Koreans share their culture -- and kimchi -- in Cache Valley

By Brock Anderson

October 26, 2005 | Kimchi? Many Americans today don't know what kimchi is. Some may recognize that it is actually a word, while others, upon hearing the word kimchi in conversation, might respond with, "bless you," because they thought it was someone sneezing. Yet, as America continues to become more culturally diverse, more and more people are coming to know that kimchi is a staple food in Korea. It's possible some people have even tasted it before.

Cache Valley, though not a booming center for ethnic diversity, is home to a modest community of Koreans. Inhae Annie Kim, a faculty member teaching Korean and Asian culture courses in the department of languages, philosophy, and speech communication at Utah State University, is a native Korean who came to Logan 13 years ago to obtain her Ph.D. "It's an interesting mix of people in the community," Kim said, referring to Koreans in Cache Valley.

According to Kim, about 10 Korean families have made Cache Valley their home. Most of these families settled in the area because of employment at the university. Also, there are normally about five other families from Korea living in the area for one to three years. These families come to Logan in connection with a visiting professor program at USU.

"They bring a lot of things that are Korean here," Kim said of the visiting families. "It's a good thing." The Korean families residing in Cache Valley are able to learn firsthand about new Korean trends and news concerning their native land.

Korean students studying at Utah State make up the other half of the valley's Korean population. According to the USU Office of International Students and Scholars there are 117 Korean students enrolled for the fall 2005 semester. They are the third largest group of international students on campus.

One of these students, Ju-Ho Lim, has been in Utah for only two months. After applying to his school, Kyungpook University, for an opportunity to study abroad,and being accepted, Lim came to Utah State where he is studying accounting. Lim's friend, a current USU student, introduced him to the university.

"I really like the environment here," Lim said. He wanted to attend a university that doesn't have a huge Korean student population. "I heard the University of Utah has about twice as many Koreans." He believes having less Korean students makes it easier to make foreign friends and learn English.

Although Lim is glad to be at a place with fewer Korean students than larger universities, he enjoys the sense of community he shares with other Koreans at USU. "Many of us meet and do things together," Lim said. It's like having a family away from home."

Kim says when she first came to Cache Valley there were not nearly as many Koreans here. Over the past 13 years the number of Korean students and families has nearly doubled. An increase in the Korean population is not only a local trend, but a state and national one as well.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census the Korean population is slightly above 1 million, the fourth largest Asian group in the nation. Comparatively, the 1990 U.S. Census shows the Korean population at a little over 800,000.

State figures also show growth in the Korean population. According to census reports, the Korean population increased in Utah from 2,629 in 1990, to 3,473 in 2000. Though not a large increase, it is still positive growth. Kim thinks the relatively small population increase in census reports from 1990 to 2000 may be a result of the financial crisis that hit Korea in 1997. According to Kim, Korea's currency, the won, lost about half of its value, basically overnight. Many students and other Koreans had no choice but to leave their studies and lives in America behind and return to Korea. Now that Korea's financial situation has stabilized, and more Koreans are going abroad again, Kim believes Korean population numbers in Utah are probably considerably higher than they were in 2000.

As Koreans continue to arrive in America, they bring their culture and traditions with them. While Kim hasn't seen a huge increase in Americans' awareness of Korean culture over the time she has lived here, there are some signs of a growing cultural awareness. She believes the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 2002 Fifa World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan, helped introduce Americans to the Korean people and culture.

More than Korean cultural awareness, Kim recognizes a big difference in Americans' awareness of Asian culture in the past few years. Presently, she says China has grown to be a big Asian power, and has taken much attention away from other Asian nations. Kim thinks a big event, like the reunification of North and South Korea, is probably necessary to increase Americans' understanding of Korea more fully.

Regardless of how small, there are signs of Korea's growing influence in America. An article in the Online Washingtonian reports that Korean cooking and restaurants are becoming more widespread in the United States, especially in big cities. John Feffer, who wrote the article, says, "Though it bears a resemblance to other Asian cooking, Korean food is a distinct cuisine." Many Americans are beginning to realize that and are trying Korean food for the first time.

Kimchi and bulgogi are probably the most well-known Korean foods among Americans. There are over 100 different kinds of kimchi and Koreans generally eat kimchi with every meal. It is a fermented vegetable side dish flavored with various spices. One of the most common types is called, baechu kimchi, which is made from cabbage. Korea's growing communities in America have made the famous food available in many areas from coast to coast.

Bulgogi is one of Korea's most famous meat dishes. Translated directly into English it means fire meat. Using either beef or pork, the meat is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame seed oil, garlic and brown sugar, then cooked over a dome-shaped grill or in a regular frying pan. It can be served alone with rice, and kimchi of course, or wrapped in a lettuce leaf with rice and a special sauce.

Though not as common as in other areas, Utah has its share of Korean restaurants. When Kim first came to Utah she said there were only about two Korean restaurants in Salt Lake, now there are at least five. Cache Valley even has its own Korean restaurant. The Korea House Restaurant and adjacent Oriental Food Market are located on Main Street in downtown Logan.

Korea House restaurant owner Sungsoo Jang arrived in Utah about two years ago with his wife and two children. The Jang family settled in the Valley because they had relatives living here. Jang and his wife have been running the restaurant and food market since they arrived two years ago.

Although there are about 1,800 Asians in Cache County, Jang says the majority of his customers aren't Asian. "About 70 to 80 percent are American." According to Jang, probably about half of them do not even have ties to Asia; they just acquired a taste for Asian food in America. The other 20 to 30 percent of his customers are mainly Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.

Another element shaping attitudes about Korea in the U.S. is, of all things, Korean soap operas. While most followers of the popular Korean dramas are generally in Asia, a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle reports that people in America are beginning to catch onto the craze. The spread of Korean dramas and culture to other countries is referred to as the Korean wave, or hallyu. Korean dramas and pop culture have been gaining popularity around the globe since the late '90s. The finale of one of the hit dramas was recently watched by more than 100,000 in the Bay Area.

Kim said Korean dramas have gained popularity because they tell stories of pure love and hope. She says that the Korean wave can even be felt in Cache Valley, mostly among Asians. "It's a positive thing among Asians," Kim said. Though it's only a drama, it's helping people around the world gain a better understanding of Korean culture.

As more Koreans gather in the U.S., and small communities are established across the country, Korea's cultural influence will continue to slowly spread. Even in the quiet corners of Cache Valley, Koreans live, work and play. Intentionally, or unintentionally, they share their cultural heritage with their neighbors and community. Americans are slowly coming to know and understand the word kimchi.

(Photo of kimchi used by permission of David Bennett)

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