Essay on "Korean American"

Essay 4 pages (1232 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Korean-American Journal Entry

Korean-Americans have made a contribution to the American experience for over a century. The first wave of immigrants from Korea came after Japan began to exert its dominance over the neighboring nation. Koreans fleeing their homeland were drawn to the island of Hawaii, where they knew they could find work on sugar plantations. However, this first wave of Korean immigration to the U.S. was small, as the Immigration Act of 1924 was passed soon afterwards. This Act severely limited immigration from Asia. The Act was a potent example of how racism affected early immigration policy. Politicians in power intended to keep 'America for Americans' and prevent further waves of immigration of non-whites. Even spouses were prevented from rejoining husbands and wives in America (Korean-American History, 2010, Curriculum guide).

Koreans that were already U.S. residents faced discrimination and a general sense of incomprehension of their culture. Few Americans had heard of Korea, and many simply assumed that Korean immigrants were Chinese or Japanese. Even when Japanese-occupied Korea endured tremendous suffering during World War II, unlike the 'Rape of Nanking' this received little attention even in the anti-Japanese-American press. Tensions between Japan and Korea still exist today: "The idea that Japanese colonialism somehow laid the foundation for Korea's modernizing reforms should not be offered as an apology for Japanese imperialism," wrote one Korean academic, and "while anti-Koreanism is far from the sentiment of all Japanese, a United Nations report conducted last year [2005] concluded that the island nation [of Japan] harbors deeply xenophobic attitudes. Some experts say such thinking can trace its roots to the Meiji period, when Japan's establishment actively tried to copy Western ideas and culture" (Rusling 2006). For Koreans living in the United States, the fact that some Americans tend to elide all Asian identities into one can be profoundly upsetting, given the longstanding divisive history between Korea and Japan that motivated many Koreans to immigrate to the U.S.

It was the Korean War that 'put Korea on the map' in the minds of many Americans. It also initiated another wave of immigration to the U.S., including my parents. Congress passed a series of laws enabling war brides, orphans of war, students, and individuals with special skills from all Asian countries to come to the U.S., beginning with the War Brides Act of 1946 and then followed with the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act. These acts allowed Asians to immigrate in small numbers and eventually to become U.S. citizens. My father came with his parents, who wished to escape war-torn South Korea. My mother immigrated slightly later, after the Immigration Act of 1965 further opened the doors of the U.S. To immigrants from around the world (Korean-American History, 2010, Curriculum guide).

Because both of my grandparents did not speak fluent English, their early years were filled with struggle. My mother, for example, remembers working in my grandfather's grocery store until late every night, even on school days. She would do homework in-between waiting on customers. The neighborhood was dangerous, but my grandparents had no choice. Owning a store was seen as the only way to make a living in America without speaking perfect English. So long as they were willing to work hard in their own business, they could earn money. This was, said my mother, their American Dream.

My parents have always impressed upon me that I must succeed in life. My mother went on to go to college and get her MBA. She had to work hard in school because at first she did not have the English vocabulary of many of her fellow students, given that she spoke Korean at home. She chose to pursue business because she knew she had… READ MORE

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