Lee reflects that Henry¯s father has lost his friends and lives a lonely life because of his materialistic goals. Furthermore, he is not liked by other ethnic minorities as a result of disrespecting them. He not only looks down on them, he finds them in contempt. He feels threatened by the low social and economic status of some of the ethnic minorities. Lee states that many Korean store owners are responsible for the conflict between the African Americans and the Korean Americans. They are responsible for stereotyping certain ethnic minorities as threatening. The store owners need to realize that they have earned money through the contributions of the ethnic minorities. In his attempt to become an American, Henry¯s father has imitated America¯s contempt for the socially and economically disadvantaged. Under such upbringing, Henry grows up to be a man who despises his Korean influence. He wishes to be a °native± of America. The American citizenship and proficiency in English language do not make him an American. The metaphor of voyeurism describes his state of denial, the struggle to forget his past. Henry participates in the community as an actor. He fills the role of °acquaintances, casual friends. Sometimes lovers, social drinkers, embracers of children± as a spy. Therefore, he lies about his identity and betrays the people who come to trust him. He is a °stranger/follower/traitor/spy± according to his wife(5). The reason for the reluctance to open up to people is much more complicated than relating it only as a self defense mechanism. Henry¯s life as a spy reflects that of his parents¯, ones who have neglected to share their feelings with each other. The dutiful relationship is emphasized in the family life and Henry feels that he never felt loved by his parents. His mother was a °good mother± who seems to have °treated [motherhood] like a job±(221). Henry feels that his parents loved him not as an individual, but only as a son. He states, °I wanted just once for my mother and father to relax a little bit with me. Not treat me so much like a son, like a figure in a long line of figures. They treated each other like that, too. Like it was their duty and not their love.± The text relates to the influence of Confucianism in the manner Henry¯s family interacts with each other. Growing up in America, Henry is familiar with the families of his white friends who reveal their feelings to each other. Henry feels that love should be showed in embraces, kisses and comfortable conversations. He does not learn that his parents have showed love toward him by covering up their pain. They wanted to protect him by not sharing the hardships they have endured. The feelings are kept inside because the parents were brought up to respect each other by keeping the distance. Young Henry does not realize that his parents believed in loving each other by faithfully fulfilling their roles. One can understand that the way Henry's past influencing his relationship with Lelia. The reason for not opening up to her is not because he does not love her. He feels that it is his duty to protect Lelia from the harmful effects of knowing the kind of work he does. Moreover, he does not want to share the pain of betraying someone. He does not lack the capacity to love or relate to other human beings because he does not openly share his feelings. These qualities which have been influenced by his parents are neither understood nor appreciated by the mainstream. Voyeurism becomes a representation of Henry's existence in America. Many of his inner qualities are invisible, they are hidden behind the roles he plays. Lelia argues that Henry does not reveal his thoughts and emotions. She is not sure whether she is living with the real Henry. She states, "I didn't know how you really felt about anything, our marriage. Me. You. I realized one day that I didn't know the first thing about what was going on inside your head. Sometimes

Some common words found in the essay are:
America Henry, America Henry¯s, John Kwang¯s, America Lee, America American, Korean Peter's, Speaker Henry, Americans Henry¯s, Koreans Henry, Kwang Henry, henry¯s father, ethnic minorities, american mainstream, henry feels, cultural aspects, john kwang, african americans, immigrant communities, korean culture, recently arrived immigrants, kwang henry, american mainstream lee,
Approximate Word count = 2689
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)