“I was born in Seoul, South Korea. My mom and dad immigrated to Toronto when I was a just 3 months old. They dreamed of becoming entrepreneurs. In 1978 they opened one of the first businesses in Toronto’s Koreatown. As a teenager, I wanted nothing to do with the family business. I didn't speak Korean; I wasn’t interested in my parents’ Korean culture. I just wanted to be like the other Canadian kids. My mom finally kicked me out of the house. Five years ago, my dad got sick. I decided it was time to embrace my roots. I started managing the restaurant. I even learned to speak Korean. I am a Korean-Canadian, proud of what my family has built.”.

From the Historica Canada video collection. Hosted on YouTube Passages Canada is a national storytelling initiative of Historica Canada that nurtures cross-cultural dialogue in Canadian communities. .