May 24, 2005

Biracial Koreans

The Korea Times reports on the situation of biracial Koreans. Most biracials live -for historical reasons- in Caucasoid-founded nations, so it is interesting to see a different angle on the situation of biracials in a Mongoloid nation.

Biracial People Face Discrimination in Korea (excerpt):

In Korea, where everybody has black eyes, straight black hair and yellow skin, biracial Koreans face discrimination because of their appearance _ they look different.

Moreover, they are treated differently, with indirect words and in indirect ways, people are reluctant to accept them as members of our society, only because they are biracial.

With an increasing number of Koreans marrying non-Koreans, the number of biracial people is growing. But the inhospitality and discrimination against their children have not changed with the times, and Korea is still a country where biracial people face difficulties.

There are no statistics indicating the exact number of biracial people in Korea. But a figure can be estimated from the number of people registered with the nation's only biracial welfare agency, Pearl S. Buck International (PSBI), a foundation established by the Nobel laureate to assist children suffering racial discrimination.

According to the foundation's registry, there are about 4,800 Amerasians _ people born from Korean women and American men _ mainly U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea, and 12,000 Kosians _ people born from Koreans and other Asians, usually migrant workers.

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