ETHNIC ATTACHMENT AMONG KOREAN-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This paper examines the level of ethnic attachment among Korean-American high school students as a typical example of descendants of the post-1965 immigrants in the United States. The data were collected through questionnaires administered to 170 Korean-American high school students in New York City. The respondents show a high level of assimilation to American culture and a low level of attachment to the Korean cultural tradition. However, in spite of their high acculturation, they are found to show a preference for Koreans as close friends and dating partners. Although the respondents' U.S. born status and length of residence in the U.S. have significantly reduced their level of cultural ethnic attacilment, they do not have significant negative effects on their social ethnic attachment. These findings support Gordon's proposition that for some minority groups cultural assimilation does not automatically lead to social assimilation. The respondents show differential levels of attachment to Korean culture in three different social settings. They are found to depend upon the Korean language, Korean name, and Korean food most frequently at home, and more frequently in the ethnic church than in the school. Due to the nature of the sample, the findings have limitations in generalizability. Nevertheless, they provide important clues to assimilation and ethnic attachment patterns that other recent non-white immigrant groups might follow in the future.

[1]  Joung-Hwa Kim.  INTERNAL STRUCTURES OF THE HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION AND THE QUALITY OF CARE , 1993 .

[2]  S. Kang,et al.  Differences in the process of earnings determination and inequality between women and men in South Korea. , 1993, Korea journal of population and development.

[3]  P. Min.  The Structure and Social Functions of Korean Immigrant Churches in the United States 1 , 1992 .

[4]  G. Jasso,et al.  Review of "Pacific Bridges: The New Immigration from Asia and the Pacific Islands, edited by James T. Fawcett and Benjamin V. Cariño, Staten Island, New York, Center for Migration Studies, 1987" , 1991 .

[5]  J. Reitz.  From Many Strands: Ethnic and Racial Groups in Contemporary America.By Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters. Russell Sage Foundation. 304 pp. $29.95 , 1990 .

[6]  R. Jiobu,et al.  Ethnicity and Assimilation: Blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Mexicans, Vietnamese, and Whites. , 1990 .

[7]  M. Waters.  Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America , 1990 .

[8]  L. Mangiafico,et al.  Contemporary American Immigrants: Patterns of Filipino, Korean, and Chinese Settlement in the United States. , 1989 .

[9]  Robert S. Gregg.  Book Review: From Many Strands: Ethnic and Racial Groups in Contemporary America , 1989 .

[10]  D. Herbert,et al.  New Immigrants in New York , 1988 .

[11]  E. Bonacich,et al.  Ethnic Business Enterprise: Korean Small Business in Atlanta.@@@Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Koreans in Los Angeles, 1965-1982. , 1987 .

[12]  J. T. Fawcett,et al.  Pacific Bridges: The New Immigration from Asia and the Pacific Islands , 1987 .

[13]  H. Kitano,et al.  Asian-American Interracial Marriage. , 1984 .

[14]  E. Yu,et al.  Koreans in Los Angeles : prospects and promises , 1984 .

[15]  Won Moo Hurh,et al.  Korean Immigrants in America: A Structural Analysis of Ethnic Confinement and Adhesive Adaptation , 1984 .

[16]  A. Richmond,et al.  The Survival of Ethnic Groups , 1982 .

[17]  R. Schaefer,et al.  Racial and Ethnic Groups. , 1980 .

[18]  B. C. Kim.  The Asian Americans, changing patterns, changing needs , 1978 .

[19]  P. Rossi,et al.  The denominational society : a sociological approach to religion in America , 1973 .

[20]  Pauline M. Newell.  Japanese Americans—The evolution of a subculture , 1970 .

[21]  M. Engel,et al.  The Italian experience in the United States , 1970 .

[22]  S. Weinstock.  Some Factors that Retard or Accelerate the Rate of Acculturation , 1964 .

[23]  M. Gordon,et al.  Assimilation in American Life: The Role of Race, Religion, and National Origin. , 1964 .

[24]  M. Barron,et al.  Assimilation in American Life: The Role of Race, Religion, and National Origins. , 1964 .

[25]  R. Park.  Race and culture , 1950 .

[26]  W. Lloyd Warner,et al.  The Social Systems of American Ethnic Groups , 1945 .