When I first arrived in America, everything was unfamiliar, but now it has been over 15 years since I came to the U.S.

After meeting good people and working at an American company, I have become quite accustomed to practical English. And now, with technological advancements, complex plans are all made by AI, and emails are carefully checked for grammar by ChatGPT. Still, I often find myself searching for unknown words while watching the news. I still don't know many idiomatic expressions.... Especially, explaining my thoughts in English is really hard to do for more than a minute. Because of this, I hardly have deep conversations with natives...

As a result, I try hard to belong to American society. I attend an American church and make sure to participate in American Bible study groups. I always attend the weddings of my coworkers and actively engage in American interactions.

However, when I look at Koreans, it seems that many still live confined within the Korean community. It's true that it's comfortable to speak the same language, eat the same food, and share the same sentiments. Having someone to talk to openly, a friend with whom I can chat all day about education for children or real estate. This is a sense of security that cannot be easily found anywhere in American society. However, I sometimes feel that this comfort can become a 'fence'.

Especially in large cities like LA, Dallas, and Atlanta, there are Korean markets, Korean hospitals, Korean churches, and Korean academies, so one can live without speaking English or meeting Americans. Some Koreans even only work for Korean companies, creating a complete 'little Korea' in their living radius. But the problem is that even after 10 or 20 years, there is almost no understanding of American society, and English remains stagnant. American news is just background noise, and politics or culture feels like someone else's story. While children mingle with white, black, and Hispanic friends at school, the parent generation still feels distanced from them.

Of course, I am not unaware of the difficulties of immigration. Survival is a priority for everyone. However, if that survival lasts too long, the fear of new cultures and languages becomes a 'habit'. People stop trying to learn and stop making efforts. Then, American society starts to feel like a foreign land, friendships with Americans do not develop, and the cultural gap with children widens.

The reason I feel frustrated is that this reality is not just the story of a few individuals. The Korean community sometimes seems to build a 'castle' within the country of America, finding solace only within it. The outside world feels scary, while the inside feels familiar. Even if my English is not perfect, I at least try to converse with Americans and understand their culture. I want to know what American humor is and what values they hold dear. And I feel that I am gradually changing within that context.

The Korean community is undoubtedly a valuable asset. It is a space like home and a comfort for those who share the same wounds. However, if one stays too long, that comfort can become a shackle that hinders my growth. Sometimes, how about taking a step outside the fence?

Even if my pronunciation is not smooth, even if I can't finish listening to an American news segment, even if there is awkward silence with an American friend. Perhaps the real immigrant life begins in that discomfort.

Koreans are no longer 'guests'. Shouldn't we live as 'owners' who have taken root in this land? To do that, let's not just stay in the comfort of the community, but think of the outside world as part of our own world and live accordingly.

Lately, I have been realizing that familiar comfort can be dangerous in terms of outcomes.