Lefty Problems Eric Chung

Growing up as a lefty, you soon realize the many disadvantages of living in a right-hand oriented world. A dull pain rubs against your hand when you try to use scissors. You painstakingly learn how to jerk around a keyboard mouse with your right hand. You find yourself surreptitiously moving the eating utensils from the right side to the left side at restaurants.

For me, however, the most difficult aspect of being left-handed was dealing with the Korean cultural perception that lefties are inferior. During my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, as Korea suffered through years of poverty and war, individuals had to strive towards a certain mold not only for success but also for survival. Due to traditional superstitions, the ideal person was right-handed. In fact, the Korean word for “right” equates to “morally correct.” Whenever a left-handed child was born, the parents would do all they could to “fix” the child. As a result, I lived day by day under the watchful eyes of my parents. Without even realizing, my left hand would pick up the pencil, but with a quick harsh slap on the wrist from my mother or father, the pencil would swiftly jump over to my right.

Growing up, I often questioned my social place. Do I remain an...