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Rethinking Assimilation Through the Lens of Transnational Migration

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Rethinking Assimilation Through the Lens of Transnational Migration University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 11-1-2011 Rethinking Assimilation Through the Lens of Transnational Migration Bo Yong Lee University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Lee, Bo Yong, "Rethinking Assimilation Through the Lens of Transnational Migration" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 358. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/358 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. RETHINKING ASSIMILATION THROUGH THE LENS OF TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION: Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants ________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver _________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _________ by Bo Yong Lee November 2011 Advisor: Dr. Antony Alumkal Author: Bo Yong Lee Title: RETHINKING ASSIMILATION THROUGH THE LENS OF TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION: Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants Advisor: Dr. Antony Alumkal Degree Date: November 2011 Abstract Given the changing global environment and different experiences of the new immigrants, it is necessary to delve into the question of how the notions and patterns of immigration and assimilation change through the lens of transnational migration that focuses on the connection of immigrants to the context of both sending and receiving countries. Recognizing the transnational religious activities and creative adaptations of the new immigrants to new environments can enrich the study of assimilation, which reflects the changing picture of multilayered American society and its constituents. To examine the assimilation process of Korean immigrants through their transnational religious activities, my research examines both organizations and individuals seeking long-distance spiritual and practical guidance to negotiate identities in a new land and find meaning to their lives. Rather than assuming the inevitable process of assimilation, this study of Korean immigrants’ assimilation under the influence of transnational engagements can provide a changing understanding of assimilation, which emphasizes dynamic and reciprocal adaptations between immigrants and both sending and receiving societies. ii Table of Contents I. Introduction 1 1. The Scope of Dissertation and Thesis 1 2. Statement of the Problem 3 3. Methodology 7 4. Significance and Contribution 10 II. New Immigration and Assimilation 12 1. Immigration in America 12 2. The New Immigrants 15 3. The Conventional Understanding of Assimilation 19 4. The New Immigrants and Assimilation 28 5. The Complexity of Assimilation 31 III. Transnational Religious Activities of the New Immigrants 36 1. Transnational Ties of the New Immigrants 36 2. The Concept of Transnational Activities 40 3. The Character and Consequence of Transnational Activities 43 4. Importance of Religion among the New Immigrants 56 5. Transnational Religious Activities of the New Immigrants 60 IV. Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants 68 1. The Religious Life of Korean Immigrants 68 2. Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants 75 3. Implications of Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants 101 V: Rethinking Assimilation through the Lens of Transnational Religion 107 1. The Need to Rethink Assimilation from a Transnational Perspective 107 2. The Misunderstandings of Transnational Activities and Assimilation 112 3. The Features of Transnational Religious Activities of Korean Immigrants 115 4. Assimilation Revisited 126 VI. Conclusion 144 VII. Bibliography 155 iii I. Introduction 1. The Scope of the Dissertation and Thesis In recent studies of immigration, transnational migration is one of the primary research topics as more migrants develop strong ties to more than one country, blurring the boundaries of social and geographical spaces. As Alejandro Portes et al. indicates, even though “back-and-forth movements by immigrants have always existed, they have not acquired until recently the critical mass and complexity necessary to speak of an emergent social field.”1 Along with the rapid development of transportation, information technology, and various global networks, the growth of transnational activities has started to draw attention from the public and academia. Considering transnational ties of immigrants in contemporary American society, important questions can be posed in relation to issues of assimilation. Are assimilation and transnational engagements a zero-sum game? In what ways and to what extent do transnational activities affect the changing patterns and degrees of assimilation of immigrants? A conventional view of assimilation suggests that transnational activities impede the process of assimilation, which anticipates the full incorporation of immigrants to the American mainstream. Yet, the relationship between transnationalism and 1 Alejandro Portes, Luis E. Guarnizo, and Patricia Landolt, “The Study of Transnationalism: Pitfalls and Promise of an Emergent Research Field,” Ethnic and Racial Studies 22 (1999): 217. 1 assimilation requires broader and deeper studies in relation to the experiences of the new immigrants. As José Casanova argues, “the traditional model of assimilation, turning European nationals into American ‘ethnics,’ can no longer serve as a model of assimilation.”2 For the new immigrants, who mainly consist of non-Europeans, the classical meaning of assimilation provides a very limited application. Because of the different physical appearances of the new immigrants, they have been confronted with the grave prejudice of the host society as unassimilable, and, thus, rarely felt that they would be fully admitted to the American mainstream society. In addition, given the process of globalization and the unprecedented level of access to original nations and traditions, it is timely and significant to investigate how the new immigrants assimilate into American society connected with transnational activities. Until recently, while most transnational migration studies focused on economic, political, and socio-cultural factors, scholars rarely provided a sufficient account of the reality of religion in transnational activities and its relation to the process of assimilation of immigrants in American society. Unlike sociopolitical and economic dimensions of transnationalism, however, religious activities are significant to illuminate more internal and profound aspects of assimilation of newcomers in terms of the negotiation of identity in a new nation, search for belonging, and the establishment of moral values. Yet, due to the relative novelty of stable and regular transnational connections, religious studies on new immigrant groups have produced limited research in this phenomenon. This can also be applied to religious studies on Korean immigrants and their congregations. Even 2 José Casanova, “What Is a Public Religion?,” in Religion Returns to the Public Square: Faith and Polity in America, eds. Hugh Heclo and Wilfred McClay (Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2003), 30. 2 though there have been many studies of Korean American religious beliefs and practices, very few studies have been done on the transnational religious connection of Korean immigrants and its relation to assimilation. In order to advance religious studies on Korean immigrants and their congregations, my research will explore how Korean immigrants access religious resources through transnational networks and activities, and in what ways and to what extent transnational religious activities are related to the assimilation process of Korean immigrants in the United States. In particular, it will focus on the transnational connections of Korean Christians (Protestants) residing in the Denver area3 and the effects of these dynamic transnational religious engagements on Korean immigrants, the original country, and the host nation. By investigating what types and degrees of transnational religious engagement prevail among Korean immigrants and by examining the individual and social factors that shape transnational religious participation, I will present the extent and effects of transnational religious activities in the process of assimilation and draw a conclusion which can provide alternative ideas to the conventional expectations of assimilation based upon the experiences of Korean immigrants. 2. Statement of the Problem Controversies about assimilation continue in recent studies of immigration. As Peggy Levitt and B. Nadya Jaworsky indicate, some scholars such as Richard Alba, Victor Nee, and Peter Kivisto believe that even though issues of ethnicity and race matter, 3 This location is selected because of its overall efficiency. Because I live in Denver, CO and serve a Korean church as the director of Christian education, it is convenient and efficient for me to collect data and interview Korean Christians in this area. 3 most immigrants will achieve assimilation into the mainstream American society.4 On the other hand, to overcome the deficiencies of the conventional concepts of assimilation, Alejandro Portes, Rubén G. Rumbaut, and Min
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