Singer Wendy revealed that she experienced racial discrimination during her school days, causing her weight to increase by nearly 15kg.
On the 26th, the YouTube channel ‘Go Eun Unni Han Go Eun’ released a video titled “The Shocking Things Wendy Experienced While Studying Abroad, Going from Being an Outcast in America to Top of Her School.”
The video featured Han Go Eun and Wendy, who shared the common experience of studying abroad, discussing their stories from that time. Wendy explained that after seeing the changes in her sister who had previously studied abroad, she persuaded her parents and went to study in Brockville, Canada, in the 5th grade.
Wendy shared, “I couldn’t speak any English, only basic greetings,” adding, “I went to a homestay with foreigners, and it was scary as there were no Koreans around.” She continued, “I learned English within a month. In an area with almost no Asians, people found her presence novel, and they communicated using body language.”
After moving to Toronto 2-3 years later, Wendy confessed that she attended a Catholic school despite not being religious and faced racial discrimination from her peers.
Wendy recalled, “When I asked if I could play with others, they said ‘No, because you’re Korean.’ Even after telling the teacher, I didn’t receive an apology.” She added, “I would hide in the closet and cry or eat in the restroom.”
Amid these challenging circumstances, Wendy decided, “If this continues, school life will get even tougher,” so she shifted her focus from studying to making friends. She mingled with popular kids, dyed half her hair, and wore a skull tie.
“I ate like crazy and gained over 10kg in a year,” she said. “When I met my parents and sister at the airport, they didn’t recognize me and walked past. When I approached them, they were shocked, asking ‘What happened to you?'”
Wendy explained, “After that day, my parents distanced themselves from me, and when I returned to Korea, I cut my hair and changed my style.” She later moved to the U.S. for high school and said, “I nearly flunked because I hardly studied, but after transferring to a private school, my sister took on a parental role. That’s when I started studying.” She added that she once received the Obama Award, surprising many by revealing, “I received it for my academic performance.”
Image source: YouTube ‘Go Eun Unni Han Go Eun’
