First impression and first word from a foreign worker were quite shocking to an ordinary Korean woman. Neither did the foreign worker nor the Korean woman realize it was their mere start of a deeper connection. The pure love story of the foreign laborer and the Korean woman is described delicately and naturally intermingled with religious factors.

Namaste is used broadly in many situations meaning, “Hello,” “good bye,” “see you again,” “come in,” and “be happy” in Nepal. The book is titled as Namaste because it was the first word that the foreign worker named Kamil said to the Korean woman when they first met together. It was the start of their whole love story.

Namaste vividly describes the lives of foreign workers and how they are treated unfairly in Korean society. The book portrays the darker side of the reality of foreign laborers when they rebel against the amended law. In the meanwhile, it also draws a picture of genuine love between the foreign laborer, Kamil and the Korean woman, Shin Woo.

The author, Park Beom Shin, decided to write a book about foreign laborers when he heard the news of foreign workers committing suicide as a means of rebellion to the new law that was amended in 2003. The revised law said that all the foreign workers illegally living more than 4 years in Korea would be exiled to their home countries. Since foreign laborers did not have any choice but to stay in Korea as long as possible to earn money, they demonstrated and some of them committed suicide due to stress and pressure.

Foreign workers called coming to Korea as a “Korean Dream” because they thought it was easier for them to be successful in Korea than in their home countries. However, company owners took away the workers’ passports to restrain them from running away to other jobs and even not many companies gave them income regularly.

By reading Namaste, readers can learn about foreign laborers working diligently and how they have straightforward goals. We cannot ignore the fact that there is still a stereotype of foreign laborers in contemporary society. The book illustrates that foreign workers are extremely ordinary and have attachment towards their work even though they are treated badly. They are willing to do any work as long as they can earn money and help their families in homeland. Such attitude seems to give heartwarming emotion to readers and rethink about foreign workers.

The author addresses foreign workers in political as well as emotional perspective by turning a seemingly impossible love into powerful and unbreakable connection between Kamil and Shin Woo. The main mediator was the Hindu religion. Kamil teaches Shin woo a spell that Hindus use in order to gain strength and trust with another. They start to mingle and it shows how religion plays a critical role in bringing people together. The author had an intriguing plot to show how two people who lived a completely different lives can come together with a religion.

Through demonstration, foreign workers wanted to show their strong will towards Korean government to stop harassing foreign workers. They wanted to say Namaste to such attitude of Korean people and the government. They wanted to say good bye to all those perceptions and stereotypes that Koreans have. They wanted to do whatever they can to stop the unfair treatment. Anyone who wants a heartwarming story of foreign workers, this book is recommended.

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