"WHERE TWO CULTURES CONVERGE"

My friend's essay for the Fourth of July that was printed in The Washington Post this past Sunday:

Where Two Cultures Converge
I never felt fully all American or all Korean. A visit to a war memorial changed that.

The Washington Post
Sunday, July 3, 2005

June 25 marked the 55th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, the first hot engagement of the Cold War. Although the date may have little meaning for many Americans, it altered my personal and cultural history forever. As a Korean American, I've lived a dual existence defined by two political and cultural influences. My parents were born in Korea in 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the war. During their childhoods, hunger and death were as prevalent as the will to survive. (full article)