Billoh Waritay

Prof.
English 101
Literary Analysis
12/8/16

In the short essay, Where Are You From, Author Patricia Park, a South Korean woman Born
and raised in New York City struggles with how she identifies as a Korean American. It isn't until
her trip to South Korea, which she considered her home, that she realized she was a
foreigner on both sides. I too can relate to being an outsider amongst my people. I was born
in Washington DC better known as the capital of the United States of America, however my
ethnic background resides in Sierra Leone. Growing up as a Sierra Leonean- American I couldn't
seem to avoid the ignorance that followed after telling people where I'm from, the place with
the blood diamonds right?. I didn't realize that a movie would have such a large impact on
people's perception of a whole country and its people. Patricia Parks short essay emphasizes the
realities of a disjointed identity that many first generation Americans struggle with and deals
with themes of self-development and identity formation.

Park describes the moment she realized the disconnect between her identities when she'd visited
South Korea, Whenever I communicated in our native tongue, the South Koreans laughed at
my antiquated vocabulary and my distinctively American cadence (Park, 358). As a first
generation American, we are often faced with being accountable for other people's false
perceptions of who we are and where we come from. It is often presumed that we (1st gens)
possess the complete cultural knowledge and practices of the country of our heritage. This

passage illustrates to the reader, the parallelism that exists for hyphenated Americans. Park
demonstrates the conflicting nature one experiences when considered an other in the only
home they have known.

Throughout this essay, Park writes this short piece as if it is a conversation with herself; by doing
so she furthers the characterization of who she becomes as she forms the identity she is most
comfortable with. Her narration uses personal experience to speak for her credibility on this
topic.

As a Sierra Leonean- American I too can relate to Park in her shocking discovery of how far
departed she was from her native culture. Along my voyage to Sierra Leone, I was told about
how Sierra Leone was my real home, I had heard it so much that I believed it would be no
different of an experience to living in the United States. It wasn't until I had actually gotten there
that I realized just about everything I had been told was dramatized. The difference between my
experience and Parks is that she was able to speak the language, not properly but to some degree,
I on the other hand I couldn't even speak the language (Kreo). This really helps put things into
perspective because the experience showed both of us that you cannot truly identify with both
sides, you have your motherland and you have your homeland, it is now clear to us that you can't
put the two into the same pot.

Park continues to provide evidence that there truly is a difference between Homeland and
Motherland, I have since returned home, to New York City, with a newfound sense of
orientation, and belonging. Park now understands that though she is a product of South Korea,
her home, the place where she parlays, the place where she truly feels at home is back in the

New York City and so she returns to the America with a newfound understanding of self. I too
am able to relate once again, upon my return to the states, I was able to leave Sierra Leone with
the understanding that yes, my roots my history, my culture comes from this beautiful country,
but it is not where my story began. My story began in the United States of America, this is where
I was conceived and brought into the world this is where I grew up so America is my home but,
Sierra Leone will forever be my motherland.

I don't always feel American, especially on days when people insist on asking, No, where are
you from? or complement my accent-free English. She explaining how even though she is at
peace with where she feels home is, she can't help but feel out of place every now and then
because she does not fit the look, truth be told there really isn't one. To believe that there is an
image of what an American looks like is crazy, considering the fact that this country is a giant
melting pot.