Penelope Salomon
Penelope Salomon is a senior at the International School of Los Angeles, enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Programme. She is a part of the Koreatown Storytelling Program’s Oakland Koreatown Project and is excited to learn more about the Korean community in her hometown and the Bay Area. The idea of recording people's unique oral histories and documenting their individual narratives ignites her passion for oral history. As a part of KORYO, she is looking forward to making a difference in her community and trying to decrease the effects of addiction. She hopes to pursue a career in international relations, political science, or journalism.
It’s Not a Simple Issue
Interview by Kate Kim
Where is your hometown?
Although I live in Burbank and Santa Clarita — Burbank with my mom and Santa Clarita with my dad — I consider Hollywood my hometown because that's where I grew up.
Do you work or live in Koreatown?
I do not. I don't have much experience with Koreatown, and that's one reason why I'm excited about this project. One of my best friends spends a lot of time in Koreatown, so she's the only one taking me there. I'm excited to explore more areas.
What are your thoughts on Koreatown?
It's such a cool place. There's so much culture, and it feels so alive. There are so many parts of L.A. that are destitute, and in K-Town, it just feels vibrant. I've eaten so much good food there, and a lot of the stores are cool as well — like when I was doing my slime, I would get a lot of clay there. I remember going to Koreatown and getting supplies.
Where's your favorite place in Koreatown?
See, that's the thing. I don't really know because I don't have that much experience there. So I don't have an answer, but I'm excited to get an answer.
Is there a place that you like to go to in L.A.?
I really love the Americana. There's so much to do, but the thing is, I need to slow my roll there because whenever I'm there, I just spend money. It's so hard not to be like, Yeah, I’ll get a Wetzel’s Pretzel.
Do you have any hobbies?
I love playing the guitar so much. I really love playing guitar, and I love playing music with other people. I'm trying to get into producing more. I love Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing, so my favorite song to play is probably “The Wind Cries Mary.” I'm learning “Little Wing,” too. It is really hard and takes a lot of time to learn, but it’s a lot of fun.
Do you have any significant memories from growing up?
I love the rain, and I have a distinct memory of my friends and I having a sleepover at my house — my old house when I was younger — and the roof leaking. We woke up to the sound of my mom [clanking] pots and pans all over the kitchen, just like buckets and buckets filling up with water. My mom was running around like crazy, but we saw it and were amazed that it could rain inside. So we just stood in amazement at the discord, and that's a moment that I remember being really, really happy.
What school do you go to?
I go to a really small school in Burbank. It's a French school called LILA (Lycée International de Los Angeles), and it’s so small that nobody has ever heard of it.
How big is your school?
To put it into perspective, my grade is one of the biggest grades, and we're under 60 kids. I've been there since kindergarten. My school likes to say that we're one big family. And it's not that I dislike my school, but you just get to know people, and so you realize, Oh, maybe I don't really super duper get along with this person. It's not like I don't like them, but it's just like I don't really want to spend all my time [with them].
Are you taking an elective at your school?
I'm in music class, and that’s a lot of fun. And for extracurriculars, I’m a part of the social justice committee and debate. Debate is good! I was in MUN (Model United Nations) during middle school, and I ended up switching out of it because a teacher took over, and I was not a fan of hers. I switched to debate — I joined online, so I didn't get the opportunity to participate in many tournaments because they were on Zoom and, honestly, I was really scared. But it's been cool. I've learned a lot about public speaking, confidence, and how to be confident in your ideas. I'm not a very confrontational person, but when you're in debates, sometimes you kind of have to be because people can be mean and aggressive, so you have to step it up a little bit. It also made me more driven to be aware of what's happening.
Is there a dream school or college that you want to go to?
My dream school — dream, dream, dream — would probably be Barnard [College of Columbia University]. I'll apply to the UC schools because they’re so good, obviously. But I do love the East Coast so much, so I would love to go to New York. My parents are from Canada, so I have Canadian citizenship. Going to a Canadian school would be even cheaper than going to a UC school, so maybe I'll go to a Canadian school. I'll definitely apply to them.
What do you want to do as a career or in the future?
I really don't know. I'm interested in political science, journalism, history, and English literature. I think I want a minor in business or something interesting. I would love to be an investigative journalist; that would be cool. But then I also love music, so that would probably be my dream.
I’m so back and forth on, Oh, life is so short, but you should try to have a stable income and take it seriously. But then [it’s like], you only have one life; just do what you want and what makes you happy.
Why did you join KORYO?
I am in the Koreatown Storytelling Program as part of the Oakland Koreatown project. I'm working with somebody who lives in Oakland who is interviewing people to get records about Koreatown in Oakland and the Bay Area. Dilan (KSP Program Associate) was one of my supervisors; she said she was part of a program about to get a grant to do a study on opioids and their effects on Koreatown and how the community can be helped. That interested me because my family has a history of addiction, and so I was inspired to try to be a part [of KORYO].
What do you know about opioids?
Well, my aunt — [whom] I've only met once — has substance use disorder. She had some issues with alcoholism, and then she had some sort of surgery, got prescribed opioids, and then ended up getting addicted. Something that's always been clear about my dad's relationship with her is that it's really not the person's fault. They have no control over it, and something that's really, really stuck out to me is how, in movies and TV shows, or even in the news, I feel like I've heard the phrase ‘You're strong enough’ or ‘To be strong enough to beat addiction.’ I just think that that promotes such a harmful ideology that it's something that you have power over because it's not a question of whether you are strong enough; it's a question of [whether] the circumstances are perfect for you to be in a position where you can receive help. It's not a question of mental strength — it's not — and that’s the implication. If you're not strong enough to beat this, then you're too weak? And that's not a question at all. Is it not a question of strength or weakness? That's something that's always been clear to me, and that's something that they've talked about in the program, which has been really cool. We saw a video [during the program] of a woman saying it's mothers, fathers, doctors, you know? It can affect anyone and everyone, and that's why we should promote awareness.
Thank you for sharing that. I also agree. TV shows one story, but it's not the same situation for everyone.
One hundred percent. I totally agree with that. It's so complicated, and it's not a simple issue. It needs to be treated with compassion and patience. But it's so painful — so painful and sad.