My dad moved to New York first, leaving my mom, my older brother, and me in Seoul until he settled in. A year later, my dad called and told my mom it was time to make the big move. My mother immediately went out and got the tightest perm possible, because who knew if she would be able to find a decent Korean hair salon in New York, and my grandmother immediately packed up her pasta maker (circa 1973) for her daughter, because who knew if she would be able to find fresh Korean noodles in New York. So that’s how my mom came to the States, with a Korean afro, two kids, and a pasta maker in tow. MORE ยป