The Korean American Family: Assimilation and Its Toll on the First and

Over the last 15 years researchers have taken an increased interest in studying the large pool of recent Korean immigrants. This analysis concentrates on finding how first generation Korean Americans relate and interact with their second generation counterparts. Using studies on the adjustment of first generation Korean immigrants and the levels of their success, the dynamics of Korean family living in America are analyzed. A main objective is to illustrate and highlight the sources of conflict between parent and child. First generation Korean immigrants, struggling to overcome language barriers and cultural differences, often overlook the needs of their second generation children, who are also trying to adjust. Second generation Korean Americans strive to adapt in order to meet the demands of mainstream American society. Coupled with the pressure of their beckoning ethnicity, the children of first generation Korean. Americans are forced to merge two vastly different cultures. Korean culture is strongly influenced by Confucianism and its traditional values and family structure. Economic pressures on women to work, racism and prejudice, and the conflicts children observe between traditional values and those of the dominant society contribute to the difficulties of balancing the two cultures. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ****************************A**AAAA,',AAAAAAA.*AAAA*********************