Voices Across Borders

Voices Across Borders, brought to you by the Multicultural Talent Network (MTN), shares real stories of multicultural professionals building lives and careers across countries. Running in English, Japanese, and Korean, each episode explores turning points, challenges, and reflections on identity, belonging, and the systems shaping today’s global workforce.

Voices Across Bordersは国境を越えて生活とキャリアを築いているプロフェッショナルたちの、率直でリアルなストーリーをお届けします。

Voices Across Borders는 국경을 넘어 삶과 커리어를 쌓아가는 프로페셔널들의 솔직한 이야기를 전해드립니다.

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Voices Across Borders

[ENG] Kyutae Kim - The Language of Belonging: Why One True Home Language Matters

November 06, 2025 • Mina Kim Mok

This episode is a reflection on my recent conversation with my younger brother, Kyutae Kim. It’s an English summary of our discussion from last week about language, identity, and belonging.

Though we grew up together across four countries and speak three languages, we have both come to believe that for our children growing up in the U.S., having one true home language—English—matters more than speaking many.

three reasons why:

Identity and expression come from deep fluency in one language.
Cultural understanding creates true connection beyond words.
Belonging grows when children feel at home in their community.