[In-Depth Look] Flipping 'Minari' Over

Ham Hyeri / Journalist · Cultural Critic

There is a faded black-and-white photograph. It was taken at the departure hall of Gimpo Airport, where international flights departed long before Incheon International Airport was built, featuring an uncle who was going to study in the United States, surrounded by his family. Shortly after, his aunt joined him in the U.S. The uncle and aunt were elites who graduated from top universities in Korea. However, in the U.S., they had no choice but to do menial jobs to pay for tuition and living expenses. The younger cousin, who was still a child, stayed at our house for about a year and then, at the age of four, wore a name tag around his neck and went alone to find his parents. Two more cousins were born in the U.S., and the grandmother on the in-law’s side went to the U.S. to take care of the grandchildren, bringing bundles of items that were hard to find in America, from anchovies to red pepper powder.

Though the details differ, the story is similar to the movie Minari. Director Lee Isaac Chung said Minari was based on his autobiographical story, but in fact, it is a very familiar story to those who have families who immigrated to the U.S. The difference is that Director Chung made it into a film, while others simply carry it in their hearts as they live on.

The film Minari has received continuous praise from the global film community. It has won 90 film awards both inside and outside the U.S., including the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and was nominated in six categories at the prestigious Academy Awards. The reasons this film moves people worldwide include its sincere story and the performances of actors such as Youn Yuh-jung, but above all, I believe it resonates because of a shared sentiment about the diaspora. In Europe and the U.S., active immigration policies were implemented to supplement labor shortages, and after settling in, immigrants have assimilated into those societies. People who have left their ancestral homelands to settle in foreign countries are spread across the world.

The history of immigration spans centuries across Europe, America, Africa, and Asia without distinction. Regardless of era or nationality, immigrant families inevitably experience some degree of conflict between generations. Immigrants themselves firmly hold onto their homeland’s identity in language, culture, and mindset, but the 1.5 generation or second generation often face identity confusion. By the third generation, they tend to adopt the mindset and culture indistinguishable from locals. Nevertheless, Minari tells us that what overcomes these conflicts is the strong bond of family love.

It is encouraging that stories of Korean immigrant families have become a central theme in films, reflecting the recognition of Korean resilience in American society. However, watching the recent shooting incident reminded me that putting down roots in a foreign country is still not easy. On the 16th (local time), news broke that among the victims of a series of shootings targeting massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia, four were Korean women. This incident occurred amid a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The timing was especially shocking as it came the day after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which hosts the Academy Awards, announced the nominees for the 93rd Oscars on its official YouTube channel. It felt like a stark reminder of reality. The suspect, Robert Aaron Long, admitted to the crimes but claimed there was no racial motive. However, this Atlanta shooting has brought renewed attention to anti-Asian racism in the U.S. Asian American figures and celebrities are sharing personal experiences and joining voices to condemn anti-Asian violence in America.

Now, let’s talk about Korea. According to the Ministry of Justice’s Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters, as of the end of 2019, the number of foreign residents in Korea exceeded 2.52 million, accounting for 4.9% of the total population. This is close to the 5% threshold that the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) classifies as a multicultural and multiethnic country. Is our society truly prepared to live together with these people without prejudice based on skin color, religion, or other differences?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.