How college football helped this 'parachute kid' understand America

Österreich Nachrichten Nachrichten

How college football helped this 'parachute kid' understand America
Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten,Österreich Schlagzeilen
  • 📰 latimes
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 46 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 82%

“College football became my gateway to understanding my new home. College football, to me, was America at its best, wildest and funnest.” JeongPark52 struggled to adapt as a “parachute kid” in the U.S. — until he discovered football.

In February 2006, I landed at Los Angeles International Airport for what I thought was a brief trip to Disneyland.Jeong Park and his mother at SeaWorld in February 2006, soon after Park landed in the U.S. for what turned out to be a 16-year stay while his parents remained in South Korea.

The six months I had spent in Korea listening to English instruction tapes proved spectacularly useless. Other kids sneered at me. Interactions with my roommates mostly took the form of them yelling at me to be quiet. I tried listening to rap. But my classmates laughed when I professed a liking for 2Pac, telling me I was “fresh off the boat” and would never truly understand his songs. I tried listening to Iron Maiden. That didn’t work either.

For me, the South wasn’t the cultural wasteland that some of my classmates thought it was. After all, it was the home of the 12th Man , the Swamp and Toomer’s Corner . Looking back, I think I saw myself in the Broncos — someone outside the system trying to prove themselves to the system. In 2010, when I found out I was an undocumented immigrant, the Broncos were becoming a legitimate national title contender. I clung to my fandom even more.

Wir haben diese Nachrichten zusammengefasst, damit Sie sie schnell lesen können. Wenn Sie sich für die Nachrichten interessieren, können Sie den vollständigen Text hier lesen. Weiterlesen:

latimes /  🏆 11. in US

Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten, Österreich Schlagzeilen

Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.

Kirk Herbstreit gives us our first ‘hot mic’ moment of the year on ESPN College GameDayKirk Herbstreit gives us our first ‘hot mic’ moment of the year on ESPN College GameDayCollege football analyst Kirk Herbstreit got a little excited on College GameDay and was caught on a hot mic using a swear word before Week 1 of the college football season.
Weiterlesen »

Ohio State coach Ryan Day on College Football Playoff expansion: 'It's exciting'Ohio State coach Ryan Day on College Football Playoff expansion: 'It's exciting'The Ohio State head football coach said on ESPN's 'College GameDay' he's excited about College Football Playoff expansion.
Weiterlesen »

College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams by 2026College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams by 2026The university presidents who oversee the College Football Playoff voted Friday to expand the postseason model for determining a national champion from four to 12 teams no later than the 2026 season.
Weiterlesen »

Traylor Talk: CFP expansion gives UTSA new hopeTraylor Talk: CFP expansion gives UTSA new hopeUTSA coach Jeff Traylor talks about the structure and direction of college football in...
Weiterlesen »



Render Time: 2025-04-13 17:32:55