José Cruz: I don’t really know um, about- that much about you. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself.

Zen Yukin: Ah well, I’m- You know I’m Chinese, (Mm-hmm) but not everyone knowYukin should have said, “knows”, (0:12) I’m a Chinese-born Korean. Yeah so my mother language is Korean, not Chinese. (Oh really?) Yes. (Oh) Yeah, Korean but, actually I’m not really good at Korean, ha ha because I- I stopped learning Korean from maybe 10 years old? Yeah.

José: You were born in China (Yeah) And how long did you live in China?

Yukin: Uh, 19 years.

José: Oh OK, (Yeah) so you were born in China, and you grew up in China.

Yukin: And I grew up in China.

José: Oh OK OK. (And) But your family is from Korea.

Yukin: Yeah they they- all.

José: Huhh. I had no idea about that. I had no- I thought, you know- I looked at your name. (Uh huh) “Zen Yuu” (Yeah yeah) And and uh, wait, is that your full name? What’s your full name again?

Yukin: My full name is “Zen Yukin” Zen Yukin. Uh whi- in Korea we say, Zun Yon Gun. Ha ha.

José: So your family name is “Zen”. (Zen yeah) OK OK. Your family name is Zen. If your family name had been “Kin” (Mm-hmm) then I would have thought you’re Korean. (Uh yeah yeah) So the “Zen” is a Chinese name? Or is that a Korean Name?

Yukin: It’s a Korean name.

José: It’s a Korean name? (Yeah) And in Korean name you say, “Gon”.

Yukin: Uh “Zun” (Zun) Zun. (That’s OK) It’s so complicated, I know.

José: It’s- That’s really interesting. I didn’t- I didn’t know that about you. (Uh yeah) So your family, why were they in China?

Yukin: Hmm. I don’t know either. Ha ha.

José: OK. UH, well what does your father do? Was it your father’s business?

Yukin: Uh. No uh my father is just a piano teacher.

José: OK, so so why are you here in Japan then, to study?

Yukin: Uh because my mom is here.

José: Oh your mom is here. (Yeah yeah) Oh OK. OK.

Yukin: He- She moved to Japan…

José: He? She?

Yukin: She. She moved to Japan um when I was three years old, which was 1998.

José: Hold it. Wait a minute Ah so- Oh OK. So, you lived in China until you were 19.(Yeah) And you’re mom moved to Japan (When I) when you (was three) were 3 years old. OK OK. Keep going. Tell me some more. So you’re Chinese-born and Korean, but you don’t speak Korean very well.

Yukin: Well yeah because I didn’t need to speak Korean when I was in China. (Of course) Ah there are so many Chinese speakerspeaker: Yukin should have said, “speakers” (2:53). (Uh huh) Uh and I went to the normal Chinese school- elementary school (Mm hmm) when I was ten years old (Mm hmm) and I started to learn Chinese and English.

José: Sure. Of course. (Yeah) Chinese of course. You’re going to- You’re- (Mm-hmm) Basically would you say the way your- your thinking is basically Chinese? You’re basically a Chinese person you would say?

Yukin: Uh may may- maybe. (OK) Uh um, my thinking is so like Chinese people.

José: Mm. And I- I can completely understand that situation because when when I think of myself (Mm hmm) I think, myself, I’m completely Canadian. (Ha ha) I don’t think of myself in anyway as as being Pilipino. I understand the Philippines (Mm hmm) and I understand even some of the language but there’s no way I would say that I’m I’m at all Pilipino.

Yukin: Yeah yeah like that.

José: Yeah OK. (Ha ha)