Interview: Three Different Ways of Connecting

For interview, I selected three different samples from the KCC Korean School community who are in different situations with their grandparents' proximity. Seeing how their varying situations might have shaped their lives and relationship differently was the main goal of this interview. It was interesting as to see the similarities and differences throughout each family.

Across all three interviews, school and everyday life became common starting points for conversation. Each family talked about what children were learning, what happened at school, or what was happening in their everyday lives. However, the depth of these conversations varied depending on the child’s age, mood, attention, and relationship with the person in the car.

For Hyunjung, distance is a major part of the relationship. Both sides of her children’s grandparents live in South Korea. She explained,

“Not being able to spend much time with grandparents make children hard to connect to one another.”

Her experience also showed that being physically together does not always mean being fully present. While driving, she finds it difficult to maintain her children’s attention when they are watching their phones.

Joseph’s family has a different relationship with their grandparents. His children have grandparents in both Atlanta and South Korea, and calling grandparents from the car has become a routine.

“Actually, it is a routine for us to call the grandparents while we're in a car.”

Music also becomes part of their conversations.

“My kids like listening to music and conversation topic sometimes come up from that.”

For Jingap, the relationship is shaped by frequency rather than distance. He sees his grandchildren twice a week, picking them up from school and staying with them until dinner.

“I see them 2 times a week to pick them up from school and stay until dinner.”

Their conversations are still simple because his grandchildren are young. But he sees this time as something that can grow into a deeper relationship.

“Through more time we will spend together, I think we'll share more of my life story to the kids.”

Although the three families have different circumstances, they all showed that family connection strengthens through repeated everyday moments. A lot of times, conversation begins with ordinary topics such as school, music, a snack, a phone call, or simply being in the car together.

The interviews reveal that the car creates an opportunity for connection, but connection itself is not automatic.

Distance can make relationships harder to maintain and age can limit the depth of conversation. Phones also can get disruptive. Yet the repeated time spent together creates opportunities for something to happen.

References

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