Little America
Just as we have Little Italy, Chinatown, etc in the US, we have Little America in Korea called Itaewon! Since America is known to be a melting pot of many international cultures, Itaewon makes sure to highlight this through the variety of dining options and sights. Historically, Itaewon became the center for international cultures because of the military held there during the Korean War. As the UN and US soldiers were taking over South Korea to aid in the Korean War between North and South Korea, they created multiple military bases, one of the largest ones being Itaewon. This military base is still present today, although it is not as active currently. With many American soldiers around, they brought their culture to Korea, beginning the basis for what would become the Itaewon we know today.
Because Itaewon holds so many different cultures, it is truly a hot-spot for tourists! It boasts diversity as it has Mexican, Turkish, Japanese, Pakistani, Indian, Thai, and many more kinds of restaurants. When I went to Itaewon, I really liked the Mexican restaurants. The moment I walked in, it was like I walked into a different country. Instead of the calm atmosphere in most Korean restaurants, this restaurant was a little rowdier with dimmer, orange lights decorating the walls. I can’t say all the restaurants are super “authentic” because it is Korea, and many Koreans like to create fusion dishes that fit their tastes better.
Aside from the food, Itaewon is also one of the centers for fashion as there are many international brands coming into here. Not only are there brand name clothing here, but it also boasts many “extra-large” clothing and shoes. People tend to be slightly smaller in size, so most malls only sell clothes up to a medium-large size and shoes up to about a size 8-9. For me, I have no trouble since I fit into the demographic, but for foreigners (even some Koreans) who are quite tall, it becomes very difficult to find the right size clothing. Itaewon is the home to large clothing, so this is another reason why Itaewon attracts many foreigners.
Itaewon wasn’t always a popular neighborhood because of the number of foreigners living in the neighborhood (yes, Korea was quite xenophobic…). Americans and other foreigners were known to be rowdy and obsessed with party culture, deterring many native Korean people from going to Itaewon. However, it all turned around when many businesses began trickling into the neighborhood to highlight the beauty of the diverse cultures that can coexist in Korea. If you walk down the main street of Itaewon, you will see so many little alleyways stemming from it. In these smaller streets, many businesses crowd even the smallest of the streets making it really hard to explore the whole area in one day. There are little shops with art and music, little cafes with pretty desserts, small book stores, and of course, restaurants. With all these flourishing businesses, Itaewon attracts many young Korean people who want to explore the international cultures within their own country’s borders.
Images
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I had no idea that Korea had a sort of Little America as well. That’s so cool! I love reading these blogs and learning so many new things about Korea that I wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to learn about. If I went to Korea, I can’t say that this would necessarily be one of the first places that I would go because I would want to experience as much of authentic Korea as possible, but it’s really awesome that countries do “little” villages touching on the culture of other places as well.
This was so interesting to read about! I haven’t even thought about “Little America’s” in other countries, and it was cool to read about how Korea views the American culture. Honestly, I kind of agree with the rowdiness of the culture, but it is sad how it has kept people from visiting.
Wow that’s so interesting to think about a “Little America” in another country, truly eye-opening. Also the part where you said restaurants make fusion dishes really interested me. In Philadelphia I once had a Korean fusion cheese steak that was honestly the best cheese steak I ever had so I would love to try the food in Little America.
Woah, Itaewon sounds like such a neat place. It really seems like a mixing place for so many different cultures. I never even thought of there being a “Little America,” anywhere! The fusion food sounds amazing, as always I really want to visit now. 🙂