People from multicultural families are playing greater roles in improving the lives of themselves and their neighbors.

Kim Thuy, a 42-year-old Vietnamese, takes pride in helping others and contributing to the community.

She has been living in Haenam-gun, South Jeolla Province, since marrying her Korean husband 16 years ago. 

Working as an interpreter at Haenam Multicultural Family Support Center, Kim has seen members of multicultural families affected by domestic violence and discord with neighbors.

She recently provided interpretation services to a marriage immigrant whose mentally ill husband refused to take medication.

Counselors at the center persuaded him to take the medicine and secured his promise to regularly take it thereafter.

“Communication is most needed for solving problems multicultural families are confronted with,” she said.

“I felt proud of myself for returning the help and warmness that I used to receive.”

“I would like other multicultural family members to visit their local support center and get help. The center has counselors as well as interpreters like me.”

Kim is a member of a community group consisting of female marriage immigrants from Cambodia, China and the Philippines.

When they gather, they release daily-life stress while talking about their husbands, parents-in-law as well as their children’s education, and their home countries.

For Kim, who is from Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, her life in the small rural town at the southwestern end of the nation was full of inconvenience. She especially had difficulty with public transportation, food and language.

However, she started getting accustomed to life with the help of her neighbors and family.

Programs prepared by the multicultural support center were also helpful, and the center enabled her to get her current job.

Even though Kim, mother of two sons, is busy with work and household chores, she is studying Korean through an online university with the help of her family.

“I do not regret coming to Korea. I would say that my life could not be better,” she said.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)