Quotes About Identity

There was always talk of Koreans going back home, but in a way, all of them had lost the home in their minds for good.

They do not hire Koreans or Chinese, but that will not matter to you since you are Japanese.' Bingo nodded several times. 'Soo desu,' Noa agreed (Lee 334).

I thought that no matter how many hills and brooks you crossed, the whole world was Korea and everyone in it was Korean.

Yumi felt that her three elder half sisters were as sexually indiscriminate and common as barn animals.

He wanted to be, to be just himself, whatever that meant; he wanted to forget himself sometimes.

There's nothing fucking worse than knowing that you're just like everybody else. What a messed-up, lousy existence. And in this great country of Japan—the birthplace of all my fancy ancestors—everyone, everyone wants to be like everyone else. That's why it is such a safe place to live, but it's also a dinosaur village. It's extinct, pal. Carve up your piece and invest your spoils elsewhere.

His presence would prove to the world that she was a good person, an educated person, a liberal person. Noa didn't care about being Korean when he was with her; in fact, he didn't care about being Korean or Japanese with anyone. He wanted to be, to be just himself, whatever that meant; he wanted to forget himself sometimes.

being Korean was just another horrible encumbrance, much like being poor or having a shameful family you could not cast off

The good students, who were all Japanese, the ones he admired, wouldn't speak to him. They wouldn't even look at him. He believed that he could enjoy going to school if he were a regular person and not a Korean.

But I was born today, and isn't it funny how no one gets to remember that moment and who was there? It's all what's told to you.

that seeing him as only Korean—good or bad—was the same as seeing him only as a bad Korean. She could not see his humanity, and Noa realized that this was what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human.

I thought that no matter how many hills and brooks you crossed, the whole world was Korea and everyone in it was Korean. —Park Wan-suh

Anyway, you can be polite about it, but that's fucked up. I'm Japanese but I'm not stupid. I lived in America and Europe for a long time; it's crazy what the Japanese have done to the Koreans and the Chinese who were born here. It's fucking bonkers; you people should have a revolution. You don't protest enough. You and your dad were born here, right?

Noa realized that this was what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human.

all of them had lost the home in their minds for good.

You and I. It cannot be.' 'Why?' 'Because it cannot.' There was nothing else he could think of, and he wanted to spare her the cruelty of what he had learned, because she would not believe that she was no different than her parents, that seeing him as only Korean--good or bad--was the same as seeing him only as a bad Korean. She could not see his humanity, and Noa realized that this was what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human.

Every day you are closer to your death. You are half-dead already. Where does your identity come from?

His presence would prove to the world that she was a good person, an educated person, a liberal person. Noa didn't care about being Korean when he was with her; in fact, he didn't care about being Korean or Japanese with anyone. He wanted to be, to be just himself, whatever that meant; he wanted to forget himself sometimes. But that wasn't possible. It would never be possible with her.

Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration.

There was nothing else he could think of, and he wanted to spare her the cruelty of what he had learned, because she would not believe that she was no different than her parents, that seeing him as only Korean—good or bad—was the same as seeing him only as a bad Korean. She could not see his humanity, and Noa realized that this was what he wanted most of all: to be seen as human

Japan will never change. It will never ever integrate gaijin...But it's not just you. Japan will never take people like my mother back into society again; it will never take back people like me. And we're Japanese

But people will always say things. They will always say terrible things, no matter what. It's normal for me. I'm nobody.

Ted Kim was sadistically illustrating that she'd only gone to Princeton, she was not of Princeton.

The gentle eyes beneath the jutting cheekbones and scaly skin were the same.