What do you think of when you hear the surname “Lee”? Perhaps you imagine the iconic Bruce Lee, the infamous Robert E. Lee, or just a crowd of East Asians. You may have heard this name at least once before, as it is the 21st most common last name in the United States (Webster). During my fourteen years of living, I have been constantly surrounded by others with this surname due to the remarkable diversity in Los Angeles. Contrasting to this, my dad spent his adolescence in a neighborhood where his Korean name drowned amidst the Smith’s, Johnson’s, and Miller’s. Although the illicit marriage of my grandparents marked the beginning of a major change in my family, moving to a new country was not inconvenient for them at all. Being able to immigrate to the United States gave my family an opportunity to escape from Korea’s “taboo” culture, allowing them to embrace their independent values.

As first-generation immigrants, my parents, grandparents, and uncle were born into an entirely different culture before moving to United States. My dad and his younger brother, my Uncle Scott, were both born in Seoul, South Korea. According to my dad, their dad left to live in San Diego in 1976, a few years after fighting in the Vietnam War. On the other hand, my grandma moved to Virginia, married my grandpa, and had my dad and Uncle Scott’s half-brother. My great-grandmother took care of my dad and Uncle Scott in place of my grandparents’ absence. In 1984, they were finally able to leave Korea to live with their parents. Uncle Scott moved in with his dad, while my dad moved to Woodbridge, Virginia where the rest of the family was. Despite the fact that my dad was born and raised in a Korean household, his bold character created conflicts with the strict morals of his ethnic culture. He was not able to express his adventurous self or do things that are considered normal in America without getting criticism from other families. My grandparents also faced this dilemma. Interracial marriages during the 1970s to 1980s were looked down upon in South Korea and were largely restricted to Korean women marrying men living in foreign countries. For this reason, my grandma Sue Ji was not able to comfortably marry my grandpa Allan McGary. Compared to the United States, Korea has much more cultural restrictions due to its communal form. According to Wikipedia, Korea has required all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to serve in the military for at least two years since 1957. This service became a national regulation primarily due to South Korea’s relationship with North Korea. Contrasting to the United States where enlistments to the army are voluntary, Korea forces men to give up two years of their youth for seven hundred and thirty days of stringency. During the first quarter of their military term, all trainees are required to stay inside of an agonizing gas chamber for several minutes in order to prepare for potential gas attacks (Kim and Mei). In addition, dialect, grammar, and speech must be modified to be further stilted than the already formal Korean language. Even the slightest mistakes that are made while speaking can lead to severe consequences.

Although other immigrant families may have encountered negative occurrences after moving overseas, my family faced more difficulties before settling into the United States. My grandma’s relocation to the United States was the start of my families resettlement into their new, individualistic lives. My grandma’s relocation to the United States was the start of my family’s resettlement into their new, individualistic lives. It led to her finally being able to marry my grandpa without experiencing disdain from other families. It also allowed my family to freely embrace their love for music, especially rock. While it may have not been very successful in Seoul, my grandma opened and managed a popular rock‘n roll pub as a full-time job. My dad worked part-time as a bouncer. Even though my dad was forced to settle as the only Korean teenager in his neighborhood after separating from his brother, he did not struggle with adapting into the unfamiliar setting. Due to his passion for Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art, he was notorious for being the son of Bruce Lee. The fact that his name is Sean Lee made this rumor even more believable. Furthermore, his permed shoulder-length hair and fashion-forward wardrobe made him fit in his school like a chameleon. My dad, uncle, and grandma were free to break out of the shackles set by their homeland and secure the keys to a new life consisting of both Korean and American culture.

As a result of my grandma’s decision to move to the United States, each of my family members gained opportunities to express their liberal values. While their immigration was predominately beneficial, my family lost an opportunity that can never be brought back. The abrupt change in their lifestyle reduced their chances to say goodbye to those whom they cherished. Throughout the process of their adaptation in a foreign country, my family acquired both academic and philosophical knowledge, as well as the valuable lesson of appreciating their loved ones.