"EAST TO AMERICA" (ELAINE KIM & EUI-YOUNG YU).   Term Paper ID:25619 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Reviews collection of interviews of Korean-Amer., focusing on struggle for self-identity.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Reviews collection of interviews of Korean-Amer., focusing on struggle for self-identity. Paper Introduction: This paper discusses the search for an Asian American identity. In East to America, Elaine H. Kim and Eui-Young Yu attempt to answer this from the Korean American perspective. Their book includes interviews with diverse of Korean Americans, some of whom define themselves as Korean, some as Korean American, and some as simply American. As this self-definition implies, a single identity does not exist. Nevertheless, many of these interviews show that immigrants and the children of immigrants continue to struggle to create a synthesized identity, one that provides them with the benefits of their rich heritage while acknowledging their new circumstances, new loyalties, and new home. The task is not an easy one, but it is necessary as part of the ongoing search for roots, meaning, and personal validation. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. I'm closer to being an American"(145). . As Lim expresses the problem, "Koreans must become American inAmerica while maintaining their Korean heritage" (55). Kim and Yu's book is a collection of interviews withAmericans whose Asian ties are primarily to Korea, and their attempts todefine themselves, while different from those of Asian immigrants fromother regions, nevertheless give an indication of the difficulty that thetask presents. Their book includes interviews withdiverse of Korean Americans, some of whom define themselves as Korean, someas Korean American, and some as simply American. However, as the father of a woman using thepseudonym of "Maeun Koch'u" reminds her, "You can bleach your hair and getyour eyes done, but you are always going to be Korean" (69). There were Koreans here at the turn of the century, butthey were only a few laborers; the real history of Koreans in this countryis only thirty years long" (61). Nevertheless, many of theseinterviews show that immigrants and the children of immigrants continue tostruggle to create a synthesized identity, one that provides them with thebenefits of their rich heritage while acknowledging their newcircumstances, new loyalties, and new home. . The very act of immigrating changes them and demands that theytry to define and understand the new person they have become. Perhaps the Asian American identity as a whole is just as fluid, justas dependent on context and circumstance. Ryu admits, "I am much more Korean than I used to think"(265). The problem is that, at least politically, Koreans who come toAmerica, even if they do not apply for citizenship, are still living in anew country. The most successful immigrants are those who have been able toembrace and find meaning in some version of the term Korean American. The specific answer will be as varied as the personalitiesthemselves. He says, "Life is a pilgrimage, anyway;we are all wanderers, but great things are achieved by marginal people"(293). Some attempt tocling to the values and customs of their homeland, modifying their originalculture as little as possible to live in the strange new world. I hate to hear Korean people say, 'I am American'" (128). They have to know at least oneculture fully" (79). Jay Kun Yoo arguesthat marginality can be an asset. Asian Americans have also had to contend with the fact that they donot share a homogenous heritage. The task is not an easy one,but it is necessary as part of the ongoing search for roots, meaning, andpersonal validation. New York: New, 1996.----------------------- 6 Even the more conservative,traditional Jews have managed to make a home in America, and Lim contendsthat this will eventually be possible for Korean Americans, as well. Price observes, "For American people, if you don't feel like offeringa visitor a cup of coffee, you don't have to. However, no matter how much he may wish it, he can never be "justAmerican," either. Kang is not only Korean American, heis also a gay activist, a man with a variety of identities that change withthe setting in which he finds himself. . Thebalance isn't easy. He takes heart in the example of theJews, who have managed to build a cultural identity in America whilebecoming a part of mainstream society. She believes, "You just have to teach your childreneither Korean or American ways, not both. Reverend Tom Sun Lim argues that developing a distinct identity takestime: "The Jews have a three-hundred-year history in this country; theChinese have one hundred fifty years, and the Japanese have more than ahundred years. Imjung Kwuon says, "I didn't want to marry an Americanand live the American life-style, because there are so many things I don'tlike - divorce, immorality, all the things I heard about when I was growingup. Denial, separation, and isolationism are not effectiveanswers. . InEast to America, Elaine H. Dredge Kang says, "Over theyears, I've come to learn that my identity is fluid, and that nothing canever truly represent who I am" (82). Korean people would do it,even if they didn't want to deep inside" (78). Work CitedKim, Elaine H., and Eui-Young Yu. Immigrants from Taipei, Hong Kong, orVietnam all arrive with very different histories, cultural roots, andexpectations. In his words, "In order tospeak Korean, you have to think of yourself as Korean" (265). But I didn't like Korea or Korean values or life-style either" (49).The struggle consists of finding an identity that synthesizes the essentialelements of the culture of origin with those that are important in the newsociety. Yet Bong Hwan Kim argues that the transition is more difficult forsome immigrants: "What stands between Korean Americans and the promise ofthe American dream is racism. The challenge for KoreanAmericans is to understand what both sides of the equation meanindividually. Numerous subjects interviewed by Kim and Yu talk ofbecoming so immersed in American culture and speaking English that theybelieved they had actually forgotten how to speak Korean. For immigrants of color, the prerequisitefor becoming American has been leaving your culture by the door" (351).For those whose skin color, eyelid shape, or other physical characteristicremains an unchangeable reminder, finding an identity within the mainstreamsociety can be extraordinarily challenging. Like other cultural groups before them, Asian Americanshave undergone (and are still going through) a struggle to definethemselves as residents of a new society and a foreign culture. East to America: Korean American Life Stories. Some immigrants try to become more "American" in the way they look,in an attempt to fit in. Kim and Eui-Young Yu attempt to answer this fromthe Korean American perspective. So the search for a distinct identity continues. Yet many, likeJames Ryu, found their language returning when they resumed contact withnew immigrants. Her argument is that, without a solid understandingof the original culture, the individual cannot make effective choices inblending with the new culture. Sookhee ChoeKim calls herself "perpetually marginal" (341), a concept she uses toremind herself that, even grounded in her Korean heritage, she is no longerfully Korean, yet is not completely American, either. This paper discusses the search for an Asian American identity. Theyestablish Korean centers, shop in stores run by fellow immigrants, and liveand work in a closed community that tries to deny the larger world in whichit exists.Kyu Min Lee declares, "I'm not Korean American; I'm Korean . . Janine Bishop argues, "Whether you're a minority trying to live inanother place, or a woman trying to live in a male-dominated society, youhave to have some sense of identity" (313). For Kyong-ae Price, this means beginning with a thorough grounding inthe culture of origin. . Kyung-Ja Lee agrees,"Unlike the legendary American pioneer, we can't just pack up and say, 'Tohell with you; I'm starting a new life'" (172), yet this is essentiallywhat many immigrants say by leaving their homelands for a new life inAmerica. Immigrants to theUnited States from Asia have always been a part of the nation's history,but legislative efforts to restrict their numbers have prevented them fromhaving the dramatic, long-term effect of many other nationalities untilfairly recently. While most of those with whom they come in contact may speakKorean, even the most ardent nationalist will need to learn a few words ofEnglish to get by. Yet full-scale surrender to the new culture is not the answer,either. The term "Asian American" is relatively new. It's whereI was born . As this self-definitionimplies, a single identity does not exist. I'm not Korean. Sean Suh says, "If I were living in Korea, I'd raise my kids inthe Korean culture; but if I am living in America, I am going to raise themin American culture . In some senses, Ryu agrees with her, but he believes the process ismore about establishing the right mindset. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.