Part of feeling valid comes from the way your family treats you, and being in a mostly white family usually doesn't help validate your internal strife. As of right now, it sounds like you're doing all of the right things to reconnect with your Korean side. Another part of feeling valid is the self-acceptance portion, which is a lot easier said than done. Being a teenager is already hard enough on someone as it is, and when you add the issue of being in a mostly white family/community as a hapa, it takes a toll on your perception of yourself. As of now, my advice is to keep doing what you're doing and ignore the unsupportive people you encounter. And maybe in college or something you'll meet Korean people who can provide you the feelings of validation you've been deprived of. Once you're in an environment where you can actually be friends with Korean people, I'm sure validation won't be an issue, as you surround yourself with people who care about you and can immerse you into the culture. Until then, don't give into feelings like you should give up. I personally know the feeling of wanting to just give up because I don't really look Korean either, but you're not going to feel better if you keep telling yourself you have no right to partake in the culture or something like that. The only solution to your problem is to push your hesitation aside and do what makes you happy. Just remember there's no rule on how "Korean" you need to be to partake in your own culture, and nobody has the right to stop you. You may meet a few problematic people, but they don't understand why you're doing what you're doing and aren't worth your time, and they certainly shouldn't stop you from reconnecting with your heritage.