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An Arum is the daughter of an African American father and a Korean mother. On Monday, the dark-skinned curly-haired child was already on pins and needles ahead of the arrival in Korea of the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, and of her meeting with him this Saturday.
When Arum, who continues to chirp on about her plans for the day, is asked, "Who is Hines Ward?" she replies, "He is a great person." By her side, her mother An Jin-hee explains, "His mother is a Korean and his father is an American, just like you. He went to America when he was just a child, and he grew up to be a very fine man."
The meeting between Ward and mixed-race children was set up by the Pearl S. Buck International foundation, named after the mixed-race writer. There, Arum will present Ward with a bouquet of Roses of Sharon, Korea's national flower. Two weeks ago Arum sent a letter to the athlete. "Hello. My name is An Arum¡ŠI can¡¯t wait to see you. When you come to Korea, please be our friend. If I have the chance, I really want to go to the U.S. I want to be a great person like you.¡±
Her mother is no less excited to see the athlete, who was named ¡°most valuable player¡± at the Super Bowl last month. "I'd especially like to meet his mother," she says. ¡°She is a role model for me and mothers like me, and I¡¯d like to ask her how she overcame all the hardship as the mother of mixed-race child.¡± She wants to ask Ward to tell high-ranking officials he meets about the problems mixed-race Koreans encounter here. Her wish is that the government would build special schools for such children.
A girl like Arum with differently colored skin faces a harsh daily reality at school. Other kids at school often tease her about her appearance or background. Whenever she asks her mother why her skin is black, An Jin-hee tries to be strong. At the local gym, Arum was rejected because ¡°foreigners¡± are not allowed. ¡°Even a little child is treated so badly,¡± she says. ¡°How will they treat her when she is all grown up?¡±
For these children, Hines Ward and his achievements represent a dream. Lee Ji-young, the local manager of Pearl S. Buck International, says, ¡°I hope the visit by Ward isn't just a flash in the pan but can become an opportunity to help people acknowledge and accept their differences.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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