I’m about as Minnesotan as they come.
When I lived in LA, and the movie Fargo was released, I still recall people making fun of my Midwest accent.
My Norwegian and Swedish roots have led me to love lutefisk, Swedish meatballs, and pickled herring.
Like a true Minnesotan, I grew up being shy, quiet and reserved (mostly).
I wrote a song in 2008 called “A Perfect Day”. That song was written while driving around Lake Minnetonka to Tonka Bay to go boating. It was an unusually warm Autumn day, and I had such a feeling of pure bliss in my heart for my hometown.
I’m about as Minnesotan as they come.
I attended Minnetonka High School. I was in All-State Choir, and musicals.
I grew up riding my bike to friends’ houses, and we swam at the pool or at the lake all summerlong.
We went up North to our family cabin and went fishing, canoeing, water skiing, and wave running.
In the Winter, I would ice skate, watch my brother play hockey at the park across the street.
We went sledding on our hill.
We would cross country with my dad, and downhill ski with friends.
Just about as Minnesotan as they come!
In 2020, during lockdown, we went up north and spent a lot of time out on the pontoon and swimming.
We donned our floaties, my brother David put a lifejacket on upside down (a Diaper), we jumped in the water, and the hot sun shone down on us. We had to hold onto the pontoon with a rope because it was floating away.
Out in the middle of the lake, David exclaimed as he floated along with a rope tied to the pontoon, that he felt like a Minnow Bucket! We laughed so hard!
So I wrote a really fun Summer lake song called “Minnow Bucket”!
And even though, the song has been complete for quite some time now, and even though I put an entire photo & lyric video to it, I’m hesitant to release the song.
You see, I’m a Korean-Adoptee. I feel as Minnesotan as they come because I’ve grown up here since I was 6 months old.
Unfortunately, when I’m alone grocery shopping in a store, or getting gas, or picking up food
while I’m “Up North”, people speak to me quite curtly, and they give me evil stares.
I’m fairly certain it’s the “Asian Hate” that stemmed from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Some may feel that I’m the Chinese enemy that destroyed the world; and I feel them resenting me.
I’ve experienced some of this Asian Hate in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs, but not as intensely and as often as when I’m “Up North”. That rural area, deemed as “Trump Country”, who still fly their flags, have shown me their distain for my presence in their little towns.
Minnow Bucket is just about as Minnesotan of a song as they come!
I just know those folks “Up North” would really get a kick out of a such a fun song about being Minnesotan, drinking beer, going out on a lake, fishing, and floating on a floatie in the sunshine on a hot summer day!
Yes! So Fun!
Unfortunately, I also know in the deepest of my heart, that many people don’t want to see this Korean-American face singing that fun Minnesota song.
Have you ever been proud of your creativity, but feel like hiding it away because of Racism?!
This Minnesota Girl does