You know you are lucky when you live in a country that has a television network dedicating all it’s spots to food for rabid fans who treat each show like a professional football game. Contrast that to other countries like North Korea where the common people eat grass when their mundane days of hard work provides them with nothing more than just air to consume. That’s how lucky Americans are….we treat food as a form of entertainment while other countries that are poor, fight for it.
So, this one time my dad was buzzing on soju, ice, and lemons at this one Korean sushi house we frequent because of it’s 50% off specials. My dad starts telling me…(topics that are on repeat each time he’s buzzed) “America, what a great country.” He continues his story about how he came to Los Angeles with nothing and how he had to work two jobs everyday. He was “chronically worried about money” even though he was a car mechanic that made 50 bucks a hour back in an era when gas was still under 50 cents a gallon. He worked so hard he didn’t have time to see my older brother pop out into the world. Of course he hangs this over my head since I work one job and have free rent…. 
After years of hard work, he finally made enough money to buy his own wrecking yard and move to one of the safest neighborhoods ever. He pretty much created his own humble gold mine to raise his family with…
He then continues with “in America, so long as you have an idea of what you want and work hard, you can do anything. That is why America is a great country.”
One of his cute 
examples of respect towards America is “how did Americans know we want to retire when we turn 60? When I turned 60 I wanted to retire right away……..” Then he starts listing off how there is a new world of perks he discovered for old people to enjoy… He gets specials at diners, cheaper health insurance, dibs on first tee time slots at golf courses, and etc etc. In his days, the average Korean would never consider retiring because it just wasn’t plausible….he came from a providence where you had to work and provide for the family until you pass on or have your own kids take care of you.
It’s funny how my father thinks since he’s an old school country boy who is actually more open minded than those educated in the city…..but yea, I’d have to agree. America is a great country, but not because of how retirement is…..In America I can say what i want, eat what I want whenever I want, drive anywhere I want, and do whatever I want with my life…with no limitations but those I place on myself.
….my dad’s a cute old man and he certainly fulfilled his Asian American dream.
0 Responses to “the Asian American dream”