Sunday, August 20, 2000

Korea native makes intellectual, sentimental journey home

George Gongora/Caller-Times

Kim Roberson, a retired local elementary school teacher, is going to Korea for one year to teach a freshman English course and co-author elementary-level English textbooks that incorporate teaching methods from U.S. classrooms.

Lesson No. 1: Once a teacher, always a teacher. Learn that fundamental fact about Dongwol Kim Roberson and you better understand what drives this 62-year-old retired elementary school teacher to continually forge new and creative ways to meet the intellectual needs of today's global generation.
   Roberson retired from the Corpus Christi Independent School District in 1997, the year she enjoyed a highlight in her career - being named CCISD's Elementary Teacher of the Year. These days, as executive director of the Asian Cultures Museum and Educational Center, she's at the helm of a bigger classroom.
   "I like to think of myself as a bridge between two cultures," said Roberson, a native of Korea who, while at graduate school at the University of Texas in the 1960s, fell in love with and married her husband, Jimmy, of Corpus Christi.
   "There are so many misconceptions that Asians and Americans have about each other. I've had Asian women tell me they think all the ladies here have long, red fingernails and drive big Cadillacs. Of course, I tell them that's not true. What they've seen is a Hollywood image.
   "Then you have the Americans who tend to think of Asia as a poor, war-torn (continent), when in fact it is now strong politically and economically."
   For her ongoing work bridging the cultural divide, the Houston Korean Consulate honored her earlier this week with an award from the Korean Minister of Education. On Friday, Roberson departed the Coastal Bend for her latest challenge, a one-year teaching stint in her homeland.
   In addition to teaching a freshman English course at Dongeui University in Pusan, Roberson will co-author elementary-level English textbooks that incorporate the teaching methods proven successful in U.S. classrooms. She'll also establish an English-as-a-second-language course at the university's language institute for children. But a personal mission has also wooed Roberson back to her homeland.
   She plans to visit the temples and historical sites that she's only read about, like the cliff where 3,000 courtesans jumped to their death at the end of the Bekje Dynasty. She looks forward to the Kimchee festivals that feature the centuries-old cabbage and red pepper dish that delighted the palates of her ancestors. But most of all, Roberson will be on the hunt for Asian children's folktales that have yet to be translated into English.
   "I see a real need for these here," Roberson said. "And a real need to record the stories of the old people. I want Korean-American children to embrace their heritage and culture and appreciate the best of both worlds. If they do that, they'll be able to walk anywhere and feel comfortable."