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Local Entrepreneurs
The How and Why of Self-Publishing Written by EJ Asare E.J. Asare is an English teacher at a public elementary school in Suncheon. It has not been long since E.J. self-published a children’s picture book, Johnny and Joshua Coming to Korea. The Gwangju News asked her to describe the experience. — Ed.
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Summary of the Book
Johnny and Joshua Coming to Korea (JJCK) is a story based on my son and his pet bird, Johnny. This beautiful picture book tells the story of a Ghanaian-American boy who lives in Ghana with his father and bird. The boy eventually has to move to South Korea and leave Johnny behind. JJCK highlights vibrant aspects of South Korean society and emphasizes the similarities between the Ghanaian and Korean cultures, for instance, the use of drums and dance during celebrations. JJCK is about celebrating the humanity of different cultures. It is the first in a book series that will explore different countries, languages, and food through the eyes of a child.
Inspiration for the Book
I realized I had to do something to counter the negative narrative of people of African descent in Asia. South Korea has a great need for English books with diverse and international characters. It was important to me to create a young Black character that was the age of my elementary students. The young readers would see a diverse character doing familiar things, such as playing soccer, having a pet, and traveling.
Importance of the Book
The only images of Blacks and people of African descent that the students (and adults) here in Korea see are rappers and musicians, or poor and needy images of Africans in the international and domestic media. Negative aspects of the African continent are always highlighted. Africans are shown as diseased, poor, and always needing to be
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2020
The idea for this book came from the experiences I’ve had as an expat in Korea.Two years ago, one of my thirdgrade students told me she used to be afraid of me when I became her English teacher. She had never seen a Black person before and was scared of my physical differences. My long braids, dark brown skin, and height frightened her. Eventually she warmed up to me and became my “best
friend” at the school. The older students were curious and also in awe of me. A sixth-grade student once asked me, “Why are you so Black?” I explained to his class the absolute beauty of possessing so much melanin, but that was not enough.
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