South Korea and Korean-Americans in the United States
By Annie Kim, 2003
Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ks.html
Contents:
Information on South Korea
The Korean Peninsula , located in the northeastern section of Asia, spans 1,000 kilometers north to south and 222,154 square kilometers in area. In addition to the mainland peninsula, Korea includes some 3,000 islands. The peninsula touches the western-most parts of the Pacific Ocean , while the southern half also borders the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. Korea shares its northern border with Russia . Approximately 45% of the land is considered cultivatable, while mountains cover the remaining territory, such as the Taebaeksan range, which runs along the full length of the east coast. The peninsula exists as two countries today: North Korea and the Republic of Korea , known as South Korea . This website will focus in on the latter country.
As of 2002, South Korea’s total population was estimated at 48,324,000. The population growth rate is 0.85%. Seoul, South Korea’s capital, is located in the west central part of the Korean Peninsula , and is home to over 10 million people. The 2003 elected president, President Roh Moo-hyun, governs the country, along with a full executive branch, legislative branch, and judiciary branch. The constitution of 1948 guarantees many civil rights, including freedom of religion. The religions of the country include Christianity (49%), Buddhism (47%), Confucianism (3%), and others (1%).
South Korea ’s natural resources include coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, and lead. Because of its geographic location, there is also hydropower potential. However, its geographic location also brings about occasional typhoons with high winds and floods and low-level seismic activity, common in the southwest part of the peninsula. Korea has an overall temperate climate, with a heavier rainfall in the summer than in the winter.
Links for Further Information:
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ks.html
Immigrants in the United States
Korean-Americans have been able to thrive in the United States because of a strong emphasis on family, community support (often found through the church), education, and tradition. Korean immigration has contributed to businesses, churches, and academic communities in the United States. Most recently, the Korean community gained attention when South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan. In addition to co-hosting the event, the Korean national team surprised fans around the world with their surprising performance in the tournament. Beginning in 2003, more than 100 communities throughout the United States will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States .
Immigration History :
1882 : The Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Article VI) freely permited Koreans to enter the United States. Korea is the last nation in Northeast Asia to open her doors to the United States by signing this agreement.
1903-1905 : The first wave of immigration began as 101 Korean immigrants (55 men, 21 women, and 25 children) arrived in Honolulu , Hawaii , on the U.S. merchant ship, the S.S. Gaelic. They came to the United States seeking escape from the political and economic turmoils brought on by a continuing power struggle with Japan . By 1905, a total of 7,226 Korean immigrants reached Hawaii. The majority of these early settlers, common unskilled laborers, settled and worked on the Hawaiian sugar plantations.
1907 : President Roosevelt restricted Korean migration to the United States mainland.
1948 : President Truman repealed Roosevelt ’s original proclamation.
1951-1964 : The second wave of immigration occurred. This post-Korean War immigrant group was made up of mostly Korean wives of American servicemen, war orphans, and professional workers.
1952 : The Immigration and Naturalization Act allowed for an annual quota of 100 Korean immigrants per year to the United States .
1965: The Immigration Reform Act repealed the national-origin quota system. Mass immigration from third world countries was not permitted.
1969-1987 : The third wave of immigration occurred as a large number of Koreans settled in areas of California and New York. The majority of these new immigrants from Asia were young females. However, as the Korean economy began to stabilize and even prosper, more Koreans chose to stay in their native country.
Today, a little over one million Korean-Americans live throughout the United States, representing one of the largest Asian-American populations in the country. The largest concentration of Korean-Americans is found in the five-county area of Los Angeles, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties. About one quarter of all the Korean-Americans living in the United States reside in this region. The next largest area of concentration is the New York region, including New York City, northern New Jersey and the Connecticut-Long Island area. This area constitutes about 16% of the entire Korean-American population in the United States.
References:
Hurh, W. M. & Kim, K. C. (1984). Korean immigrants in America: a structural analysis of ethnic confinement and adhesive adaptation . Rutherford : Fairleigh Dickinson University .
Lin, S. C. (2001). The impact of census 2000 on the Korean American community. Korea Times , 10(8), 6.
http:// geogdata.csun.edu/US_Pop.html
Language
King Sejong the Great created the original twenty-eight letters of the Korean alphabet, Hangul, during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). When Sejong took the throne in 1418, there was no efficient way to record sounds and speech. Korea had adopted the literature, music, and governmental system of China centuries earlier. However, Chinese writing consisted of pictures of meanings, not pictures of sounds. Thus, Sejong worked on his creation for ten years to give as a gift to his people. He presented the script to his people in October of 1446.
Today, twenty-four of the original twenty-eight letters of Hangul are used in the Korean language. There are fourteen consonants and ten vowels. These consonants and vowels are blended together to form syllables, which are then put together to form words. A Korean syllable is divided into three parts: choseong (initial consonant), jungseong (peak vowel), and jongseong (final consonant).
Children learning to read and write Korean have an easier experience than children learning to read and write English. The efficiency of the Korean language is due to the fact that each Korean letter has only one sound. No letters are silent. There is also only a small number of letters in the alphabet. The language has received praise from language experts for its simplicity. The virtually nonexistent illiteracy rate in Korea is proof of its easy learnability.
The Korean language is still widely spoken in Korean-American families and neighborhoods today. There are select Korean television channels in heavily Korean-populated areas. There are newspaper and magazine publications for the Korean community. Many young adults and teenagers watch Korean drama series rentals and follow Korean actors, actresses, and singers. To encourage the Korean language with future generations, many parents send their children to Korean school on the weekends. The church is another means of keeping the language alive in that services are offered both in Korean and English.
Regarding language in
the United States
, Korean immigrants living in the
United States today still widely
speak the heritage language of Korea
, Hangul. Hangul is not the dominant language of these people though since
success in the United States
has required the successful acquisition and use of the English language.
The Korean language has also adjusted to today’s times in that many Korean
immigrants and their American-born descendants code switch between English
and Korean when speaking to other Korean or Korean-Americans who are bilingual.
This way of speaking is often referred to as “Konglish.”
Reference :
Hansen, R. (1997, April). The best alphabet in the world. Faces: The Magazine About People, pp. 10-14.
Haskins, J. (1989). Count your way through Korea. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Link for Further Information :
http://www.korea.net/learnaboutkorea/aboutkorea.html
Culture
It is important for teachers to understand and consider cultural values and beliefs when addressing students. For example, students raised in the Korean tradition are very respectful of adults, especially teachers. Elders are traditionally greeted with a verbal greeting accompanied by a bow. Students are trained to be quiet learners in the classroom, mindful of remaining silent while taking in everything the teacher says. Thus, a Korean student in an English classroom might remain quiet rather than participate verbally during class. However, this silence does not display a lack of knowledge or incomprehension. Rather, the Korean culture emphasizes a quiet “obedient” student rather than a verbally active student.
Korean parents also view education in general with high regards. Many Korean parents come to the United States to provide opportunities for their children. Thus, Korean parents have high academic expectations for their children in school.
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My parents did not want my younger brother or me to be placed in an ESL classroom. They wanted us to be a part of the regular classroom because they were confident that we would be able to handle both the academic and social aspects of an American classroom. They did not want us to be seen or treated differently from the other students in the class (Korean-born college student). |
Korean students often attend additional schooling on Saturdays throughout the school year. They receive additional academic enrichment during summer vacations, too. Korean parents take time out of their busy schedules to tutor their children themselves, whenever time permits. To allow for plenty of study time for school, Korean parents often prohibit their children from participating in any extracurricular activities.
My father tutored my younger brother and me in the English language everyday after school. He was dedicated to helping us succeed here in America (Korean-born college student). |
Religion is also an important characteristic of a Korean family. Korean churches are an important source of cultural maintenance and promotion. Many Korean parents do not have time to socialize during the week because of professional commitments. Thus, they find community support through their church congregations. These Sunday gatherings become a means for developing and maintaining friendships with other Koreans.
Link for Further Information :
http://www.korea.net/koreanculture/koreanculture.html
Children’s Literature
Climo, S. (1993). The Korean Cinderella. Mexico: Harper Collins.
Storytelling crosses all cultural boundaries. Cinderella is a popular fairy tale in the United States and a popular fairy tale in other countries, such as Korea, as well. Read about the Korean version of this popular story about the girl who overcomes hardships to create a life for herself.
McMahon, P. (1993). Chi-Hoon: A Korean girl. Honesdale: Boyds Mills.
Have your class follow a week in the life of a Korean student in Korea. What are the similarities and differences between life in Korea and life in the United States for a young child?
Park, F., & Park, G. (2001). Where on Earth is my bagel? New York: Lee & Low Books.
Yum Yung is in search of a New York bagel, all the way in Korea! This humorous fable teaches that anything is possible, with the help of true friends. The colorful illustrations add to the story, making this book a positive addition to any school or classroom library.
Park, L. S. (2001). A single shard. New York: Clarion.
This John Newbery Medal book travels back in time to twelfth-century Korea as it tells the story of a young man on a journey towards life fulfillment. Tree-ear faces obstacles and rewards towards reaching his dream of following in the footsteps of his mentor potter and creating his own perfect pot.
Links
for Further Information
:
http://www.aems.uiuc.edu/HTML/SKoreaWeblinks.htm
http://www.askasia.org/for_educators/instructional_resources/lesson_plans/less_plan.htm
http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/web/educweb.htm
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last updated July 2003