May 10, 2003 - Utica Observer -Dispatch: Jorge L. Hernandez reminisced about his two years as a corps volunteer teaching English as a foreign language in the mid-1970s

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Korea: Peace Corps Korea : The Peace Corps in Korea: May 10, 2003 - Utica Observer -Dispatch: Jorge L. Hernandez reminisced about his two years as a corps volunteer teaching English as a foreign language in the mid-1970s

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 11:42 am: Edit Post

Jorge L. Hernandez reminisced about his two years as a corps volunteer teaching English as a foreign language in the mid-1970s



Jorge L. Hernandez reminisced about his two years as a corps volunteer teaching English as a foreign language in the mid-1970s

Jorge L. Hernandez Memories of S. Korea rekindled

Mon, Mar 10, 2003


For Rob Ichihana of Herkimer, living two years in South Korea was a cultural learning experience he doesn't mind rekindling.

With the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps just celebrated on March 1, Ichihana reminisced about his two years as a corps volunteer teaching English as a foreign language in the mid-1970s.

"Being in-country taught me to be open to new experiences," Ichihana, 49, said. "To be open-minded -- I gained a lot from that and learned not to be judgmental."

He said his first impression of South Korea was of a crowded, over-populated place. As a Japanese-American from California, Ichihana said he also faced being considered an outsider while he was in Asia.

"Living in California -- even with a Japanese background -- it was pretty diverse," he said.

"But in South Korea, it was the first time when I was in the majority looking as an Asian. I blended in until I started speaking," the part-time Mohawk Valley Community College psychology professor said. "They could tell my Korean wasn't exact and that my surname was Japanese, so I had to explain my background and why I wasn't speaking Japanese."

As a result, Ichihana said he learned to keep his own biases in check to be able to experience the people and the country. "It takes time to get accustomed, to get used to a different culture but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Sharing memories with students and meeting other volunteers is also part of the reward of the Peace Corps experience, Ichihana said.

"When talking to other volunteers, even though the people are different and the countries we worked in were different, we all have had the same experience," he said. "It's a bond I will have the rest of my life."

Ichihana also shares a bond with new college graduates going through the "What's Next" stage of life.

He graduated with a B.A. in psychology in 1975 and was having difficulty finding a job. He met with a Peace Corps campus recruiter, put in his application and then left for Hawaii, where he found work in a Honolulu sheltered workshop. About a year later, he was offered the posting in South Korea.

There, Ichihana also met his wife, Anne -- a Sauquoit native who was also in the Peace Corps -- and got married. The couple eventually returned to the Mohawk Valley where today Rob also works as a job counselor full time. Anne is a reference librarian at MVCC.

Their daughter is a college sophomore and their son a junior in high school.

The former Sanger, Calif., native said he and his family have come to appreciate the place they now call home.

"This is a great area to raise kids; there's clean air and affordable housing," he said. "Even though employment is hard, I see that students I've worked with are coming back. There's hope in that -- they realize that there's something special in being here."

Ichihana said that he doesn't take where he lives for granted. "Everywhere has its good points," he said. "But you need to remember what you have."

Memories aside, for Rob Ichihana -- even after living in California, Hawaii and South Korea -- there's still no place like home.

Jorge L. Hernandez is the Observer-Dispatch's Night Local Editor. His column appears on Mondays.

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Story Source: Utica Observer -Dispatch

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Korea

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