Insooni 인순이, Black-Korean Singer Finds Former American GI mentor

South Korean singer 인순이  (Insooni), born 인순이  (Kim In-Soon), is one of the “legends” of Korean R&B pop. 

Despite incredible odds, she has been a successful singer since 2000, although she has been singing since she was a teenager, making her debut in 1978. She is the daughter of a Korean woman and an American GI who was formerly stationed in Korea. 

In July 2011, she was reunited with African-American former GI Ronald Lewis in the US, after searching for him on Facebook.  Ronald Lewis befriended her when they were teenagers and he noticed how ostracized and lonely she was, needing friendship and guidance.  Recently, as she has arrived in to success, she wanted to show him that it was largely because of him, that she kept strong, against the abuses, exclusions, violence and ostracization she lived through in Korea as a biracialBlack-Korean. 

Although most people think of someone who has received acclaim and success in their chosen professions and craft, it does not erase the socially-enframed violences of prejudice and abuse one goes through. Furthermore, it still continues but is somehow muted in small ways if one is more stable in successful careers.  Let us continue to realize that Insooni is not free from present-day prejudices.  One look at the many YouTube and social networking sites where Koreans, African-Americans, Japanese, and others, speak about each other and especially biracial people and cross-racial relationships attests to this fact.

CLICK TO READ ARTICLE AND SEE RE-UNITING VIDEO HERE

Visit INSOONI’s WEBSITE here.