“Korean weddings are very boring. Nobody dances, and sometimes they don’t even kiss because they are afraid to offend the older people. The wedding isn’t really about the party part of it, it’s more about the ceremony.”

            Annie was born in Korea. Her family moved to America when she was in middle school, and now she lives in Los Angeles. I was talking about being excited to go to my cousin’s wedding, and we started talking about the differences between Korean and American weddings. She explained that Koreans are very concerned about being proper, particularly when it comes to how they display themselves in public. Dancing and kissing both fall under the category of overt sexuality, especially in the eyes of the older attendees. The young people don’t want to offend the older people, so they keep from making such displays.

            This makes sense because wedding traditions are often riddled with sexual overtones. In America, we might expect some form of rebellion from young people, especially because American culture has little value for old people. In Korean groups, the older people have more of an influence in Korean society. This is seen by the respect the young people have for their opinion.