Seite 137 [137]
LITERARY REPRESENTATIONS OF ETHNIC CHURCHES IN THE KOREAN DIASPORA IN CANADA
he mentions the establishment of the first Korean church in Toronto in 1967,
their guick proliferation in the years following, and their importance for the
community: “I’ve always considered the church and the store to be the Umma
and the Appa® of Korean communities in Canada” (I. Choi xii).
In Scene Three (“Call Police”), Appa expresses his dislike of Mr. Shin, a
fellow-Korean salesperson on grounds that his church attendance is motivat¬
ed by his business endeavours: “He is pimping the Jesus [...] He is using church
to selling Honda. Different church every Sunday, selling Honda” (I. Choi 15).
Indeed, both in the positive and negative sense, ethnic churches serve as “com¬
munity business centers,” where goods, services are advertised and sold, im¬
portant information is exchanged and even matchmaking takes place.
Ins Choi’s play also describes the trend to relocate old downtown ethnic
churches to the suburbs or, in some cases, to close them entirely. Centrally¬
located plots are sold to developers for erecting multi-storey apartment and
office buildings that would bring more profit:
Umma: “This Sunday is last day. Last day for our church” Jung [Umma’s son]: “The
condo thing? They bought it?” Umma: “Church head office think waste of money
to build new church. Not enough people. So, they closing our church and using
money for mission work in North Korea. Bible say time to start, time to finish. When
Moksanim’ first start church, only six Korean church in Toronto. downtown, small,
no money. Now, over two hundred Korean church, all move out of downtown, big
buildings, lots of money. We is last Korean downtown church” (I. Choi 61).
In Scene Fifteen (“Hi Jung”) a reference can be found to Corinthians 13:1-2 in
the context of Jung and Appa’s relationship: “What meaning is there even in
sharing the message of God if it is shared without love?” (I. Choi 59). After a fight
with Appa, Jung left home when he was sixteen. He took his belongings and
emptied the safe in the store. He has not been on speaking terms with Appa ever
since, which saddens Umma and makes her reminisce nostalgically about the
church singing contest the Kims won as a family: “Umma: ‘You remember church
family singing contest? You was eight years old. Janet was six. We is stand up
here church. You, me, Appa, Janet, all together, hold hands. We win first place.
That is my most happy memory” (I. Choi 60). The family singing contest also
bears testimony to the community-forming effect of ethnic churches.
Another similar event in this respect is the soccer tournament Jung’s church
organized when he was a teenager: “Suyoung put up an old picture of the team
[on Facebook], and he starts writing this play-by-play. [...] The Toronto inter¬
church annual tournament. Under 16 division” (I. Choi 63). An enumeration
© Umma means mother, Appa means father in Korean.
7 Moksanim = pastor, minister.
e 135 +