This seems like a superficial and calculating concern, but as a parent, I feel I can't help but think about it.

When I see a school with too many white students, I can't help but wonder if my child, being Korean, will stand out for the wrong reasons. Even if everyone seems friendly and there are no visible issues, I start to imagine that invisible cliques might already be forming during lunch or after school. I worry that moments where a joke, a tone, or an expression used at home doesn't quite match could lead to my child feeling isolated.

On the other hand, schools with too many Korean students bring their own set of concerns.

At first, I honestly feel relieved. There are friends who speak the same language, it's easier for parents to share information, and school events feel less awkward. But over time, my thoughts change. I worry that the kids will naturally cluster together speaking only Korean, and that during breaks and lunch, they won't feel the need to use English. One of the reasons for sending my child to school in America is to immerse them in the language and culture, and I fear they might be limiting that opportunity themselves.

In some schools, there are notably high numbers of Armenian or Jewish students, and while that feels comfortable, I still have concerns. It's not that there's a problem with those students, but I worry that my child might start to see the world too early through a lens of division.

I am concerned that my child might too easily accept statements like "they only hang out with their own kind" or "that community is exclusive" and believe them as facts. In a country I sent my child to learn about diversity, I keep questioning whether they might learn another form of prejudice instead.

Then I find myself saying that it would be nice if they mixed well, but I can't even explain what that 'mixing' really means, which makes me feel a bit silly. Thousand Oaks is generally a quiet and stable neighborhood, and people say the school atmosphere is overall fine, but we can't know what really happens inside the classroom.

So when I attend school information sessions, I find myself paying more attention to the kids I see in the hallways, who is hanging out with whom on the playground, and what language I hear more during breaks. Sometimes I wonder if I am more sensitive than my child; perhaps they are adapting well and finding their place, while I, as a parent, am the one getting anxious.

Sending a child to school in America is not just about whether they get good grades; it increasingly feels like a matter of what environment they laugh in, who they sit next to all day, and in what context they grow up.

Well, what can we do? We have to trust and raise our children. Still, as an immigrant raising kids, it's not easy to completely let go of these concerns.