晋汉利 is associate professor and chair of PBA’s Department of Dance. 一位在美国拥有超过25年经验的教育工作者.S., 汉利教授 分享她的成长故事, identity and cultural heritage as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
金·汉利(晋汉利)教授最初来自韩国，后来移居美国.S. 23岁时，大学刚毕业. 从那时起, 她游历了各种文化景观, 在斯波坎, 华盛顿, 去纽约, 最终定居在南佛罗里达. 回顾她早年在美国的生活.S.她说，每个城市的感觉都不一样.
《美国之旅:梦想与现实
When 汉利教授 initially shares her motivation to move to the U.S. 这看起来既古怪又滑稽, yet it highlights the allure and influence of American culture globally. As a young girl, she was captivated by Michael Jackson and humorously envisioned marrying him. 这个童年的幻想使她相信见到他, 她需要成为一名著名的舞蹈家，住在美国.S. It took her years to convince her parents to allow her to pursue any training in dance, and while her dream of marrying Jackson naturally faded as she matured, this early aspiration ultimately influenced her decision to relocate to the United States.
Her academic journey and her pursuit of a career in dance was plagued by several setbacks including injuries. 汉利教授 毕业于孔州国立大学芭蕾舞专业. 一旦到了美国.S. 她研究 English as a second language at Gonzaga University in Spokane, 华盛顿, after which she intended to join a dance program at 拼搏体育 (PBA) but encountered a hiccup with the school’s dance program schedule that didn’t align with her student visa requirements. 这使她听从了导师的建议, who encouraged her to pursue a graduate degree in dance at New York University (NYU), steering her path toward a master’s degree instead of another undergraduate program.
Her time at NYU was fraught with challenges, including financial struggles. 然而, 通过坚持不懈, 社区支持和多重工作, 她设法支付了她的教育和生活费用. 几年后，her journey eventually came full circle when she returned to Florida and was hired at PBA, where she climbed the ranks from a guest lecturer to the Chair of the Department of Dance, reflecting a divine orchestration that she believes guided her professional and personal development.
文化认同与赋权
Fast forward and more than two decades later, 汉利教授 also has another role. 她是一个十几岁的儿子和女儿的母亲. 她说，虽然她通常不会后悔, she wishes she had spent more time immersing her children into her cultural heritage.
“Connecting my children with their Korean heritage has been a profound challenge, especially since I was a single mother for a while before I remarried. The limited time I spent with them daily made it difficult to maintain those cultural ties, 尽管他们的祖父母在场. It’s a poignant reminder of the complexities of nurturing cultural roots in a diverse society.”
她是, 然而, making the effort to change her own approach to her identity and culture by having the confidence to share her heritage with others.
“也许七、八年前就开始了, I decided that there was no need for me to fit in and I started to fully embrace who I am, 我想让别人了解我的文化,她解释道.
她现在积极地将她的传统融入到她的教学中, sharing Korean cuisine and her language and traditions with her students. She also highlights how her colleagues and PBA leadership have embraced these values, crediting Dean of the College of the Arts Jason Lester and others who have allowed her to feel seen and acknowledged. They have also empowered her to step into new roles thanks to a supportive environment that values diverse perspectives.
建设亚太地区互联互通
汉利教授 emphasizes the importance of building connections within the AAPI community to foster a sense of unity and support, but also encourages those around to not merely let this be another time of celebration. She believes meaningful change begins with an openness to getting to know each other’s backgrounds.
“虽然我们的传统可能与中国不同, 日本, to Korean and Thai—our shared experiences as Asians in this community hold powerful potential and I encourage every student and member of our community not to hold back due to fear of being seen as different. 让我们拥抱我们的差异, initiate dialogues and build a united Asian community where everyone feels valued and heard. 我们可以帮助营造一种接受和合作的环境.”
当我们庆祝时 亚太裔传统月, 汉利教授 underscores the significance of recognizing and honoring these narratives, not only to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the AAPI community, but also to educate others about the diverse cultures that enrich our society.
“It’s challenging, but it starts with educating ourselves and others. 人们通常把亚洲人看作一个单一的群体, frequently defaulting to stereotypes that don’t reflect our diversity. We hail from various cultures across Asia, each distinct and rich in its own right,” she says. 她补充说:“我鼓励你迈出第一步. 我们的方法, 了解我们不同的背景, 并认识到每种文化带来的独特贡献. This acknowledgment is a powerful way to start appreciating the full tapestry of Asian identities.”
