I once had a seminary professor tell us (the Korean-American students in his class) that he knew what it’s like growing up as a Korean in the States.

1) — he was making far generalization sweeps, and worse, ones that none of us Koreans had experienced or related to.

Oh. And he wasn’t the least bit Korean.

He had based his claims on working with International Korean students for the past 3 years.

Again, 1) International Korean students’ experiences are far different from growing up as a 1.5 to 2nd Generation Korean in USA.

And 2), Dude. I’ve been a Korean all my life. I think I would know just a little bit more about the Korean life. I didn’t choose the Korean-American life, the Korean-American life chose me.

What made this scenario more maddening was that he didn’t want to hear our responses and, I kid you not, said, “Hey, I’ve experienced this. I know what it’s like. I have insights. Maybe more than some of you.”

Right. A mid-50’s Anglo person knows what it’s like growing up as a Korean-American based on his 3 years experience of working with international students more than the handful of Korean-Americans.

Infuriating, right?

Which leads me to another completely different story about another (male) politician making claims about what happens to a woman’s body during rape.

Why? I mean, why?

Then there was that congressional hearing about contraceptives that involved not a single woman.

I have no real point or argument here. Just that we men should try to refrain from making comments and statements about what happens to a woman’s body. No matter how much we studied it or consider ourselves an “expert” in that area (that sounded kind of weird…), the truth is, we won’t ever know more than a woman herself.

I think it’s foolish for us, men, to stand and say “This happens to a woman’s body” just as I thought it was foolish for the Anglo professor to tell me he knows what it’s like being a Korean-American and that I may have my information wrong.