My Favorite Book: Pachinko

One of the most powerful books I’ve ever read is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It was the first thick novel I tackled in English, and despite the challenge, I devoured it in just a week. While I didn’t catch every single word, the emotional depth and cultural resonance gripped me from the beginning.

Pachinko tells the story of a Korean family across four generations, beginning in early 20th-century Korea and continuing through their immigration to Japan and eventually to the United States. It explores themes of family, sacrifice, resilience, immigration and the search for belonging showing how personal and historical forces shape generations.

As someone who was born in South Korea, educated partly in Japan, and now lives in the U.S., this story hit close to home. People often ask if I’ve experienced discrimination. Thankfully, I haven’t had any overt negative experiences. But the emotional and cultural complexities described in the novel—feeling like a foreigner even when you've lived somewhere your whole life—felt deeply personal.

I’m a big admirer of the author, Min Jin Lee. A Korean-American writer married to a Japanese-American, she spent years living in Japan and researching the Korean-Japanese experience (often referred to as Zainichi Koreans). Her dedication shows: the book took her about a decade to write, and it’s not just fiction—it’s rooted in history and truth. She graduated from Yale, worked as a lawyer, and later turned to writing after health issues pushed her to reevaluate her path. Her journey is as inspiring as the characters she writes about.

I first picked up Pachinko two months before the pandemic and read it during that uncertain time. The story of generational hardship and quiet perseverance gave me a lot to reflect on—especially about my grandparents. In the book, many kind, hardworking characters are still seen as “outsiders” simply because they’re Korean. They face rejection, economic hardship, and a crisis of identity. This especially resonated with me when thinking about the Zainichi community.

What many people don’t know is that pachinko parlors—Japanese gambling arcades—have long been associated with Korean-Japanese families. Because of the limited career options available to Zainichi due to systemic discrimination, many turned to pachinko, sports, or entertainment—industries that, at the time, were seen as less respectable. Even today, many celebrities in Japan with Korean heritage feel they must hide their background out of fear of discrimination.

I’ve had Zainichi friends who were born and raised in Japan but were still told by their parents, “Don’t forget you’re Korean.” One of them is third-generation and no longer speaks Korean—only her grandparents do. Watching her navigate questions of identity made me realize how much emotional labor comes with living between cultures.

Reading Pachinko made me feel seen. It helped me understand others more deeply—and made me even more grateful for my own journey. It’s not just a novel. It’s a mirror, a history book, and a tribute to those who came before us. all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.