Only Male Babies Can Show What
A few years ago in the States, a Korean lady who had a lovely grandson so loved him that she humored his little symbol. An American saw that and made police to take care of it. She was accused for child abuse. How sad it is. (I agree what Joel said--"this might be an urban legend.")
In Korea, grandparents can show how they think their grandchildren cute as touching a little 'teenie winnie'. This custom is disappearing slowly but it's still not a 'crime' at all. Korean parents who politely want to show they have a 'boy' would let their infants naked or barely-naked with a T-shirt on. They think it looks natural and OK as a baby. Then others can see if the baby is a boy. Nobody worries then.
Most Korean parents have a prejudice that 'a boy is required at least'. Because there is tradition 'the memorial service' for ancestors in Korea, which can be performed by only male. Traditionally, once a daughter gets married, she was considered to help not her original family's memorial service but her husband's. A boy rather than a girl should be 'the man' to take care of the parents. Those are a few reasons why a boy can show that he's a boy on public--actually parents make him to do so though.
This is absolutely against the gender equality of today. However, I still hear the stories about the families with children as daughter-daughter-son or daughter-daughter-daughter-daughter-son. You might guess why now--they just have been a long long way to have one 'the at-least' son.
4 comments:
Hi Ji-young,
I randomly ran across your site. Great page and I will be checking regularly for updates. Perhaps you can post something about your own background so your readers can appreciate the perspective a little more. Thanks and keep up the good work.
"A few years ago in the States, a Korean lady who had a lovely grandson so loved him that she humored his little symbol. An American saw that and made police to take care of it. She was accused for child abuse. How sad it is."
I've heard this story a thousand times in Korea, but I've never seen a newspaper article or a fact to support that it really happened. I think this might be an urban legend. Naked baby pictures and naked babies (up to a certain age) are not so uncommon in America. If you can provide a link to support this story I would appreciate it.
There is still a large difference in the way Korean families deal with and treat male and female offspring. But things are changing day by day. Most doctors now will even tell couples if their baby is a boy or girl because the fear that women will abort a baby based on its gender has decreased dramatically.
dear joel.
Yes. You're right.
Thank you for coming and pointing a very important thing out.
Above all, I was very surprised that there are 'other people' coming to my blog than me!!!
As well as you did, I could hear the story a lot in a part of Culture Diversity classes time to time. I come to agree with you that it is possibly not based on a printed article. The problem is, I used the story as if it is a proven fact in the context. I really want to modify the lines with the issues to keep away from promoting another prejudice.
Dear paul.
Thanks a lot your comments with ideas that warmed me up--I hope I will keep this blog on and on. Well, that's a very good idea that I could tell readers more of my background to help them get my point of view.
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