten close to a thousand Oreos in the past month and a half. This is not hyperbole.

When New York City began to reach its peak of coronavirus cases in April, Sung Book Dong, a Korean restaurant in Little Neck, began delivering discounted meals to the hardest-hit hospitals in NYC as a way of honoring and supporting the healthcare workers for their service.

밥 먹었어? Did you eat? We asked our followers on social media what Korean dishes they’ve been cooking up during the COVID-19 quarantine – this is what we got! Though we’re all stuck at home, that won’t stop us from cooking our favorite Korean dishes and fusions.

I’ve been in quarantine since March 16, as the school that I teach at decided to close a week earlier than DOE schools.

With talk arising about the upcoming shortages in the food supply industries, Andrew and Thomas share how that would affect Perilla and their future. Still adapting to the challenges brought on by COVID-19, Andrew and Thomas give us an update about the changes they’ve made like becoming delivery drivers, creating an online shop, and adding pantry items to their menu.

In the context of climate change and what individuals can do to take personal action, eating a plant-rich diet is often cited as one of the most important steps we can take to reduce our individual carbon footprints.

The four abstract works in this series explores the question, “Where are you from?” It is a question I have been asked too frequently in my life, and it is a question that is resurfacing now in our country during this Coronavirus pandemic.

One day out of the year, we have this beautiful opportunity to express our gratitude and show our love as our way to give back to those who give us more than we can ever repay- our moms. This letter is a small gesture to say that I love you, even if you think it’s too much sometimes.

Ahmaud Arbery. 
Ahmaud Arbery.
Ahmaud Arbery.

I see you,
Glaring at me
Shoulders clenched,
Teeth grimacing

“Are you sure we should still go to Florida?” I ask my husband.  We had planned a three week trip to drive down to Florida from New Jersey with our son and 11 yr-old dog in tow.

It’s been about two weeks since our last video with Perilla. Since then, Thomas and Andrew have come up with a solution to streamline their services in order to support the business and the little staff they have left. But now they are faced with another obstacle – how can their business survive solely on delivery services? 

Seung Ku Baik is a manager at a dry cleaner store still operating in Manhattan, New York. With his daughter Deborah videotaping, Mr. Baik leads us through his typical day at the cleaners during the coronavirus pandemic and shares with us how it has impacted him.

Grandma writes back: I am ok?
followed by a string of punctuation her tired
fingers didn’t mean to type. This error
reveals a half truth. A question
she doesn’t realize she’s asked.

Andrew Lim and Thomas Oh of Perilla | Korean American Fare in Chicago are just one of the few restaurant owners greatly impacted by the global shutdown. They lead us through how they’ve been battling throughout the current food industry crisis and lend their personal insight with us in this series. KoreanAmericanStory.org will continue following their story and update with regular content.

I told myself I was going to be fine – I wasn’t going to let it happen to me. Each morning before sitting in my ergonomic chair, I procure a disinfectant wipe from the plastic container on my desk and begin my ritual with accuracy – wiping the mouse, the keyboard, headset and ear-pad, microphone, regular phone, receiver…chord connecting phone and receiver.

Micro aggressions, a part of my whole life
You’re so great at math
Can you see out of those eyes
Run your fingers through my ebon straight hair, go ahead, invade my privacy

COVID-19 is something no one expected and yet has affected all of our lives in an unforgettable way. Our mission at KoreanAmericanStory.Org is to preserve and share stories from the members of our community.