(지난 호에 이어)

The worst experience of Professor Hong took place in Toronto in 1966. He was chatting with Professor Boyer in a subway car. An old lady sitting beside them looked at them with hostile regard and said: “Why don’t speak white?” Such was the situation in those days.

Thus, Law 101 was justified. However, it had its cost. The immediate impact was the acceleration of the exodus of English-speaking enterprises which started in 1970 when the armed Quebec independence force killed the Quebec minister of Public Work and the Prime Minister of the federal government sent an army unit under a martial law. 

Most of these enterprises went to Toronto taking Highway 401, which became to be called Highway 101 referring to the language aw 101.

The immediate impact was rising unemployment and falling income in Quebec. However, what is interesting was the fact that the owners of leaving enterprises sold their companies at very low price to French-speaking Quebecers. Thus, French-speaking Quebecers took over the control of the Quebec economy. In fact, since 1977, French speaking workers and high-ranking managers increased rapidly.

In short, Law 101 was an important means by virtue of which Quebec could better preserve its identity and at the same time enforced the control of its economy.

The 1970s and 1980s were a period of kind of storm sweeping through Quebec for everybody living in Quebec. It was more so for immigrants. They came to Quebec believing that Quebec was a part of Canada; they never thought that Quebec would separate from Canada.

When Kim learned about the historical background of the French language dispute, he understood the rationality of young French Quebecers hostile attitude toward the immigrants. 

This story made him remember what his mother used to tell him about the Japanese in the first part of the 1940s. Under the Japanese rules, the use of the Korean language was forbidden in order to destroy the Korean identity.

Mr. Kim made two decisions. First, he started to learn French at a private language academy. After two years of sustained efforts, he could speak pretty well, good enough to discuss current events with his depanneur clients. In fact, his ability of speaking the language helped in increasing his income in addition to making friends with Quebecers. 

Second, Mr. Kim showed sympathy to his French speaking Canadians about the language situation. Mr. Kim became a popular figure and a respected figure. His popularity even increased owing to his financial contribution to local youth sports programs. This, in turn, raised his income.

The minister of his church, Rev. Park was familiar with Mr. Kim’s remarkable success in business and integration into the Quebec society and used to tell Him:

“Mr. Kim, what you are doing would please God, for it is the expression of the love of neighbor through the love of God”.

Each time Kim heard this, he was thankful to God who inspired him to do so.

Mr. Kim sent his kids to good schools
Another major block of Kim’s life was the education of his kids. Kim recalled. While he was in Korea, his role in the education of his kids was limited; Sookja was in charge. Frankly, Kim had little time for kids’ education. Now, Kim could not be indifferent; Sookja did not know about Quebec education system any more than himself.

Fortunately, there was a seminar on the Quebec education system organized by his church and one of the speakers was Professor Hong. Kim summarized in his own way the key features of the Quebec education system.

Pre-university public education is free
-The system consists of primary school, middle school, high school, professional college (CEGEP) and university.

-The specificity of the system is that the professional college education has two separate orientations. First, after three-year technical and professional education, one goes to the labor market. Second route is the three year university undergraduate degree.

-The most important aspect is this. If the immigrant parents are not educated in English schools, they are obliged to send their children to French schools up to the high school level.

-The immigrant children must go first to French immersion classes where they learn French.-

-If the children are good enough to take regular school classes in French, then they can go to regular schools.

Kim had no choice. Both Paul and Nancy had to go first to French- language immersion classes.

“Daddy, I hate to go to school. It is too difficult to learn French. I want to go back to Korea!” appealed Nancy after a week of going to the class. 

Yes, it was tough for a 10-year girl to sit with other kids of various racial, linguistic and religious origins without being able to communicate each other. But thousands of other kids of immigrant parents went through the same ordeal.

On his part, Paul said nothing; he seemed to accept the whole process as if it were a part of his destiny.

Kim felt sorry for his kids. He thought that his decision to come to Montreal could be a wrong one; he was worried about the possibility that the immigration could harm the normal growth of his kids. But, he knew well that he could not go back. 

As a Christian, Kim knew that his kids were not his possession; he knew that his children were God’s; he knew that his job was that of a caretaker. 

He was aware of his enormous responsibility to care for the kids. What he could do was to do his best within the limit of his knowledge of good parenting; he hoped that what he was doing would be what God wants.

(다음 호에 계속)

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