My knowledge of my heritage language has helped me connect with others who are also Korean-Americans. My heritage language has caused a lot of stereotypes such as being good at math and etc. at school. Sometimes, I felt like I was ashamed of who I was because majority of the people in my school were Caucasian. However, I learned over the years how crucial it is to maintain my heritage language. My heritage language has taught me to be grounded in my culture and learning how to embrace it. I have been taking a Korean class at UIUC because I want to learn more about my heritage language. I also want to talk to my grandparents and my dad more in Korean because that’s what they’re comfortable using. I wish I learned Korean when I was younger but I’m glad that I am still taking a Korean class to maintain my roots.
