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© 2008 MARIANNE S. NOH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTEXTUALIZING ETHNIC/RACIAL IDENTITY: NATIONALIZED AND GENDERED EXPERIENCES OF SEGMENTED ASSIMILATION AMONG SECOND GENERATION KOREAN IMMIGRANTS IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES A Dissertation Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Marianne S. Noh December, 2008 CONTEXTUALIZING ETHNIC/RACIAL IDENTITY: NATIONALIZED AND GENDERED EXPERIENCES OF SEGMENTED ASSIMILATION AMONG SECOND GENERATION KOREAN IMMIGRANTS IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES Marianne S. Noh Dissertation Approved: Accepted: ________________________________ ________________________________ Advisor Department Chair Dr. Matthew T. Lee Dr. John Zipp ________________________________ ________________________________ Committee Member Dean of the College Dr. Kathryn Feltey Dr. Ronald F. Levant ________________________________ ________________________________ Committee Member Dean of the Graduate School Dr. Susan Roxburgh Dr. George R. Newkome ________________________________ ________________________________ Committee Member Date Dr. Baffour Takyi ________________________________ Committee Member Dr. Carolyn Behrman ii ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to contribute to the social constructionist study of relationships between assimilation experiences, gendered ethnicity and ethnic identity formation among second generation Korean Americans and Korean Canadians. As the presence of Korean immigrants in the U.S. and Canada is currently increasing at record high rates, the integration and adaptation of this new Asian immigrant group is an important concern for empirical assessment. For second generations, experiences of integration and adaptation influence ethnic identity formation, the socially constructed sense of self and belonging to ethnic groups and cultures. This study develops an understanding of segmented assimilation experiences, the internalization and resolution of racialized gender stereotypes and associated identity formations through content analysis of interview data. Thirty-one second generation Korean Americans and Korean Canadians participated in in-depth face-to-face interviews. The respondents shared their lived experiences of assimilation, gendered ethnicity and ethnic identity. The results are a presentation of emergent themes. The interpretation of data employs a contextualization of the results in national and gendered settings. Presented are three major results. First, American and Canadian second generation Koreans encounter similar assimilative experiences of adaptation struggles, social exclusion and confrontations with the model minority stereotype. Second, the respondents expressed iii the following distinct models of Americanness and Canadianness: the ethnic American model (Kibria 2002) and the multicultural Canadian model. Neither model, however, seemed to permit full integration of Asians into the mainstream. Third, racialized gender stereotypes were prominent sources of conflict for the respondents. In conclusion, I suggest and discuss a model of dissonant identity formation . Conversations with second generation Koreans have shown that the formation of ethnic identity is a challenging experience that requires ongoing resolutions of conflicting messages coming from mainstream and co-ethnic social settings. iv DEDICATION I dedicated this dissertation to a number of people who inspired the inception and completion of this project. To begin, I dedicate this to my dear friends spent many days and nights talking with me about the life of a second generation Korean. Julia Kim and Joy Yoon, your support and inquiry always gave me the confidence to move forward. Next, I dedicate this to the participants of this study. Thank you for sharing with me your life stories for the purpose of social scientific research. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with each one of you and to hear your accounts of the second gen experience. Finally, I dedicate this document to my parents. You two are the most influential individuals in my life. Mom and dad, I am certain that I would not be here without you two as my models and my mentors. It is a great privilege for me to follow your examples. Thank you so much for following your hearts, even when others frowned on your decisions. There are many times that I benefited and learned from your actions. This project was clearly driven by our countless number of conversations and your inquiry into my life as your child and as a daughter of Korean immigrants. There are no words to express my gratitude for your unconditional protection, understanding and love. Mom and dad, nine years ago, who would have thought that I would be completing my doctoral studies today? Thank you a thousand times over. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document would not be complete without the contributions of the people I recognize here. I am pleased to take this opportunity to acknowledge those who went above and beyond with their assistance to this study. First, I thank my following family members: ubba, umma, obba, unni and halmunee. Your actions of patience and words of support helped me to stay focused on the results. I also thank my niece, Ashley, for her patience with me. I am grateful for her cards, pencils and for working beside me throughout the past year. My family provided valuable assistance for which I appreciate. Second, I want to thank my following friends and colleagues for their advice, interpretations and feedback on the ideas for this project: Joy Yoon, Jea-Eun Rhee, Daniela Jauk, Mary Laske, David Skubby, Aya Kimura, Dana Williams, Suzanne Slusser, Julia Kim and Yoonjai Shin. I also thank Dana and Suzanne for opening up their home and their ideas to me. I am pleased to take this opportunity to thank Julia and Yoonjai for their editing. Yoonjai, especially, improved the communication of ideas throughout this document. There are elements of conversations and ideas from my friends and colleagues in this dissertation, for which I am indebted. Third, I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Carolyn Behrman, Dr. Kathryn M. Feltey, Dr. Matthew T. Lee, Dr. Susan Roxburgh and Dr. Baffour Takyi. Each member provided thoughtful comments and constructive suggestions. I am grateful vi for their recognition and appreciation for the study. Most of all, I would like to thank my committee chair and mentor, Dr. Matthew T. Lee. He supported and supervised the project from its conception. Much of this document incorporates his ideas and interpretations. I would especially like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Matthew T. Lee for influencing and enriching my worldview. He encouraged the use of the social constructionist perspective and qualitative methodology, for which I believe made the research process more meaningful and fulfilling than if I had utilized a more conventional approach to the dissertation. I am so grateful for all the contributors to this document. This is hardly a one- person endeavor. My gratitude goes to everyone that I mention in this acknowledgment for his or her involvement. Each one provided necessary assistance in the formation of findings and the synthesis of ideas presented in this document. I am thankful to them all. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................1 The New Immigration Period ..................................................................................4 Statement of Purpose ...............................................................................................8 Second Generation Korean Americans and Korean Canadians.............................10 II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM, SEGMENTED ASSIMILATION, GENDERED ETHNICITY AND IDENTITY FORMATION ..............................................................14 The Social Construction of Identity.......................................................................15 Typifying the Model Minority Stereotype and Ethnic Identity Formation............21 Segmented Assimilation and Identity Formation ..................................................26 Racialized Gender Stereotypes and Gendered Ethnic Identity Formation ............36 Summary................................................................................................................42 III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS...................................................................44 Defining and Accessing Respondents....................................................................45 Data Collection and Interview Questions ..............................................................51 Data Storage and Organization ..............................................................................53 viii Data Analysis and Interpretation: Coding, Reliability and Validity......................54 The Contributions of Qualitative Methods ............................................................56 The Sample ............................................................................................................57 IV. RESULTS I: INTERNALIZING THE MODEL MINORITY AND TYPIFYING THE “SECOND GEN”....................................................................................................61
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