Interviewee: Sunmin Lee
Interviewer: Johann Zimerle
Synopsis
This interview follows the story of Sunmin Lee’s childhood in Korea to her big move to the United States, as well as her current life as a parent and a Korean-American. We delve into her childhood pastimes and how the political climate in South Korea affected her life. In the United States, Lee describes her struggles adapting to the new life in the United States, and her current understanding of Korean society and pop culture in comparison and with respect to her own childhood memory of Korea. This interview covers topics ranging from the role of family, the differences in living conditions between the United States and Korea, and modern Korean pop culture.
Sunmin Lee is my keunimo (큰이모, literally big aunt), the older sister on my mother’s side of the family. The interview was conducted through Zoom. The interviewer was Johann Zimerle, a current dual major in government and math at Colby College who has a strong interest in East Asian culture, politics, and history.
Biography
Sunmin Lee is a Korean-American currently living in Ohio. Born on January 18, 1975 in Busan, South Korea and raised in Seoul, she moved to the United States in 1991 in the ninth grade of high school with her parents and three siblings. Initially living in Lima, Ohio, she and her family later moved to Glendale, California. After graduating high school, she pursued a biochemistry and pre-medical degree in college and became a physician’s assistant. Today, she regularly visits her home country of South Korea to see family and friends. She lives with her husband and two children and their dog Corduroy.