The ethnic bonds of Korean-Americans, both the “1.5” generation and second generation,
The ethnic bonds of Korean-Americans, both the “1.5” generation and second generation, are surprisingly strong, according to research conducted by Pyong Gap Min, professor and director of The Research Center for Korean Community at Queens College, CUNY, and Audrey Joo, a student at Boston University.
[“First generation” Koreans are those who immigrated to the U.S. as adults, “1.5” generation are those who came here as children, and “second generation” Korean immigrants are those who were born in the U.S.]
According to the study, which was presented at the Korean Community Services auditorium in Flushing on January 7, 59 percent of young Korean immigrants consider themselves to be “Korean American,” and 31 percent “Korean,” which implies that 90 percent of them regard themselves as Korean. Only 3 percent responded that they are American. The study is based on interviews conducted from November 2008 to March 2009 with 179 next-generation Korean high school students who live in New York. The interviews took place online, on the telephone and in person.
Fifty-four percent of the respondents are second-generation Koreans born in the U.S. and 46 percent are the 1.5 generation brought to the U.S. between the ages of 1 and 15. Forty-three percent are male and 57 percent are female, and 53 percent of them live in Queens while the others reside in other areas of N.Y. such as Long Island.
When asked whether they were proud of Korea, 73 percent of the respondents answered affirmatively, only 1 percent saying they were ashamed of Korea. When asked which team they would cheer for between the U.S. and Korean soccer teams, 68 percent answered that they would cheer for Korea, showing their strong ethnic connection, while 21 percent took a neutral stance.
Upbringing has played a big part in forming bonds for the next generation of Korean Americans. About half of the respondents always speak in Korean with their family, whereas 6 percent of them communicate only in English. Nearly 90 percent of them have been encouraged to learn Korean by their parents so that they have a high level of proficiency, with 74 percent speaking Korean fluently (38 percent) or well (36 percent). This reflects that family is the main factor in establishing Korean identity.
On the other hand, just over half of the high school students surveyed always or usually communicate with friends in English, while only 15 percent speak exclusively in Korean.
Experiencing Korean culture through food was nearly universal. Ninety-five percent said that at dinnertime, more than half of the food is Korean style. The percentage of respondents who always have Korean food was 43 percent.
The pattern of cultural consumption also contributed to the formation of Korean bonds. Over half of those surveyed watch Korean channels on TV more than once a week, and the respondents who listen to Korean music more than any other genres accounted for 60 percent.
The high school students surveyed also showed an exclusive disposition in their relationships: 79 percent said their closest friends are Korean, 80 percent said that their girlfriend or boyfriend is Korean, and 72 percent answered it is important to marry a Korean.
By Kisoo Park Via The Korea Daily
Translated by Jiwon Choi from Korean