What if cultural stereotypes follow you? | Chemin Song | TEDxYouth@TashkentIntlSchool

“Don’t let cultural stereotypes define who you are. Have the courage to be yourself and break the mould.” Chemin remembers very well the day she moved from Seoul, Korea to Tashkent, Uzbekistan because of her father’s job. She was worried and scared to leave behind what was familiar, and she wondered about the friends she would make. Once in her new school, she was faced with several cultural stereotypes that followed her. She describes the ‘Aha moment’ when she realized she had to be herself: while the Korean group represented her cultural group, it did not define who she was. Chemin concludes by advising others to stay true to who they are.

Hi, my name is Chemin. I’m 18 years old and I’m from South Korea. I came to Uzbekistan three years ago. My first language is Korean and my hobbies include listening to music, singing and going to good dessert cafés.

I am not sure what I am passionate about, but I I tried out for TEDxYouth because I wanted to share my experiences and difficulties of attending an international school with an audience. I thought sharing this idea with an audience would be interesting and helpful to students who are also experiencing the same dilemma as me. In my international school, I have been exposed to many different cultures and met diverse ethnic groups, and the school always emphasized that we be internationally minded. By sharing my own experiences, I hope I can raise awareness of issues relating to this. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx