So, on any given day at work, the fact that I’m a Korean American male doesn’t really occupy my thoughts. I handle my normal work responsibilities like the rest of my colleagues and don’t feel the need or desire to filter everything through the lens of my ethnicity or gender. However, every once in awhile, I’m reminded of these things, both in positive and negative ways.

Today I was working at the “Answer Center” (mpow’s name for our reference desk) when a woman approached speaking Korean. She asked me if I was Korean and I, in my embarrassingly bad Korean, replied yes. She then asked me a whole bunch of questions about working in libraries, primarily focused on whether or not there were positions available in which one did not have to speak English fluently. This was essentially an opportunity to help a job seeker, just in a different language. I managed to answer her questions and provide some information on different types of library jobs, educational and language requirements these jobs might require, and some tips on finding a job in a local library.

This isn’t the first time a Korean-speaking person approached me at the reference desk and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I imagine that there’s a degree of comfort for someone to be able to have a conversation with a librarian in their native language. Even when I explain my limited Korean skills, people always seem to be so grateful that I can speak at all and that I share something in common with them. This makes me feel grateful as well and it reminds me of the value of having a diverse staff that reflects the diversity of a community.

Of course, it also reminds me that I seriously need to improve my Korean!