The Best of Both Worlds
“The Best of Both Worlds!”
It's a pithy phrase I keep in my pocket whenever I can't be bothered to sincerely respond with all of the nuances that are required to answer, "wow, what's it like being mixed Korean?"
I shrug and smile, "it's the best of both worlds."
Despite how bland and devoid of meaning it sometimes feels from overuse, there's no falsehood in that statement.
I really do believe that - if you value yourself and your roots, you'll find that you have access to two different worlds in a way others do not.
Here's a fun topic I've been considering lately; why are there so many superheroes who are half-this and half-that? And on top of that, isn’t it interesting that it is precisely their half-ness that empowers them to overcome the odds?
Wonder Woman's human side is what allows her to empathize with the sufferings of humanity. Elsa is indigenous (apparently, according to Frozen 2, and I've got my own thoughts about all that...) on her mother's side which is why she is able to save the Northuldran tribe. Then going all the way back to Hercules, whose demi-god DNA is central to his strength. Even Spock, who traverses the universe as a famously rational being but is tempered by his human emotions, is celebrated because he's got the best of both worlds.
There is a whole deep dive into that interesting thought about venerating 'halfie' superheroes and I'll write more on that later. But for now, I wanted to just say that we mixed Koreans have the best of both worlds, too.
We might not have always felt that way. Maybe you have been outright rejected for your half-ness, or felt confused, or wished you could be one or the other, but being mixed is something we can't change about ourselves.
