Junyoung Hong, Author at The Belmont Voice

Generations: Are We There Yet? My First American Road Trip

August 4, 2026

Even before I could point to the United States on a map, I knew America through a world of talking cars. As a child growing up in Korea, I watched the “Cars” series and became fascinated by the vast land with endless…

Opinion

Generations: The Birth of a Boston Sports Fan

June 9, 2026

Saying the Red Sox are off to a slow start to the 2026 season is an understatement. As I write this, they just suffered their 27th loss in 46 games. Yet somehow, I still find myself clicking on another highlight video during…

Opinion

Generations: We Didn’t Panic. And That’s What Scares Me.

April 3, 2026

It happened again. I was sitting in my 11th grade English class last month when an announcement came over the intercom: “We are entering shelter-in-place,” a deep, urgent voice warned. I was immediately spooked. So was most of the class. My teacher…

Opinion

Generations: Are Urgent Cares Really Urgent?

March 2, 2026

Back in September, I learned more about the American health care system than I probably ever wanted to, all because of a sprained ankle. And it made me realize the stark differences in how health care works in South Korea, where there…

Opinion

Generations: Streaming Services Shift Asian Narrative

January 16, 2026

For a long time, Asian characters in Western media were easy to predict. They were often side characters, defined by accents, martial arts skills, or other one-dimensional stereotypes. Rarely were they the center of the story. That started to change when COVID-19…

Opinion

Generations: My First Real Thanksgiving in America

November 21, 2025

Thanksgiving has always been one of those holidays I understood more in theory than in practice. My family never made a big deal out of it, partly because it never seemed worth the effort to prepare a full feast for just the…

Opinion

Generations: Does the United States Even Want Me Here?

October 20, 2025

Almost every day, there are stories of immigrants being arrested and detained by federal agents: 19-year-old João Marciano do Carmo of Milford; 49-year-old Jhon Palacio-Morales of Lowell; 31-year-old Hernan Escobar of Malden. But as a Korean living in Belmont, the Immigration and…