Interviewee: Jason Park
Interviewer: Jack Mendez
Interview Synopsis
This interview is with Jason Park, a 22-year old Korean-American college senior from Tenafly, New Jersey who studies Performance, Theatre, and Dance at Colby College. Park highlights growing up in a predominantly Korean area within the United States, his family history, and his relationship with his national, racial, and cultural identity. Park discusses his experiences visiting South Korea for ten weeks over a summer, his pursuit of a career in the performing arts and his experiences with it, and various pastimes such as volleyball and music. This interview covers topics such as Korean history, Korean-American culture, Korean-American identity, the performing arts, theatre, music, volleyball, the Korean language, South Korea, travel to South Korea, religion, and immigration.
I met Jason last year in our college a cappella group, the Blue Lights. The interview was conducted in person in a classroom on our college campus.
This interview was conducted by Jack Mendez, a second year History major at Colby College who is interested in the history of religion and culture.
Interviewee Biography
Jason Park is a 22-year old Korean-American college senior from Tenafly, New Jersey. His parents emigrated from South Korea to the United States thirty-two years ago, and raised Jason and his two older brothers in an area with a large Korean-American population. He has maintained a continuous interest in music and performance from a young age, learning multiple instruments and taking vocal lessons for much of his life. Jason has also played multiple sports over the years, with his favorite being volleyball. He studies Performance, Theatre, and Dance at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. At college, he is a member of The Blue Lights, an a cappella group, and Powder and Wig, the student drama club. Jason is pursuing a career in the performing arts, intending on acting onstage in either South Korea or the United States.