CNN news 2011-01-30 加文本

cnn news 2011-01-30

One of the players in the big game is gonna be Hines Ward. He's a wide receiver and someone who has a lot of fans; not just in the U.S., but halfway around the world as well. Mr. Ward is using his popularity and his personal background to try to make life better for some kids in South Korea. Paula Hancocks catches us up on the details.Hines Ward is a hero in South Korea, less for throwing an American football and more for breaking down biracial discrimination. The NFL player has an American father and a Korean mother. His visit to South Korea four years ago, his first since he was a baby, captivated the nation .The sporting superstar met with biracial children, sparking an internal debate on how to stop ethnic prejudice.

We can't change the past, but in the present day and the future, maybe if I can provide hope and inspiration to make Korea an even better place than it already is, then I'll be more than excited.

Almost 99% of people here in South Korea are Korean. It's still very rare to have parents of two different races. So by visiting here, and also by setting up a foundation which helps biracial children, Hines Ward is widely credited as having changed the prejudices of a nation. This is the Rainbow Choir. Nearly every child is biracial; many of them say they have experienced some kind of prejudice at school. This sixth grader is Chinese-Korean and remembers Ward's visit. She says...

His parents are from different cultures and he was very nice to me. He's in the same situation as me, which makes me like him even more.

This boy tells me...

Hines Ward is cool and strong.

Kim Seong-Hoi started the choir and opened the Center for Multicultural Korea after being inspired by the NFL star. He says...

South Korea can only grow if it learns how to live with more foreign people in the country, with people not all of the same bloodline.

So, while American football is not popular in South Korea, Hines Ward definitely is.

Paula Hancocks, cnn, Seoul, South Korea.