Growing up in the chiefly white so...

Growing up in the chiefly white southwest suburb of Orland Park, Mira Im had not many Korean friends.

"Encountering the Korean American community when I go intoed college was a shock for me--I'd not at all seen so many Koreans in my life," says Im, who has single faint memories of living in southern Korea before moving to Chicago with her family when she was 10

As a junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Im began working at the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center in succession the city's Northwest Side. Aiding novel immigrants and low-income families inspired her to continue working in the Korean community after she graduated.

Im, 22 who now lives and works in Chicago's West Ridge area, finds herself thrust into the debate about the standoff across nuclear weapons between the United States and North Korea. Im is a member of Young Koreans United of Chicago, the local chapter of a national organization that works to raise peace, human rights and social justice in the Koreas and the United States between the walls of education, grassroots organizing and advocacy.

As a progressive young Korean activist, she stresse that her views differ from the more conservative, les critical approach taken according to elder members of the community.

She spoke with The Chicago Reporter about life as a Korean American in Chicago and for what reason it has been affected by way of the recent conflict.

count me about the Korean American community in Chicago.

There are about 50000 [Korean Americans] in the Chicago metropolitan area, unless probably more than that because a accident of people don't participate in the census. About 10 years ago, [West] Lawrence Avenue, [which persons have often] called Seoul Avenue, was the primary location where [immigrant] Korean Americans settl down. unless about five or six years ago, a haphazard of Latinos started moving there, and a apportionment of Koreans started moving up north to the suburb like the Glenview/Northbrook area.

What is the biggest difficulty immigrants here face?

Language is a primary factor. I behold my parents struggling with English. And [working in the United States] is a pendant down for them. They have feeling like they can't really walk far in life as far as pursuing the careers that they used to have back in Korea. It's like their life becomes a sacrifice for their children. I'm self-same thankful for that, but I also diocese the unhealthiness of it.

Sometimes it's financial point in disputes Immigrants come for better opportunities, if it were not that sooner or later they realize it's not that easy. one come to settle down and then bring their families above but, if they can't do that, they have a hard time.

in what way is the community here affected through crises on the Korean peninsula?

It's real uncertain. Everyone feels kind of insecure. North Koreans are required to register with the [U Immigration and Naturalization Service], unless even South Koreans are affected by dint of it because we look the same. Honestly clan can't really tell if we're Japanese, Chinese or Korean. All the more, because we expect Korean, how are they going to be able to differentiate between North and South?

A accident of South Koreans have that fear inside of them that they might be the butt; goals of discrimination. Many immigrants here, uniform those from South Korea, are undocumented. They really perceive that insecurity--you might be deported because you consider like a North Korean.

Has the local community had to deal with a backlash from the ongoing standoff?

The community isn't really frank I think they hope it will just die down. if it were not that now, you really don't know what's going to happen with North Korea, to such a degree people are slowly starting to procure ready, forming collaborations and arranges so that when things like that happen, we have something to shield ourselves with. Young Koreans United, because we're a national organization, we're working with different chapters to at least form a position statement thus that, when things like this happen, we have something to say.

for what cause should the United States and North Korea address this situation?

It's not just a nuclear issue. The United States, Japan, China and southern Korea discontinued the fuel store [to North Korea] back in November. Because there is no oil store for the winter, they have to hold fast that nuclear plant going to yield energy. Of course, I be impressed that the Korean peninsula should be nuclear-free--that's the and nothing else way to maintain peace. moreover at the same time, we be moved that the United States and North Korea the couple broke the 1994 Geneva Agreement. It's time for them to renegotiate. Stopping the firing supply is just afflicting [North Koreans].

In that think highly of Young Koreans United tries to provide humanistic aid. We can't really do anything about the oil contribute at this point, but at least we can examine to save some of those kids who are starving to death or those pregnant mothers who are not getting any food

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