SuChin Pak is proud to be an Asian-American, but that wasn't always the case.
Pak, a former MTV news correspondent, spoke to a crowd of about 300 Monday night in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.
Accent Speakers Bureau and the Asian Student Union brought her to UF in honor of Kaleidoscope Month, which is a celebration of Asian culture.
Pak, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, has worked with MTV for nine years.
"I try my best to represent young people, but it's really intimidating," she said during a press conference before the show.
Before her speech, Pak showed the audience a sneak peek of her new project, "My Life (Translated)". The show, which will air on MTV, features multicultural teens dealing with the pressures of fitting into the American image.
During the clip, Pak tried different methods of create the illusion of having wider eyes, like putting scotch tape on her eyelid and putting eyeliner over it.
"All I wanted was one more freaking centimeter," Pak said in the clip.
Pak said she has been on TV since she was 16 years old, adding that being Asian-American has helped her get on camera.
"We only had Connie Chung as an option," Pak said.
She said during a college internship, makeup artists would put large amounts of makeup on her to make her face look more angular and American.
"I looked like a crazy mime," Pak said.
Pak also explained the hardships of being Asian-American and working in the entertainment industry.
"I think it's interesting that I can't audition for a TV show that already has an Asian," she said. "One is OK, but two is an invasion."
After Pak's speech, about 10 students asked questions about Pak's family life and the reaction to her success.
"After watching me on MTV, my mother said to me, 'No Korean man will want to marry you when you always laugh with your mouth open,'" she said. "Could you imagine me interviewing Beyonce with my hand in front of my mouth, giggling? But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what your parents think."
Pak said her favorite interviews were with Jay-Z and a Hurricane Katrina victim who rescued others with his airboat.
Sophomore advertising major Angela Gonzalez said she related to Pak because she is half Spanish and half Italian.
"She's an awesome woman figure," Gonzalez said. Accent members did not disclose the amount paid for Pak's appearance.
