Hojucooper: How Burnham Cooper Enhances Australia’s Inclusivity for Koreans

Cooper Burnham, higher referred to as Hojucooper (Hoju, the Korean phrase for Australia＋ Cooper), is rapidly rising as one of the vital widespread content material creators within the Korean-Australian group.

Along with his signature mullet coiffure — quick within the entrance and sides, lengthy within the again — he teaches Australian slang in fluent Korean on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

His movies vary from unpacking on a regular basis expressions like snag (sausage), arvo (afternoon), truthful dinkum (real/actual), and good on ya (properly performed), to extra vibrant Aussie lingo corresponding to chockers (very crowded), woop-woop (center of nowhere), and Harold Holt (salt — a cheeky nod to the prime minister who famously disappeared at sea).

Hojucooper started creating this distinctive content material in December 2024, and with simply over 130 posts, he has already amassed greater than 24,000 Instagram followers.

His predominant viewers are younger Koreans on working vacation visas in Australia.

Hooked at first sight

Hyejin Lee, who has lived in Australia for the previous three years, is one among them.

She first got here throughout Hojucooper when a pal shared one among his posts on his Instagram story.

“I noticed a man recommending snacks which are out there at an Australian grocery store. It was unusual — he clearly appeared Australian however spoke fluent Korean. I couldn’t cease watching,” she recalled.

Hojucooper is sporting a t-shirt printed with “foreigner” in Korean. Supply: Equipped / Hojucooper

After watching extra of his content material, she was shocked to be taught that Hojucooper had really skilled a working vacation program in Korea himself.

“He wasn’t just a few random Aussie speaking about his tradition. He had lived in Korea, and that made what he stated really feel extra relatable and real to me,” she stated.

Life-changing harm

Burnham is a prize-winning jiu-jitsu competitor and represented Australia a number of occasions on the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

In 2023, he suffered a critical knee harm, and that setback unexpectedly modified the course of his life.

“After the surgical procedure, I needed to take a break from coaching to completely get better. Round that point, I had a Korean girlfriend and thought it could be an ideal likelihood to satisfy her dad and mom and expertise Korean tradition,” he defined.

Cooper Burnham received a bronze medal within the blackbelt middleweight division on the 2024 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which was held in Tokyo, Japan. Supply: Equipped / Hojucooper

He travelled to Daegu, his girlfriend’s hometown — South Korea’s fourth-largest metropolis, house to over 2.3 million folks.

Whereas there, he reconnected with a Korean jiu-jitsu athlete he had met on the earlier world championship and was provided a training place at his studio.

Despite the fact that he had studied Korean for a few years again in Australia, Burnham discovered real-life communication in Korea to be extraordinarily difficult.

In contrast to Seoul, Daegu has a a lot smaller international inhabitants, so talking Korean was not an possibility, however a necessity.

“I couldn’t converse a lot Korean, and I couldn’t even soar due to my harm,” he stated.

“However the coach kindly gave me an opportunity. I simply remembered a couple of physique half names in Korean and taught children utilizing easy phrases like ‘gaseum (chest) and mileo (push)’ or ‘sonmok (wrist) danggye (pull)’.”

Cooper Burnham within the snow in Daegu, South Korea. Supply: Equipped / Hojucooper

The jiu-jitsu studio grew to become the right place for him to immerse himself in Korean life, make mates, and enhance his language abilities.

He expressed deep gratitude to the households and kin of his ex-girlfriend, with whom he spent Korean conventional holidays and common weekends.

“Everybody helped me a lot in Korea. I’m actually grateful for all of the assist and had a really great expertise,” he stated.

‘Not simple to satisfy Australians’

After finishing his one-year working vacation in Korea, Burnham returned to Australia and started working at a jiu-jitsu studio on the Central Coast in New South Wales.

There, he met plenty of Koreans who have been in Australia on working vacation visas — and one thing stood out to him.

“I had a very genuine expertise residing in Korea. However after I got here again to Australia, I realised many Koreans right here solely hang around with different Koreans,” he stated.

“They work in Korean eating places and don’t actually get to know Australia. Even individuals who’ve lived right here for 10 or 20 years usually don’t know a lot concerning the nation.”

Hyejin Lee’s private expertise echoes Burnham’s commentary.

“To be trustworthy, it’s not simple to satisfy Australians and make mates right here. Loads of Korean backpackers work in Korean-run locations like eating places or farms, and principally hang around with different Koreans,” she stated.

“I even went to meet-up occasions to make mates, however it was not simple.”

Hyejin Lee, who has been in Australia for the final three years on a working vacation visa, stated it has been arduous to make Australian mates. Supply: Equipped / Hyejin Lee

For folks like Lee, Burnham presents recommendation drawn from his personal expertise.

“I actually encourage folks to affix a gymnasium, health class, or be taught a sport like jiu-jitsu or tennis. That means, you’re compelled to talk English and meet Australians,” he stated.

Signature mullet

Burnham started making Korean-language movies to indicate Koreans a extra genuine facet of Australia.

He launched his dad and mom’ nation house in Mildura — full with horses, canines, and cats — and even filmed himself inviting younger Koreans to his mum’s dinner desk.

To many followers, Hojucooper is immediately recognisable by his signature mullet. Burnham says he retains the coiffure to seem extra authentically Australian.

“Lots of people inform me I’d look way more good-looking with out the mullet,” he laughed.

“Within the countryside, the mullet continues to be fairly widespread. In case you go to Mildura or rural Victoria, heaps of individuals have this coiffure, however in Korea, the mullet continues to be seen as old style, form of prefer it was in Australia earlier than it got here again with AFL gamers a few years in the past. So, I get a number of feedback asking me to chop it.”

Nonetheless, Burnham insists that for him, the mullet is greater than a coiffure.

“I’ve acquired a mullet, and I need to present those who even folks with a mullet can be taught one other language and welcome folks to Australia,” he stated.

Cooper Burnham visited the SBS studio to talk with the SBS Korean program. Supply: SBS / Korean program

“I need to maintain my Australian look whereas breaking stereotypes. When folks see me, they suppose I’m a really stereotypical Australian man, however I’m in no way. And I need to break that stereotype and present simply how welcoming and good Australia is.”

Burnham additionally believes that studying one other language can play a giant function in making Australia a extra inclusive place.

“I believe if extra Australians discovered a second language, they might be much less racist as a result of they might perceive how arduous it’s to talk one other language,” he stated.

Making Korean mates: fast information

He finishes with a couple of pleasant suggestions for Australians who need to higher join with Koreans residing in Australia:

1. Don’t ask them if they’re from North or South — most Koreans overseas are from South Korea, so the query can really feel pointless and even awkward.

2. Communicate slowly and clearly.

3. Keep away from utilizing an excessive amount of slang.

4. Don’t be afraid to make use of a web-based translator.

5. Use welcoming physique language and at all times smile.