Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

Most of the activity in the novel takes place in Koreatown. The setting symbolizes the tension between old and new ways and relates to the theme of Cultural Expectations. When the story opens, the neighborhood is already in the process of becoming gentrified. Yumi says, “This is not news. It’s pretty much all my parents talk about these days. Ever since the new luxury high-rise condos went up all over Koreatown, foot traffic into our family’s Korean barbecue restaurant has all but stopped” (5). Before this point, the Korean American community enjoyed insularity, but an influx of new residents changes the face of the neighborhood. Mr. Chung refers to these newcomers as “foreigners” (108).

There is some justification for Chung’s view since he has been surrounded by other Koreans ever since arriving in America. However, the established businesses in the neighborhood are giving way to new enterprises. The Haha Club is housed in a newly erected theater, and the comedy camp is run by the non-Asian Jasmine Jasper. Many of her students are also not Asian. Her building is only a short distance from Mrs. Pak’s hagwon, which represents traditional schooling for Korean children. However, Mrs. Pak’s students like to take their lunches around the corner at a Mexican taco truck, and one of these students is an ardent vegan. The changing face of Koreatown attempts to show that cultural clashes are not inevitable. Traditional values can be modified when adaptation is required. Most of the residents, new and old, understand this. By the end of the novel, the Chungs learn this lesson too.