Yul Kwon, From Bullying Target to Reality TV Star
NPR Staff
2012
Passage Summary:
Yul Kwon’s early life was mired with a host of challenges. Born to South Korean immigrants in New York, Kwon never had a positive role model from his community. In 2006, he decided to join the cast of Survivor and make a name for himself - and other Asian Americans - in popular culture.
When and How to Pair:
Introduce this text after students have read through to the end of the chapter entitled “Halloween” (Page 81), and have learned about Junior’s early experiences at Reardan, in order to analyze the conflict at the root of these experiences. Ask students to consider how prejudice can be used as self-motivation. What experiences does Junior have that are similar to Yul Kwon’s? How does Junior begin to combat prejudice? Discuss your thoughts on whether or not Junior has the right approach and how he may or may not benefit from Yul Kwon’s story.