The Perfect Escape

Because Nate is a second-generation Korean American, his cultural identity is a blend of his Korean heritage and his American environment. At home, Nate is known to his parents and sister, Lucy, as Jae-Woo. His immigrant parents speak limited English mixed with Korean phrases. Nate’s mom also regularly makes traditional Korean food, and Nate’s narration reflects the quirks of his family and household; as he states, his mother “use[s] the Korean mom sniff test to measure edibility […] Her marinated soybean sprouts, radish kimchi, and sesame leaves ma[k]e the cut. The spicy pickled cucumbers and spicy squid [go] straight into the swing-top trash can” (146). Even his father’s scoldings are influenced by Korean culture according to Nate, who states, “If he’d screamed my name a third time, that meant full-on angry-Korean-dad escalation. Added chores. A grounding or two. More yelling. […] In other words, the usual” (139). Nate also explains that his traditional Korean parents are reticent about their family secrets and money issues, which he finds irritating. Not only do they refuse to tell their children the truth about their grandparents in Korea, but they also refuse to admit that they are at risk of losing their home and resist any questioning about these uncomfortable things.