Does being a Christian cancel out our culture? In Tell Me the Dream Again, Tasha Jun shares reflections on family, ethnicity, and the sacred work of belonging.
Korean Identity, Christian Theology
Jun connects her Korean identity with her Christian theology. “We’re all born with curiosity and a longing to know who we are, because this knowing is inseparable from knowing God.” Her faith is found throughout, and she tells stories from her life as testimonies to God.
The struggle of cultural assimilation is a repeated theme. Growing up as a biracial Korean American, Jun speaks about how she felt “othered” even in childhood. She recalls being bullied, which was admittedly difficult for me to read. But she also tells a beautiful story in which her teacher explained how hiding from who she was prevented her from writing from her heart. Jun’s experiences challenged me to bring all of myself to my creative work.
God’s Gift of Culture
I was most struck by how Jun explained the cultural differences between her mom and herself. While both Korean in ethnicity, the way they viewed and lived were worlds apart. Jun makes mention of how her mom didn’t grow up eating cereal for breakfast—something so mundane yet meaningful—and this made me think about the differences between me and my own parents.
Food plays a large part in Jun’s story. She talks about how her husband — who didn’t grow up with fish as part of his family’s diet — fell in love with eating it! This was a way her husband came alongside her, pursuing her by eating Asian food. Jun says that she had become more “Asian” in her marriage, but concedes that she’s just becoming more of herself. It’s who God made her to be, and our culture is revealed to be a divine gift given to each of us.
Our Upbringing Shapes Us Spiritually
Having attended an Asian American church for my entire life, I was most humbled to read that finding a church home was difficult for Jun’s family growing up. As a youth, her parents encouraged her to go to the Mount Hermon summer camp with counselors and attendees who were Asian American. She found a friend who was also biracial. They both longed for a church family that they could call home—and Jun concedes that this pain of homesickness is meant to lead us to our heavenly home.
Jun concludes that our upbringing shapes us spiritually. She speaks about her fractured family, and how this served to ultimately strengthen her relationship with her sister and God. She learned that Jesus and his gospel is fully for her —and she hopes to embody his acceptance to her children. Though caught between two worlds for her whole life, it is Christ who has made her whole again.
I received a media copy of Tell Me the Dream Again and this is my honest review. Our Books and Reviews page is your one-stop resource for all of your reading needs. It features Asian American authors and issues, book recommendations, and interviews.