David Chang is a Korean-American chef who is known for his unique combination of Asian food and French technique. After graduating Trinity College, Chang worked briefly in the financial services[…]
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An American-born Korean, but feeling neither wholly Korean nor wholly American.
Question: How has your Korean heritage shaped your worldview?
David Chang: My Korean heritage, it’s something that I didn’t really appreciate ‘til later. And sometimes it was something I felt guilty about sometimes. Because I didn’t really fit in sometimes. I didn’t fit in when I lived in Korea because I wasn’t “Korean” Korean. I’m what they call a “________”, which is an American-born Korean.
And I didn’t fit in with the kids I went to school with because I wasn’t white. And I didn’t fit in with the Korean Americans because I hung out with the white kids.
So it created awkward situations for me, but I had to adjust.
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