Korean Slate

Bus shelter on Western Avenue near Fifth Street.

First 5 California is the state’s effort to educate the parents of children ages 0 – 5. They provide information on child care, safety tips, lead poisoning, car seats, etc. Pamphlets and ads are not only in English, but also in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese.

What I think is most important for Korean parents to understand is that smoking is dangerous to their children’s health. I’m no baby, but one of the hazards of living in Koreatown for me is the cigarette smoking of middle-aged Korean men and young Korean-American women. For the men, it’s a cultural habit brought along from the old country. For the women, it’s an empowerment thing, a way for them to declare their freedom.

For babies and sickly people like me, it’s practically a death sentence. My lung problems can be traced to the fact that my father was a smoker. Killed him too. If you’ve received any education, you have no excuse for smoking.