Conference on Korean Americans – Keynote

Professor Pyong Gap Min: It is my honor to introduce Dr. Jae Taik Kim as the Keynote speaker. He has been teaching at John Jay College for Criminal Justice for many years. He has been very active in the Korean community. I remember one time he served as community [inaudible] Korean Association of New York. That’s a full time job, so any faculty who can take over that job, does a lot of work. He is so dedicated to the Korean community. Right now he is part of many other organizations. As you can see from his bio, he majored in English Literature at Yonsei University for his bachelor’s degree, and he finished his Ph.D in public administration from University of Southern California. It is my honor to introduce him.

 

Dr. Jae Taik Kim: Good afternoon. It is distinctive honor and great pleasure to deliver this keynote address at this 2005 CUNY Conference on Korean Americans. Although the Korean Americans have become a vibrant and physical part of New York City, it comes from their contribution and size. There is no other institution in New York City that has ever addressed Korean Americans, despite the fact that we have made great contributions to the city of New York. It is the first time the Asian American/Asian Research Institute, AAARI, organized scholars and professional practitioners together here this afternoon to illuminate various aspects of Korean American academics. In this way, Korean Americans will be able to actuate a necessary knowledge of Korean American to articulate the important issues and problems, and formulate a problem solution strategy for Korean Americans.

 

I believe that this conference is going to be a landmark departure for Korean American studies and teaching. I hope this conference is going to be open to a chain of ongoing dialogue between Korean Americans and all. My special thanks this afternoon and heartfelt admiration go to Dr. Thomas Tam and Professor Betty Lee Sung, my colleague Professor Pyong Gap Min, and also my colleague with whom I have taught for many, many years, [name]. Without their honest and unselfish dedication to the Asian American Council and AAARI, without those contributions, this conference could not have been possible. Taking this opportunity, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you, this audience, to give a big hand to show appreciation for all the good effort and work for this conference.

 

My address is going to be three key things: first, an overview of the Korean American generation, second, the issues and problems associated with Korean Americans in New York in general, and third, the role of Korean academician.

 

First, let us shortly view the Korean American generations. Although the existence of Koreans in the United States was in record in the early 1900s, Korean Americans, as we know, entered in 1970 when the majority immigrants entered this country as thanks to Immigration and Naturalization acts of 1965. Since 1970, the number of Koreans has increased dramatically and breathtakingly. The majority of Koreans actually, immigrated in this country after 1970. Relating to the thirty to forty years of a short history of Korean Americans immigrants, Korean immigrants may be characterized into three generations. The first category is the immigration generation as it refers to the “first generation.” The second category is the one and a half generation, consists of Korean-born individuals who enter as an immigrant into this country at a young age with their parents. The third category of the Korean-American generation is the second generation who are U.S. born individuals. Apart from their shared similar Korean heritage, this generation of Korean Americans only partially overlaps with adjustment concerns and needs due to their degree of acculturation, assimilation into social, cultural fabric of American mainstream. Therefore, each generation of Korean Americans, is presented with rather unique, self-adjusting concerns and problems, indicating considerable generation differences.

 

Let us look at the issues and problems facing those three generations of Korean Americans. Like other immigrant groups in the United States, Korean immigrants came to the United States in the pursuit of their American dream. Due to high upper level education prior to immigration to the United States and their willingness to realize their American dream made Korean Americans have done rather well in the pursuit of their American dream. However, the majority of Koreans strongly with linguistic, social, and cultural value, which locks the present success to their American dream. The majority of households of Korean immigrants are self-employed at the grocery store, dry cleaning, or repair shop, are college graduates who once had a professional, high-level job in Korea before they came to the United States. Because of their limited language skills and difficulty in acquiring required credentials to pursue their profession they had in Korea, many Korean immigrants turn to be labor-intensive at self-employment. They work long hours for six to seven days a week oftentimes. This downgraded change of occupation creates stress for half of Korean immigrants, or the first generation, that tends to lower self-respect, which causes depression, family problems. Increases in family violence, divorce, and parenting problems are often reported in Korean ethnic newspapers.

 

Let us look at the immigration generation housewife, and the subsidy of supplemented income. Operations of mom-and-pop store have a relative limited amount of opportunity; those concerns sent more than 70% of Korean-American housewives to the workforce. Many of these housewives work at their family owned store, nail salons, and ethnic restaurants, working long hours outside their home. Oftentimes, they also work during the weekend. These working mothers and housewives find that their newly gained financial power and improved status within the household are seriously upset by the nagging sense of guilt, to be unable to provide necessary supervision, and taking care of their family and children. This problem, associated with operating a family owned store, working mothers and housewives with limited English language proficiency often result in major change in family laws. This problem also often results, particularly, in role confusion, and the role reversal between figurehead immigrant and their wives, which the household gave authority, will manage to then run the store, control the purse and economic choices.

 

Let us look at the grown children. Grown children often help with public relations, oftentimes, helping their limited deficient English speaking parents who deal with non Korean customers and public agencies. Role confusion, role reversal, in families often creates many problems and conflicts between child and family and parents.

 

Let us look at the one and a half generation. Because of the recent influx, surge, of Korean immigrants, more than 80% of Korean-Americans are Korean immigrants, including children and adolescents who immigrated to this country at a young age with their parents. This group tends to identify themselves as the one and a half generation in order to distinguish themselves from their parents’ generation as well as their US born contemporaries. Most of the one and half generation have been, and are still under the stress of immigration, and related significant changes in their life circumstances. They tend to encounter numerous and enormous, language barriers, culture shock, and especially identify confusion between Korean and American identity. They can also be aware of a conscious of a dual identity. One is a Korean identity, and the other American national. And also they struggle to achieve the perfect balance between these two conflicting variables, also trying to establish comfortable identity for themselves. Although, the majority of one and a half generation makes a successful adjustment to, the difficult transition from Korea to the United States economically, academically, socially. There are others who suffer a significant adjustment; therefore, they become the victim of straight, oriented pure grown subculture and environmental pressure.

 

Let us look at the second generation of immigrants, those who are born in the United States. Most of these second generation Korean Americans grow up to become adults that are English dominant, with relatively limited Korean language proficiency. Unlike other Korean born counterparts, this generation of Korean Americans has been spared the stress of immigration and almost no massive culture shock, and no English barrier. Many of these individuals realize their current generation American dream, achieving in academic excellence, attaining a professional job such as a medical doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant. However, even those who achieve impressive academic or professional credentials are not immune to anti-Asian stereotypes and so-called glass ceilings, in the work of the world. Not all the second generations of Korean Americans are able to realize their current American dream by obtaining a professional occupation. Many of them return to their parents’ small business after four years of college education because, being unable to find more suitable career orientated profession and on a better job today. This happens when are able to go to Ivy League Colleges, they become so frustrated, demoralized oftentimes, and very unhappy with those jobs which are not comparable with college-degree four-year educations.

 

Let us look at the Korean community. The reason I am speeding up is that I only give a talk for twenty minutes, so I have a limited time so I will try to make it quick. So I will try to finish in less than twenty-five minutes. Let us look at the Korean American community. I used to be head of the Korean American Association about two [dozen] years ago, which is an umbrella organization consisting of a number of organizations and represents the whole entire population of Korean Americans in metropolitan areas. So I knew the details about the Korean American community. And the Korean American Association is an organization that consists of numerous professional, occupational, social, and regional organizations. Each of these organizations I know of has untapped human talent and material financial resources. However, they often lack the knowledge of a perfect channel to go through to achieve their organization objectives and organization goals. It is no secret that Korean American organizations have very highly territorial, parochial, and that inter and intra organization cooperation is grossly lacking. There is no political clout; there is no model to duplicate involvement, so that for a lot of the organizations we have, it is almost impossible for us to have some sort of coordination within an organization among organizations.

 

I do not have enough time to go forth in this and will move on the last thing, the role of the Korean American academician. Korean American scholarship at CUNY includes a lot of the Korean American scholars. [I understand after I retire from John Jay, there is already two faculty that will be joining the college. They are happy to see that they are faculty of John Jay.] So many scholars at CUNY can play an important role building the bridge between the Korean American community and AAARI. There are many Korean American faculty members at CUNY representing various areas of academic history and specialties. The Korean American academicians are in unique positions, possessing professional, practical knowledge skills, to work with to lead to the Korean community to clarify the community issues and problems and needs, with the guidance and political clout of AAARI. I know AAARI exercises great impact on Chinatown reapplication, since inception right after the September 11^th catastrophe, thanks goes to Dr. Kim and Professor Sung. However, not many Korean American professors except a few participate with enthusiasm in the Korean affairs. There is not much interest in research developed for Korean American affairs, partially because they are too busy to research their own area and it takes too much time to teach their own students. Maybe they are not very motivated. Many people say there is no suitable, viable climate yet to mature. But now, climate in the Korean Americans is favorable for research and study of the Korean American affairs.

 

The Korean American community is full useful and dynamic energy from the one and a half and second generations Korean Americans who are highly trained, educated, and have been nurtured in the principles of American democracy, and conscious of social justice and they know Korean heritage. The social and political climate of the Korean American community now is very favorable for Korean American scholars to study Korean American affairs, due to the rapid, sustained economic growth and the purity of democracy for the past three decade, Korea has emerged as an international respected nation and country. Today Korea is awarded the 11^th economic power and 7^th largest economic partner with the United States. I’m sure Consul Seo Bihn will explain what is in Korea now in her speech. This intense Korea had boosted pride of Korean Americans in the United States.

 

This is a time for the Korean American academicians come to full front, being absent and passive, to become relevant and useful to their ethnic communities. In this fever of renewed activity and collectivism, the upright perception in Asian and Korean American scholars, CUNY Korean American academicians should unionize their knowledge skills of research development for the benefit and welfare of Korean Americans. I would like in this juncture by concluding by paraphrasing President Kennedy’s inaugural speech, saying that, ‘Do not ask what other scholars can do for an Americans, but ask what Korean American scholars can do for Korean Americans. God helps who helps themselves.’ We Korean American academicians can do it, but AAARI can help. Thank you very much.

 

Professor Pyong Gap Min: Ten minute break.