Korean American Catholicism

This project explores the interactions between the American Catholic population and the Korean American Catholic population, highlighting their differences and similarities by examining the Korean Catholic community on campus. The author seeks to answer question of where Korean American Catholics identify themselves in the campus community, being either as Catholics, Koreans, Korean American Catholics, or as none of the former? This project is based on individual research methods, interviews and participant observation with the St. Mary???s Korean Student Organization and the leadership at St. John???s Catholic Church, as well as individual Korean American Catholic students on campus. This study concludes that the Korean American population is a small but increasingly influential group among the U.S. Catholic minority and should not be relegated to marginal status within the U of I Catholic community at large. The project includes a proposal for further research in which the author aims to help Korean American Catholics have a greater voice on campus.unpublishe