It’s not often that I catch a glimpse into my parents’ early relationship, but whenever I do, I am presented with new ways to understand, cherish, and love them. After meeting at Inha University in Seoul, South Korea, my parents spent the first years of their life together separated by the Pacific Ocean when my father’s family emigrated to California after he turned 18. While he adjusted to his life in LA, and later in Berkeley, my father wrote prolifically to my mom to fill in the gaps between his visits back home. And though I’d heard before about their penpalship, it wasn’t until this past December that I actually got to see proof of them – while “cleaning” out the garage, my father “stumbled upon” a box full of old letters and photos that the two of them had shared while apart. Unfortunately for me and despite the English scattered here and there, the letters are handwritten in Korean. Presented with this opportunity to learn more about my father’s initial experiences in America, the nature of my parents’ relationship and lives before marriage, and the devotion communicated between them over thousands of miles, I will be transcribing and translating these letters for my translations capstone project.
Presentation deriving from a Capstone project for the Translation Concentration with Prof. Irhe Sohn, Assistant Professor of Korean Language & Literature.