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Analysis of Interview Erin Million
The United States has often had broad and far reaching effects on nations worldwide. Whether it’s the economic impact of US trade policies or the efforts to bring Democracy to other countries, the United States leaves many developing countries bruised and battered. As discussed in Jo Ann Koltyk’s, New Pioneers in the Heartland, the effects of the Vietnam War in relation to the Homong people and their acceptance into the United States as refugees has had lasting and sometimes devastating effects on the Homong. Unlike the Vietnam War the Korean War was somewhat successful in the view of the United States. The United States was able to “free” a portion of the country, dividing it between the North and the South. My interviewee was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Although, the war was before her time the aftermath of the war affected her life and her family. Specially, her father who was a veteran of the war. In her interview she discusses the division the war created leaving her father unable to communicate or ever see his family again. The Homong people also discuss their own separations and the difficulties associated with being away from their family in an unsafe environment while trying to survive in the midst of a war. Unfortunately, as Georgie D.M. Hyde discusses in his book, South Korea Education, Culture and Economy, approximately 10 million families were separated when Korea was divided. His book also discusses education, women’s rights, cultural changes, relationships with other countries and economic influences in South Korea which are many of the same topics my interviewee discusses.
Many people migrate to the United States for reason such as economic influences, persecution, and war. These reasons are presented through the accumulation of personal stories from several immigrates to the United States (Queens NY) in Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan’s book, Crossing the Blvd, like the story of Janet (persecution), Miguel and Marianna (economic influences), and Adis (war). However, my interviewee’s reasons, while partially intertwined with the most frequent reasons, were mostly for love. Her father wasn’t initially pleased with her decision, which relates to the Homong’s desire to have their offspring marry within their nationality. There were other factors, like the treatment of women, opportunities for women and the influences of Western/European culture in comparison with the South Korea which created a push/pull factor that Chung recognizes in her interview.
Koreans have been migrating to the United States for over 100 years. There are approximately 1 million Koreans residing in the United States. They represent about 3.6% of the U.S. Population (2000 U.S. Census). According to the National Association of Korean Americans (www.naka.org), a civil and human rights group for Korean Americans, there were three waves of Koreans to America. NAKA states,
“The first, from 1903 to 1905, consisted of about 7,500 Koreans, mostly men, who went to work on Hawaii's sugar plantations as contract laborers. The second, beginning in 1950, consists of women who married American soldiers and children adopted into American families. Nearly 100,000 so-called "internationally married women" or "military brides" entered the United States between 1950 and 1989, while approximately 300,000 Korean adoptees entered the United States beginning in 1953. The third wave, beginning in 1967, consists of Koreans who came under the occupational and family reunification preferences of the 1965 Immigration Act. These waves of emigration followed growing U.S. involvement in Korea during the twentieth century.”
My interviewee would be considered one of these “military brides.”
In conclusion, my interviewee presented a story describing the relative ease she had adjusting to the life in the United States. I did attempt to probe further but she never indicated any mistreatment, she never talked of hardships, any racist behavior directed towards her, or difficulties assimilating to the “U.S. way of life.” Whether this is true or not; I cannot say. However, I would like to share some of my opinions on her assimilation. In Stephen Castles and Mark S. Miller’s book, The Age of Migration, specifically, chapter 9: New Ethnic Minorities and Society, the authors compare the position of the new ethic communities or minorities in a wider range of Western societies. During their analysis they discuss the assimilationist model which they state, “has been applied in all highly developed immigration countries to some extent.” Castles and Miller define assimilation as “the policy of incorporating migrants into society through a one-sided process of adaptation: immigrants are expected to give up their distinctive linguistic, cultural or social characteristics and become indistinguishable form the majority population.” My interviewee, Chung, followed this model. She raised her children without teaching them the Korean language or culture. She disassociated herself from almost every aspect of her “old Korean life.” She even adopted an American name, Amy, which she went by for many years. From many of our readings and discussion on immigration in the United States many “native citizens” agree with the assimilationist model or some form of it. My interviewee obviously tried very hard to completely “Americanize” herself. She was already familiar with the “American Way” while in Korea where she socialized with many American soldiers. In Chung’s interview, she talks about her and her friends’ preference for American and European things. Her strategy to assimilate may have been from her Western influences in Korea and how she had desired to be an “American kind of girl” or because of social pressure from those around her once she got here. For whatever reason, her decision to assimilate may have made her transition easier and helped to build acceptance towards her in her community. This may be why she claims she had no problem in adjusting to her new life.
The United States has often had broad and far reaching effects on nations worldwide. Whether it’s the economic impact of US trade policies or the efforts to bring Democracy to other countries, the United States leaves many developing countries bruised and battered. As discussed in Jo Ann Koltyk’s, New Pioneers in the Heartland, the effects of the Vietnam War in relation to the Homong people and their acceptance into the United States as refugees has had lasting and sometimes devastating effects on the Homong. Unlike the Vietnam War the Korean War was somewhat successful in the view of the United States. The United States was able to “free” a portion of the country, dividing it between the North and the South. My interviewee was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Although, the war was before her time the aftermath of the war affected her life and her family. Specially, her father who was a veteran of the war. In her interview she discusses the division the war created leaving her father unable to communicate or ever see his family again. The Homong people also discuss their own separations and the difficulties associated with being away from their family in an unsafe environment while trying to survive in the midst of a war. Unfortunately, as Georgie D.M. Hyde discusses in his book, South Korea Education, Culture and Economy, approximately 10 million families were separated when Korea was divided. His book also discusses education, women’s rights, cultural changes, relationships with other countries and economic influences in South Korea which are many of the same topics my interviewee discusses.
Many people migrate to the United States for reason such as economic influences, persecution, and war. These reasons are presented through the accumulation of personal stories from several immigrates to the United States (Queens NY) in Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan’s book, Crossing the Blvd, like the story of Janet (persecution), Miguel and Marianna (economic influences), and Adis (war). However, my interviewee’s reasons, while partially intertwined with the most frequent reasons, were mostly for love. Her father wasn’t initially pleased with her decision, which relates to the Homong’s desire to have their offspring marry within their nationality. There were other factors, like the treatment of women, opportunities for women and the influences of Western/European culture in comparison with the South Korea which created a push/pull factor that Chung recognizes in her interview.
Koreans have been migrating to the United States for over 100 years. There are approximately 1 million Koreans residing in the United States. They represent about 3.6% of the U.S. Population (2000 U.S. Census). According to the National Association of Korean Americans (www.naka.org), a civil and human rights group for Korean Americans, there were three waves of Koreans to America. NAKA states,
“The first, from 1903 to 1905, consisted of about 7,500 Koreans, mostly men, who went to work on Hawaii's sugar plantations as contract laborers. The second, beginning in 1950, consists of women who married American soldiers and children adopted into American families. Nearly 100,000 so-called "internationally married women" or "military brides" entered the United States between 1950 and 1989, while approximately 300,000 Korean adoptees entered the United States beginning in 1953. The third wave, beginning in 1967, consists of Koreans who came under the occupational and family reunification preferences of the 1965 Immigration Act. These waves of emigration followed growing U.S. involvement in Korea during the twentieth century.”
My interviewee would be considered one of these “military brides.”
In conclusion, my interviewee presented a story describing the relative ease she had adjusting to the life in the United States. I did attempt to probe further but she never indicated any mistreatment, she never talked of hardships, any racist behavior directed towards her, or difficulties assimilating to the “U.S. way of life.” Whether this is true or not; I cannot say. However, I would like to share some of my opinions on her assimilation. In Stephen Castles and Mark S. Miller’s book, The Age of Migration, specifically, chapter 9: New Ethnic Minorities and Society, the authors compare the position of the new ethic communities or minorities in a wider range of Western societies. During their analysis they discuss the assimilationist model which they state, “has been applied in all highly developed immigration countries to some extent.” Castles and Miller define assimilation as “the policy of incorporating migrants into society through a one-sided process of adaptation: immigrants are expected to give up their distinctive linguistic, cultural or social characteristics and become indistinguishable form the majority population.” My interviewee, Chung, followed this model. She raised her children without teaching them the Korean language or culture. She disassociated herself from almost every aspect of her “old Korean life.” She even adopted an American name, Amy, which she went by for many years. From many of our readings and discussion on immigration in the United States many “native citizens” agree with the assimilationist model or some form of it. My interviewee obviously tried very hard to completely “Americanize” herself. She was already familiar with the “American Way” while in Korea where she socialized with many American soldiers. In Chung’s interview, she talks about her and her friends’ preference for American and European things. Her strategy to assimilate may have been from her Western influences in Korea and how she had desired to be an “American kind of girl” or because of social pressure from those around her once she got here. For whatever reason, her decision to assimilate may have made her transition easier and helped to build acceptance towards her in her community. This may be why she claims she had no problem in adjusting to her new life.
